The Jacht was originally a lightweight Dutch naval vessel used to pursue pirates in shallow waters. When King Charles II chose to sail in one on his return to England in what would later be known as the English Restoration, the Jacht became a symbol of important and, eventually, wealth and luxury. Today, that tradition is still quite alive and nothing demonstrates that fact better than the most expensive yachts in the world.

Octopus – $200 million

Owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, Octopus is the world’s eighth largest yacht. The 414-foot yacht was first launched in 2003. The yacht has two helicopters, a submarine with room for ten men and seven boats. For those who’d like to see the ocean floor, the yacht even includes a remote controlled vehicle to do so.

Rising Sun – $200 million

Co-owned by Oracle’s Larry Ellison and media mogul David Geffen, Rising Sun is 453-feet and five stories of oceangoing luxury. It was built with one goal in mind—to exceed the size of Paul Allen’s Octopus, above. This pricey yacht has 8,000 feet of living space with onyx countertops and Jacuzzi bathrooms, a spa and sauna, a gym and even a private movie theatre with an enormous plasma screen.

Lady Moura – $210 million

This 344-foot mega-yacht is owned by billionaire Nasser Al-Rashid. It features a pool with retractable roof, a 75-foot dining table crafted by Viscount Linley and a helicopter. Lady Moura’s most remarkable feature, however, is the beach resort that slides out of one side of the boat. The mini resort features not only sand and deck chairs, but even includes palm trees for a truly authentic resort experience.

Dubai – $350 million

This costly yacht has gone by three names since its conception—Platinum 525, Golden Star and, most recently, Dubai. The Platinum 525 was commissioned by Prince Jefri Bolkiah of Brunei in 1996, but a lack of funds caused the project to be abandoned a scant couple of years later. In 2001, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, then Crown Prince and now ruler of Dubai, took over the project and renamed it the Golden Star. Dubai is as expansive as it is expensive. The 525-foot yacht features an owner’s suite, five VIP suites and a number of guest bedrooms. The bridge features the captain’s quarters, an office and a lounge. The foyer and atrium connects each deck while lighting them from above via skylight. The luxury yacht is powered by four diesel engines with over 9,000 horsepower altogether.

Eclipse – $1.2 billion

Russian billionaire and Chelsea football club owner Roman Abramovich’s super-yacht will be a 560-foot monster requiring a minimum of 70 crewmembers and featuring eleven guests. Abramovich and his guests will be protected by a security system that uses laser bursts to foil digital paparazzi photography when activated, anti-bugging and anti-intruder systems and a missile detection system. They’ll also enjoy a swimming pool that can be drained and used as a dance floor, an additional swimming pool and an aquarium. The yacht holds two helicopters, three boats and a submarine.

Extremely expensive sports utility vehicles are nothing new. Porsche and Hummer currently produce some of the world’s most expensive SUVs. An infatuation with high-priced gas-guzzlers has produced a market of jaw dropping SUVs that are sure to impress even the toughest critics.

Porsche Cayenne Turbo S – $112-150,000

This 520 horsepower beast is capable of handling even the most extreme conditions. The Cayenne Turbo S has a base MSRP of $112,000 and hit sales floors in 2003. But if you want it with all the amenities like colored Porsche crests on the wheels, the off-road tech package, and the 20-inch wheels and tires, you can expect a price tag of almost 150 grand! When off-road, the Cayenne Turbo S features a 2.4 inch suspension articulation for those pesky boulders or fallen trees as well as a unique “hill-descent mode” where the SUV can safely inch its way down a slippery slope at a set speed without assistance from the driver’s foot. This SUV will put your standard sports car to shame, running the coveted 0-60 miles per hour in an astounding 4.8 seconds.

Spyker D8 Peking-to-Paris – around $300,000

Originally called the D12, the Spyker D8 Peking-to-Paris SSUV was introduced in 2006 at the Geneva Motor Show. Some of the standard features of the Spyker SSUV include: fulltime four-wheel drive, four doors (suicide configuration), carbon-ceramic matrix brakes, and all aluminum construction. While it was originally intended to have a Audi W12 engine, it is now believed to be fitted with a V8 by an unknown American company—hence the change from “D12″ to “D8.”

“Warrior One” Hummer H1 – $1.25 million

On January 20th of 2007, CNN auctioned off a Hummer used by journalists that were covering the war in Iraq. Proceeds from the auction were donated to the Fisher House Foundation. Dave Liniger, a Vietnam veteran and the founder of Re/Max International Inc., purchased the most expensive SUV ever sold at auction, bidding $1 million for the Hummer. Another bidder, Dave Ressler, contributed an additional $250,000 to benefit the charity. The Hummer H1 was the world’s most expensive SUV until it ended production in 2006.

Dartz Prombron Monaco Red Diamond Edition – $1.5 million

Perfect for the urban warrior, this bulletproof SUV is an upgrade from the original 8.1 liter GM V8-powered Dartz Kombat T98. Debuting at the 2010 Top Marques Monaco show, the most expensive SUV in the world will feature ruby red matte paint, gold-plated bulletproof windows, 22″ Kremlin Red Star bulletproof wheels, tungsten exhaust and a coating of kevlar. The badges and dials are made with white gold, diamonds and rubies. It also features a special Vertu mobile phone with an “alert” button and a Rogue Acoustic Audio System. Best of all, the interior is lined with whale penis leather!

That is good, right?

The 1929 Leyland Lion

A British transportation museum may have just purchased the world’s most expensive tires.

The Lincolnshire Road Transport Museum’s premier exhibit, a 1929 Leyland Lion bus, required new tires to make it roadworthy for the museum’s 50th anniversary. In order to replace the old and significantly cracked tires, the museum was eventually forced to order specialty tiles from America.

The Leyland Lion is the only surviving example of its model, the other three having been scrapped after serving as transport during World War II. This particular bus was used as a snowplow until it became the museum’s first acquisition around 1954.

The most expensive tires in the world cost the museum over $800 each. In comparison, normal bus tires cost around $250.

The Trans-Siberian Railway, stretching across Russia from Moscow to Vladivostok, was originally approved by Czar Alexander II in the late 19th Century. Nowadays, it’s used for 30% of all Russian exports and a trip across the country can be made in as little as seven days. It’s also the route for the most expensive train ride in the world.

The Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express was unveiled by Britain’s Prince Michael of Kent in April 2007. The train’s Gold Class cabins are equipped with LCD screens, power showers, underfloor heating and individual air conditioning while chefs in the restaurant cars prepare the finest local cuisine. The Golden Eagle takes wealthy tourists and other travelers almost 6,000 miles in 15 days, with frequent stops for day trips.

The world’s most expensive train ride costs $22,195 for a single room or $15,795 per person for a twin cabin.

The most expensive driver’s license in the world isn’t some revenue-generator for a local government. In fact, the license allows you to drive all over the world—as long as you’re driving in a Formula One Grand Prix.
The FIA Super License is issued only to holders of Grade A competition licenses—and even then only if the [...]

The long anticipated Corvette ZR1 may finally see the light of day in 2009. First unveiled at the 12 Hours of Sebring race in 2005, the car was supposedly the result of GM CEO Rick Wagoner wondering what his Chevrolet designers could do for $100,000. The answer, of course, is the most powerful and most [...]

Every once in awhile, a car enters the spotlight and becomes an instant classic. Years down the road, these cars demand hefty prices when sold at auction. These are the most expensive classic cars in the world.
1937 Bugatti Type 57S – $4.4 million

When relatives of the recently deceased and “eccentric” Dr. Harold Carr opened the [...]

We’ve already told you about the world’s most expensive bicycle, but what if you’re only in the market for wheels? Well, you’re covered as well now that Lew Racing has produced the world’s most expensive bicycle wheels.

Lew Racing proudly trumpets their Pro VT-1 as “the strongest 880 gram wheel set in the world PERIOD.” The [...]

Based on the military’s HMMWV, or Humvee, the Hummer brand proved popular in the States. In the heyday of Hummer fever, it not only invaded the links but also produced a pricey golf cart. That’s right; the favored gas guzzler of football players everywhere is also the world’s most expensive golf cart.
Licensed by General Motors, [...]

Are you a Ferrari enthusiast? Do you think your kid should get an early start on his or her own addiction to luxury sports cars? Well, you’re in luck. FAO Schwarz and Neiman Marcus had someone just like you in mind when they sold the most expensive go-kart in the world.

This stunningly accurate replica of [...]

Anyone who’s ever read anything about US military spending shouldn’t be surprised that the world’s most expensive aircraft was a Department of Defense project.

Created as part of a secret project in the 1980s, the expensive plane is a design executed with the Soviet Union in mind. The Northrop Grumman ATB (Advanced Technology Bomber) [...]

Car insurance can be an expensive prospect for automobile owners. If you think you’re paying too much, though, maybe you should compare your insurance rates to those of the most expensive car insurance in the world.
In 2005, New Jersey had the most expensive auto insurance in the nation. The average insurance expenditure, at the time, [...]

(Image via The German Car Blog.)
One of the world’s most prestigious car auctions has produced some very impressive figures this year. Part of the famed Pebble Beach Concourse d’Elegance, Gooding & Company’s auction has set several world records since its inception in 1990. Now it has hosted the auction of the most expensive car ever [...]

Talal Khouri, a Dubai-based stockbroker, made history recently when he became the owner of the world’s most expensive license plate. He won the expensive license plate after placing the winning bid during an auction to benefit individuals with special needs. Oddly, the expensive license plate displayed the number five. You would think the most expensive [...]

Audi’s Auto Union Type C pedal car just took a back seat as Hot Wheels unveiled the world’s most expensive toy car. What makes this car more expensive than any other toy car? Well, it could be all the diamonds.
To commemorate their 40th anniversary, as well as their 4 billionth car, Hot Wheels commissioned jeweler [...]

In 2006, Royal Caribbean International embarked on an ambitious project called Project Genesis. Their mission was to build the world’s largest cruise ship. Scheduled to sail in fall of 2009, Project Genesis isn’t just the largest ship. It’s also the most expensive cruise ship in the world.

(via True Cruise)
Project Genesis isn’t Royal Caribbean International’s first [...]

Calling them airports is an understatement. With over fifteen miles of aviation-related commercial properties surrounding some of the largest airfields, these massive urban sprawls are more properly known as aerotropolises. For simplicity’s sake, though, we’ll just call them the world’s most expensive airports.
Currently, the most expensive airport is Hong Kong International Airport, located on Chek [...]

BMW Street Carver
When BMW introduced their Street Carver in 2001, they proved that they could make skateboards with the same precision engineering as their automobiles. The Street Carver is heavier than most skateboards with its cast-aluminum truck assemblies, wood and fiberglass deck and 110mm wheels. The most notable features of the board, though, are the [...]

Few cars invoke images of wealth as readily as Rolls-Royce. It’s fitting, then, that the world’s most expensive hood ornament should embellish such a car.
The Spirit of Ecstasy, known in the US as The Flying Lady, has a tangled history. Originally commissioned as a personal emblem for Lord John Walter Edward Douglas-Scott-Montagu’s Rolls-Royce Silver [...]

What kind of wax do you use on a Classic car? If you’re the sort of person who only uses the best of anything on your pampered vehicle, then the answer is clear. You’ll get the most expensive car wax in the world.
Enter Swizöl International, a Switzerland-based company that specializes in handmade car care products. [...]

Looking for a top of the line audio system to put in your spacious new SUV? Why not try the world’s most expensive car audio system? Up and coming luxury audio system creators Rogue Acoustics made a splash when they unveiled their premiere car audio system, the RA:1K.
While the RA:1K is highly customizable, the majority [...]

Founded by Enzo Ferrari, Ferrari SpA has been making high performance automobiles since 1947. In the years that follow, the Ferrari name has become almost synonymous with Formula One racing. Now owned by the Fiat group, Ferrari still produces sports cars for both the road and competitions.
Here are some of the most expensive Ferraris in [...]

If you think of a fishing trip as a father and son spending a relaxing day bonding at the lake, you may not be thinking big enough. For a nominal fare of $15-25,000 USD, Nomads of the Seas offer a trip to Chilean Patagonia on their Mothership, the Atmosphere. As the most expensive fishing trip [...]

Move over, Lance Armstrong. The 7-Diamond bicycle sold at the 2005 Lance Armstrong Foundation Gala may have been the most expensive bike a month ago, but now that honor belongs to a new bike by Aurumania.

Aurumania’s Gold Bike Crystal edition
Aurumania’s Gold Bike Crystal edition is almost entirely plated with 24 karat gold—even the spokes. The [...]

Audi’s Auto Union Type C pedal car may just be the world’s most expensive toy car. At an unofficial price of over $14,000 USD, the pedal car hearkens back to the days when Audi was known as Auto Union, a joint venture of four German auto manufacturers. The original Auto Union Type C dominated the [...]