Target price calculator.

The midpoint of comparable listings is fair only when the depreciation curve has flattened. For cars still in the steep-drop phase of their curve — typically year one through three — today's bottom-of-range listing is closer to next quarter's midpoint, so the target should lean toward the bottom of the spread. The calculator surfaces both numbers: the naive midpoint and the curve-adjusted target, with the reasoning visible.

Yes. The calculator integrates with the NHTSA vPIC public VIN decoder — paste a 17-character VIN and the calc auto-fills year, marque, and trim where it can match against our catalog. NHTSA is a free public US government service; no signup or API key required. If the trim doesn't auto-match (some VIN data omits trim), pick the closest from the dropdown manually.

Mixing trims is the most common reason a target-price calculator returns a number that's wrong for the car you're actually looking at. A 2022 Porsche 911 Carrera typically lists ~$110-130K; a 2022 Turbo S typically lists ~$200-230K. If you average a Carrera comp with a Turbo S comp, the midpoint is wrong for either trim. Picking the trim activates an MSRP-anchored sanity check: the calculator surfaces the curve-implied range for that exact trim at that age and flags when your input range looks materially off.

Not yet. Today the calculator does the math on the listings you provide; you're responsible for sampling the comps. Live-listings lookup (auto-fetching comparable prices from a market source like Cars.com or Marketcheck) is on the roadmap as Plan C — it requires a paid API integration and budget decision before it can ship. The current scope: trim awareness + VIN decode close the specificity gap; live data closes the automation gap.

Curves are industry composites triangulated from Hagerty residual tables, KBB 5-year Cost-to-Own data, and Edmunds True Cost to Own. Each marque's curve carries an explicit source citation. These are buyer-facing approximations meant to set expectation — not manufacturer-published residuals and not investment-grade projections. Real outcomes depend on mileage, condition, options, region, and timing.

Honest monthly payment math requires a real interest rate, term, down payment, and credit profile. Showing a number based on a hardcoded zero-percent assumption — as most car-shopping calculators do — is misleading. Marque's lease-versus-buy calculator handles financing math separately so the assumptions stay visible.

Buyer's premium for online auction sources (typically 8-12 percent), state sales tax at the rate you specify, transport (typical exotic-car nationwide range is $1,500-3,000), and a first-year service or pre-purchase inspection budget. The listing price alone is the sticker; the delivered cost is what you actually pay to put the car on the road.

The projection applies the brand's depreciation curve from the car's current age forward through your hold period. For ages within the modeled five-year curve, the residual percentage is read directly. For ages past year five, the calculator extrapolates at roughly 2.5 percent per year — the typical flat-zone decay rate for the segment. Limited-edition and collector-grade cars break this pattern; the calculator flags when the projection runs beyond the modeled range.

Curve coverage at launch includes Bentley, Ferrari, Porsche, and Rolls-Royce. Other marques are in the editorial backlog. Until those land, the calculator shows the listing math and delivered cost without curve adjustment, with a note flagging the gap.

Yes, free. No signup, no email gate, no upsell. Marque is editorial; the optional Concierge service is opt-in only when a buyer asks for it. The calculator is meant to be used and shared.