Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. That applies to many areas, including the automotive world. Car companies invest billions of dollars in developing designs that set their cars apart from the competition. Unfortunately, the uniqueness of these cars makes them extremely expensive for the ordinary man. And while some ultra-expensive luxury cars have cheaper alternatives, replicas are the easiest ways for the average man to drive a Ferrari. Unfortunately, the complex nature of some of these premium cars makes them hard to replicate. Would Ferrari hire designers who arent talented and experienced enough to create sophisticated designs?

Updated June 2022: Replicas are the closest way to drive one for those who can't access a $1 million car. That said, we've updated this article with some luxury sports car replicas that aren't fooling anyone.

Related: These Are The Best Replica Car Manufacturers On Earth

But even if someone succeeds at creating a good luxury car replica, they only have a shell. Copying the underpinnings of a vehicle is next to impossible. They usually stick this shell on cheap cars, which is enough for some people. In some cases, the results are successful enough to look like the originals, while in other cases, they can look so dreadful that even an amateur enthusiast can notice. With this in mind, we have compiled a list of luxury car replicas that are not fooling anyone.

14 Suzuki-Based Bugatti Veyron

via autoevolucion.com

The Bugatti Veyron is one of the most innovative sports cars of the 20th century. Its development took years and culminated with a superb vehicle with 1,000 hp, capable of topping 254 mph. There were just 450 Veyrons made, all of which sold for between $1.0 million and $2.0 million, so it's unlikely that many people could afford it.

However, for those that want a Veyron very much, so much that they are willing to settle for something that just slightly looks like a Veyron, there's this replica created by Indian custom builder SF Carz. This Veyron copy is based on an older Suzuki Swift - it doesn't have the huge 1000-hp W16 engine. Under its hood is a tiny 1.3-liter engine with less than 100 horsepower.

13 Ferrari Enzo Replica

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The Enzo is one is among the rarest Ferraris in the world, a limited-edition car that costs over $1.0 million. The Ferrari Enzo is very difficult to come by for regular people. However, this didn't stop this guy who wanted an Enzo so badly that he decided to build one himself.

He took a Pontiac Fiero and built a kit car resembling an Enzo. Did he succeed? Not really, because it's way too obvious that this is far from being a Ferrari. But maybe this is what he was going for because this particular "Enzo" is featured in a couple of YouTube videos that mock car vloggers and automotive reality TV.

12 Rolls Royce Phantom Limo

via limomarket.com

This might look like a Rolls Royce Phantom at the front but come on. No one in their right mind would believe that somebody would mutilate a Phantom to make it longer. The car in question is a Chrysler 300C, cut in half and extended, and the front was styled to resemble a Phantom.

Related: These Are The Coolest Replica Kit Cars On The Market Right Now

It's unclear what was done to the rear, but it's unlikely that the rear doors were swapped for rear-hinged doors. Still, because it's a stretch limo, a lot of attention was given to the interior, so there are probably many amenities like wooden panels and a mini bar—typical of a Phantom.

11 Bugatti Veyron Replica

via motor1.com

In 2016, this replica was listed on eBay for $59,900, and the description mentions that it was based on a Mercury Cougar Chassis. On top of the Chassis is a fiberglass body kit. Kudos to the builder, because the replica looks convincing and even has a fake engine cover at the back.

The interior also had some work done to resemble a Veyron. There are even Bugatti logos on the instruments. However, is it worth paying $60,000 for this? There are much better original luxury cars available for a similar amount.

10 Chrysler Bentley Continental GTC

via youtube.com

The Chrysler Sebring is a mediocre American car. But if it must be a Sebring, the convertible offers better driving dynamics and fun on the road. Underneath is a simple inline four-cylinder 2.4-liter engine or a 2.5-liter V6. However, to make the Sebring convertible more fun, many people have embarked on turning their Sebrings into something more interesting. Most draw inspiration from the classic convertible grand tourer, the Bentley Continental GT, or the convertible GTC version.

The replica featured here is based on a 2002 Sebring. A lot of work went into building this car. It might look decent enough to resemble a Continental GTC on the exterior. The interior is where it struggles, even though it's custom-made. However, opening the driver's door reveals the steering wheel with the giant Chrysler logo in the middle of it.

9 Bentley SUV

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After the Rolls Royce Cullinan, the Bentley Bentayga is the poshest SUV. Someone probably wanted to experience at least some part of owning and driving a Bentley SUV, so they built one for themselves.

Related: 10 Luxury Sedans That Will Destroy Most Sports Cars

The Bentley SUV replica featured here is based on a 2011 Toyota Venza, which features the original Bentley head and taillights. If this car was trying to copy the Bentayga, the Audi Q7 would have been the better option than a Venza. The Q7 and Bentayga share a lot of components, including the platform.

8 Lamborghini Aventador

What do Eagle, a small town in Idaho, and Sant'Agata, a small town in the municipality of Bologna, Italy, have in common? Nothing. Except that Lamborghini Aventadors are built in both these places. In Italy, they make actual Aventadors, which are great and powerful, while in Eagle, Idaho, a company called Z and M Customs built an Aventador replica in 2012.

This replica has scissor doors and a custom leather interior, so it's almost a Lamborghini. It also has a 400-horsepower V8 engine and a six-speed manual gearbox. There is one huge drawback. Instead of using the mid-engined, rear-wheel drive Fiero like all people that build fake supercars do, the company behind this piece of machinery went for a Pontiac GTO, which is front-engined. It has a phony engine cover at the back and the engine at the front, so the trunk space is out of the question, but since no one buys a Lambo for its practicality, a fake can't be practical.

7 Fiero Testarossa

via cardomain.com

A Ferrari Testarossa replica only needs to have the side air vents. If these are perfectly done, the job is 80 percent done, at least that's how replica builders seem to think. There's not much to go about in the Testarossa in this picture. It looks like it's built on a Fiero, so at least the owner picked a mid-engined foundation for the replica.

The job is well-done. The side intakes seem a bit odd, but maybe that's because they look parallel to the ground, while in the original Testarossa, they are aimed slightly upwards to repeat the lines of the body. And it doesn't look as slick as the Ferrari, but if the V6 engine allows it, it can be driven away fast enough before anyone notices.

6 Ferrari Enzo Replica

via gtspirit.com

If there's a special place in hell for people who do horrible things to cars, then the builder of this Ferrari Enzo replica deserves to go there twice. First, he decided to build an Enzo replica. Second, he mutilated another Ferrari in his quest. It's okay for people to make a Ferrari Enzo replica based on a Fiero. It's different when someone destroyed a Ferrari F430 to replicate an Enzo.

On the bright side, the replica looks closer to Enzo than any other replicas out there, probably because they are both Ferraris. And it's also hugely expensive. It was listed for $425,000 in 2014, which is way above the price range of anyone looking to buy a Ferrari replica.

5 Lamborghini Reventon

via autoevolucion.com

In 2007, Lamborghini unveiled the Reventon, its most expensive road-going supercar. Only 20 Reventons were made and sold at $1.20 million each. The Reventon features the traditional aggressive styling of Lamborghini but multiplied. Underneath, it packs a 6.5-liter V12 that develops 641 horsepower and can go from 0 to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds. On top of that, the car has a top speed of 212 mph.

However, if a million dollars, probably more in 2022, is too much for the original Reventon, there's an option to purchase this replica Reventon kit car. On the plus side, it's based on a Nissan 300zx, and they are less than $10,000. The downside is that while it has a 3.0-liter V6, its performance is far from that of a Lamborghini.

4 Dodge Stratus Lamborghini Gallardo

via carscoops.com

The Gallardo was Lamborghini's best-selling model between 2003 and 2013. The brand built and sold over 14,000 units. The prices for the Gallardo started at $182,00 for the rear-wheel-drive V10 and could go as high as $252,000 for the all-wheel-drive Performante Edizione Tecnica.

But what if there's a Gallardo for less than $10,000? Well, not necessarily a Gallardo, but something that remotely looks like it. This is a body kit built on a 1996 Dodge Stratus, a weird choice considering that the Stratus is a four-door sedan. It was listed on eBay in 2013, with the highest bid being $8,181.

3 Rolls Royce Phantom

via autobild.es

Here's another replica that won't fool anyone. It may look like a Rolls Royce Phantom, but anybody who knows anything about cars or has seen the actual Phantom would immediately guess that something is wrong with it.

The builders did a good enough job, so it's hard to understand what car is underneath this body kit. It looks like a Lincoln Town Car. There are no 6.0-liter V12 and many other luxury amenities typically found in a Rolls Royce.

2 Hyundai Coupe-Based Ferrari 612

via ministryblue.com

This guy from Australia who wanted to convert his Hyundai Tiburon, known as the Hyundai Coupe in Europe, into a Ferrari 612 did one thing right. He didn't mess up the Hyundai very much. The Hyundai was slightly modified on the headlights and rear lights to give the Coupe a Ferrari look.

The car was also fitted with two twin stainless steel exhausts, and the mufflers were removed to better imitate the sound of Ferrari's V12 engine. Imitating the sound of the V12 is important because, under the hood, the replica has a 2.7-liter V6. Ferrari Sydney staff considered this the best replica they have seen yet," but that might be because there probably aren't that many Ferrari replicas in Australia.

1 Ferrari F430

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Building a Ferrari replica on a Toyota MR2 is perfect. The MR1 is mid-engined and rear-wheel drive, so at least it matches a Ferrari in terms of the layout. This Ferrari F430 is not based on an MR2 but, for some reason, on a Toyota Corolla, which is a much more boring car.

An India-based Executive Modcar Trendz replicated this F430 at around $22,000. The body is made from fiberglass, and some of the plastic panels in the interior were replaced with chrome to make it look more like a sports car. Other than the layout, it looks pretty good, at least on the outside.