Aston Martin Can't Be Happy Someone Is Selling Their Valkyrie Build Slot

Welcome to the world of ultra-exclusive hypercar sales.

Selling build slots for ultra-rare hypercars is not uncommon these days, but what all automakers, from Porsche to Ferrari to Aston Martin, will agree on is that they hate it when it happens. You see, these exclusive brands offer only their very best customers build slots for cars like the LaFerrari, 911 R and the upcoming 1,000-hp Aston Martin Valkyrie. Build slots are a reward for loyalty, plain and simple. But loyalty sometimes only goes so far when there’s potential profit.

As such, an ad has now appeared on the German language website Mobile.de, via Knight International, for an Aston Martin Valkyrie build slot. The price: 3 million Euros, or $3,553,830. Clearly this sale has not been sanctioned by Aston Martin, so anyone who’s interested is advised to proceed carefully. They need to somehow confirm the build slot is for real. Interestingly, the ad mentions that Aston Martin originally required Valkyrie buyers to also purchase a Lagonda sedan. This is not an uncommon practice, being required to purchase one expensive car in order to buy an even pricier one. In this case, however, the ad claims whoever buys this particular build slot will not have to also buy the Lagonda.

As for the Valkyrie in question, its body color and specs have yet to be announced, meaning the slot buyer may or may not be able to make personal preferences. The seller of this build slot remains a mystery, no doubt in order to avoid Aston Martin’s ire. Then again, this anonymity makes us wonder whether the whole thing could be a scam. Welcome to the world of buying and selling ultra-exclusive hypercars.

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Here's Why Audi May Be Happy With A Bad Sales Year

All of Audi's new models may hurt deliveries.

Typically when an automaker announces its sales goals for the upcoming year, they use terms like "record deliveries" and "sales crown." It isn't often we hear automakers use words like "strain" or "transition," but those are the words Audi used to describe 2018. Automotive News Europe reports Audi is expecting to have a rough sales year in 2018. Audi has launched over 20 redesigned and new models, which could hurt deliveries. The brand is hurting from declining sales of high-end models and costs from the diesel emissions scandal.

The luxury automaker is on the verge of launching a product onslaught, which will include a new model every three weeks this year. We've already seen the redesigned A6 sedan, and new Q8 and E-Tron SUVs are on the way. New models may sound like good news for sales, but not if Audi can't produce them fast enough. The company expects production bottlenecks due to new vehicle tests for harmonized world standards. "This means an enormous feat of strength for us," CEO Rupert Stadler said. "2018 will be a year of transition." Audi likely won't be in the sales crown competition with BMW and Mercedes in 2018.

Instead, Audi just wants to match last year's record deliveries of 1.88 million units. It may be a rough year for Audi, but the brand may be in a good position in the future. Like the rest of the Volkswagen Group, Audi plans to launch 20 electrified models by 2025, more than half of which will be fully electric. 2018 may be a bad year for Audi, but it should just be a blip on the radar.

2017 Audi R8 Spyder Pricing Won't Make Lamborghini Very Happy

The Huracan looks like a bad buy when you compare it to the R8.

Audi has just announced pricing for the 2017 R8 Spyder, and once again it seems like the Germans are intent on screwing over their Italian counterparts. The R8 (rain drop) droptop costs $176,350 and will do 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds and tops out at 198 mph. It is powered by a naturally aspirated 5.2-liter V10 engine making 540 horsepower and 398 lb-ft of torque. Power is routed through all four wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The cheapest Huracan convertible you can buy is the RWD model, priced at $200,000.

Like we said, Audi has once again screwed over Lamborghini. The RWD Huracan makes the same torque as the R8 but its horsepower output is higher, 572 hp to the Audi’s aforementioned 540 horses. Aside from the slightly cooler look the performance specs are nearly identical. The RWD Huracan Spyder will hit 0-62 mph in 3.6 seconds and tops out at 198 mph. The AWD Huracan Spyder is more powerful, with its 5.2-liter V10 spitting out 602 hp and 413 lb-ft of torque. It races from 0-60 mph in 2.8 seconds and can break 200 mph. However, all that comes at a cost of almost $100,000 more than the Audi R8 Spyder. If the Germans ever decide to offer an R8 V10 Plus Spyder the performance, and pricing gap, would close considerably.

If it were our money the R8 Spyder would get serious consideration. Then again, if someone is willing to spend $176k on a convertible supercar it’s hard to believe an extra $25,000 for more power and better looks would be a deal-breaker.