America's most expensive cars: BMW and Mercedes SUVs, Corvette ZR1, Lucid Air, Cadillac Celestiq

© press.bmwgroup.com

American carmaking is no longer shorthand for budget-friendly sedans and pickups. Quite the opposite: the U.S. now turns out some of the world’s most expensive, tech-forward machines. A new ranking highlights the ten priciest models built on American soil, and many of them have one thing in common: six-figure price tags.

Rounding out the list are brawny BMW and Mercedes crossovers assembled in Alabama and South Carolina. Their prices easily clear the $130,000–$150,000 mark, and under the hood sit V8s with more than 600 hp. Sitting above them is the Cadillac Escalade-V, now the most expensive US-built SUV, put together in Texas.

From there, the ranking steps into truly rarefied territory. Two ultra-powerful Chevrolet Corvettes—the ZR1 and the hybrid ZR1X—are built in Kentucky and already play in hypercar company, sprinting to 97 km/h in under two seconds.

Climbing higher still is the all-electric Lucid Air Sapphire from Arizona, capable of reaching 100 km/h quicker than most supercars and delivering 1,234 hp.

The absolute leader is the Cadillac Celestiq, hand-built in Michigan. Pricing starts in the low four-hundreds, and annual production is measured in mere dozens. It stands as the most expensive American-made car and the most exclusive Cadillac to date. Right now, the car is estimated at $400,000.

Overall, the ranking makes one point clear: the priciest cars in the U.S. now come not only from traditional luxury badges but also from industry heavyweights intent on reasserting their technological edge.