What are the most expensive cars out there?

It depends on how you count, of course. New cars from major automakers? "Tuner" cars built to order by specialty shops? High-end classics? 

Here, we've stuck to new regular-production cars offered in the U.S. market for the 2015 model year. All price information is from Edmunds.com.

Image source: Ferrari.

10. Ferrari 458 Italia
The "entry level" model from Fiat Chrysler's most hallowed brand starts at just over $239,000. But like all Ferraris (and all of the cars on this list), it can be optioned up substantially from there. Prefer the convertible version? You'll be starting from around $264,000 before you tackle the oh-so-tempting options list.

Image source: McLaren.

9. McLaren 650S
McLaren has been an elite Formula 1 racing team for several decades, but it's a relatively recent entrant in the super-sports-car league. The impressive 650S, powered by McLaren's own 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8, starts at $265,500 for a coupe, $280,225 for the convertible Spider version.

Image source: Rolls-Royce.

8. Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II
To the extent that anything with a Rolls-Royce badge could be described as "entry-level," the Ghost family is it. The super-exclusive British brand of kings and tycoons is owned by BMW Group nowadays, and the Ghosts have quite a bit of BMW engineering under the skin, starting with the super-smooth BMW-derived 6.6-liter V12 engine. Price? The Ghosts start at a bit over $285,000, but again, that's just the beginning, as a long list of options beckons. 

Image source: Rolls-Royce.

7. Rolls-Royce Wraith
Rolls-Royce is known for huge and stately (one might say staid) sedans, but the Wraith is something different: A coupe, maybe even -- dare we say -- a handsome one. It may be handsome and sporty, but it's still a big and heavy (5,380 lbs) Rolls-Royce, and it's priced accordingly at $294,025 (again, for starters). Despite the heft, the Wraith is a seriously fast car: Its version of that BMW-derived V12 packs 624 horsepower.

Image source: Ferrari.

6. Ferrari FF Coupe
Ferrari has long offered a four-seat V12-powered car near the top of its range, but the FF Coupe is a bit unusual: With four-wheel drive and styling that looks almost like a squashed two-door station wagon, the FF is as close as Ferrari has ever come (so far, anyway) to an SUV. It's still very much a Ferrari, though, with a howling 651-horsepower 6.3-liter V12 and a zero-to-60 time around 3.5 seconds -- and a price tag that starts at about $295,000.

Image source: Bentley.

5. Bentley Mulsanne
Once upon a time, Bentley Motors was part of Rolls-Royce. No more: Now the old British marque is part of the vast Volkswagen Group empire. The Mulsanne hews to the old traditions, though. It's still built in England, and it still uses a (much updated, with twin turbos) version of the old 6.75-liter pushrod V8 that powered Rolls-Royce and Bentley sedans for decades. Prices start at $303,700 -- but if you like driving, you'll want to pay up for the hotter Mulsanne Speed ($338,325) instead.

Image source: Ferrari.

4. Ferrari F12 Berlinetta
The F12 is the top of Ferrari's model line, excepting the occasional one-off zillion-dollar you-can't-get-one-anyway specials like the La Ferrari. But if it's a Ferrari you want, the F12 will do nicely: Seating for two, a 730-horsepower V12 mounted in front, 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, a spectacular exhaust note, and a claimed top speed of 211 miles per hour. And a price tag to match: The F12 starts at about $320,000, but most go out the door for quite a bit more.

Image source: Lamborghini.

3. Lamborghini Aventador
Legend has it that self-made Italian industrialist Ferruccio Lamborghini founded the sports-car maker in a fit of pique after a falling-out with Enzo Ferrari. Nowdays, Lamborghini is under Audi's wing, making it (like Bentley) part of the Volkswagen Group. The Aventador is the latest in a long and glorious line of mid-engined V12-powered screamers that began with the out-of-this world Miura way back in 1966. It's exactly what you'd expect: 700-horsepower V12, snug-fitting cabin for two, outrageous hyper-doorstop styling, and a price that starts at $397,500.

Image source: Rolls-Royce.

2. Rolls-Royce Phantom
The Phantom is the Rolls-Royce of Rolls-Royces, the top of the line, with a huge list of available options. In fact, it's a whole line of cars: The Phantom can be had as a sedan, a coupe, a convertible coupe, or in a long-wheelbase sedan version for those who prefer to be driven. Power comes again from that BMW-derived V12, but whisper-quiet effortlessness is the emphasis here, not performance. Prices start at $407,400 for the sedan and run up to about $480,000 for the convertible -- but again, most buyers pay quite a bit more.

Image source: Porsche.

1. Porsche 918 Spyder
Porsche's 918 is a technological tour de force, a road-going display of the cutting edge of German sports-car engineering. It's powered by a 4.6-liter V8 engine that makes 608 horsepower -- and a pair of electric motors that add another 279 horsepower. Yes, believe it or not, Porsche's ultra-expensive top-of-the-line model is a plug-in hybrid, with 12 miles of electric-only range. It's far from cheap, with a price tag of $845,000. But even if price isn't an obstacle, you'll have trouble getting one: Production ended last month after the 918th and last 918 (yes, really) was built.