These Supercars Save Money by Using Parts From Everyday Cars

Not every supercar part is exotic or custom-made. To cut costs and boost reliability, some high-end performance cars quietly borrow components from ordinary, mass market vehicles. From switches to suspension bits, these shared parts help supercars save money without hurting performance.

Lamborghini Gallardo

so the Gallardo, yeah, that raging bull that screams money? guess what, it shares switchgear with an old Audi. like, you’d press a button and go “huh, isn’t that from an A4?” around $200k and still, they gave it Audi knobs. not gonna lie though, they feel solid. i mean, german parts in an italian diva, kind of the perfect dysfunctional marriage.

McLaren 540C

i read somewhere that some of the basic McLaren models used window switches from like a Renault. a Renault. it’s insane. imagine paying $180k and rolling your window down with something that also lives in a Clio. i find that strangely comforting, actually. makes the car feel a little less “rich alien,” a little more “forgot my charger in the car.”

Bugatti Veyron

this one’s just funny because, yeah, the original Bugatti design team apparently borrowed some indicators and electronics from… the VW parts bin. like seriously, $1.5 million and your signal stalk is cousins with the one in a Golf. though I guess that makes sense when Volkswagen owns them. still, can’t help thinking about someone flicking the same stalk in rush-hour traffic.

Ferrari 348

honestly, I’ve always liked the old Ferraris, but the 348 had some Fiat parts sneaked in there. mostly interior stuff. feels like Ferrari was like “eh, good enough.” but it kinda works. the mix of fancy and tacky is charming. you’d sit there, smell the old leather, maybe the faint scent of gasoline and dust, touch a switch, and just know this came from somewhere less glamorous. probably cost $70k now, depending on condition, and man, those cars age like hot people who stopped caring about skincare.

Lotus Elise

oh man, this one’s fun. the Elise uses bits from a Toyota. like the engine and some switches. yeah, you spend maybe $50k, and it’s got Toyota bones. reliable chaos. if you’ve ever been inside one, the smell’s part sweat, part metal, part “what’s that rattling sound?” but you forgive it because it’s light and silly and makes you grin like a kid on sugar.

Aston Martin DB7

this car has such a Bond look, right? until you realize most of its switches came from a Ford. like, straight-up Ford Taurus buttons in this sleek $150k grand tourer. i actually owned a Taurus once, and I swear I nearly choked laughing when I saw the same bits in a DB7. fancy theater, cheap popcorn kind of deal.

Pagani Zonda

so the Zonda majestic, dramatic, absurd and yet rumor says some of its rear-view mirrors came from a Fiat Punto. yeah, imagine paying a million+ dollars and finding Fiat DNA staring back at you. though, I gotta admit, Pagani made it look cool. kinda like turning flip-flops into designer shoes. respect.

Lamborghini Murciélago

you look at this beast, it’s loud and low and ready to bite. and then, the headlights… Audi A4. like bro. that’s the same face as a business commuter car. i love it though. it’s ironic art. $300k and your headlights are technically economy lighting. that’s poetry.

Noble M12

small company, totally nuts car, but a lot of it’s made of Ford bits. switches, vents, that kinda stuff. i had a buddy who rode in one, said it felt like “a Ford Focus that got angry and did push-ups.” about $70k used now, but it still corners like a caffeinated squirrel.