It might be like that in Florida, but in New York it's based on a percentage of the vehicle's purchase price - he was looking at maybe five figures to register that car. Still - chump change for the kind of person who can afford it!
According to the
NYS DVM, it's a sliding scale based on vehicle weight. So the registration fee for a Lamborghini Murcielago is:
3551 - 3650 pounds = $47.00
3651 - 3750 pounds = $49.00
Various websites put the weight of a Murcielago at 3600-3700 pounds (I'm confident they go by the manufacturer's claim, so exclude how much chrome paint and wheels add to that...since I doubt the county weighs each individual automobile).
Vehicle Use
Taxes for Passenger Vehicles varies as well, so it's an additional $20-60 for a car his weight, depending on what county of New York it's registered.
Also (as per the same site, near the top):
If this is the original registration of your vehicle, you must pay the fees for your vehicle plates ($15.00), your title certificate ($50.00), and the sales tax.
There is a minimum 2-year fee of $26 for a vehicle that has 6 or more cylinders, or for an electric vehicle.
Thus: 49.00 + 60.00 + 26.00 + 50.00 + 15.00 =
$200.00 to register a Lamborghini Murcielago in the State of New York.
Now the
license:
Pay the $10 application fee and the
driver license fee with cash, check, money order or credit card. According the fee schedule in the previous link, it's $52.50 - $55.00 (we'll use the greater of the two numbers).
Thus, it's 10.00 + 55.00 =
65.00 for a driver's license. This doesn't include any unpaid tickets, suspension or revocation fees, attorney fees, or court costs, obviously.
Here's the total bill (worst case scenario, mind you...your fees will vary as stated above) for license and registration of a 50 Cent's Lamborghini Murcielago:
265 dollars. That's high compared to many places in the US, but for most people, that's quite affordable (since it's deemed necessary by most people to have a car) for any average income person in the USA.
With that, I'd like to be 50 Cent's financial advisor and motor fleet manager, and all I ask is 2% of his earned income, as well total immunity, confidentiality, and protection from the law. Oh, and he's got to pay the insurance on the Lambo himself, I don't know what that's going to cost.
Okay as per Geico's site (they have no Lamborghinis...I used a Porsche 911 GT2 Convertible, the most expensive car I could find after 15 seconds of searching):
Phiftee,
your 6 month policy rate is $3,047.00
That is only $574.00 a month with a low first payment of $770.00.
Payment Options
$770.00 + Monthly Payments.
$770.00 + Three Additional Payments.
Make One Payment of $3,047.00.
This is for $500 deductible, expensive bodily injury, just about every other expense I could think of. Somehow, he also saved $202.10 in Policy Discounts, as well.
Let's say we double that, for purely non-scienetific reasons, because his car is roughly twice as expensive, adding any "discounts" =
6498.20 for insurance.
Anyway, like I said, I do see where you are coming from. I still disagree, but no big deal.
