High Performance Car Insurance
High performance car insurance is designed to protect cars that have a higher powered engine, or a higher value than standard cars.
These cars may be designed for greater speed or agility, as prestige or luxury cars, or just for the pleasure of driving them.
Higher end, luxury marques or supercars such as Ferraris or Porsches, would fit into this category as they are technologically advanced and have powerful engines, as are sports cars with their emphasis on agility and speed.
Hot hatches, and performance compacts and saloons, with their more powerful engines and upgraded handling, are also treated differently by insurers when compared to standard commuter or family cars.
Why Do Performance Cars Require Special Insurance?
High performance cars require special insurance as they present a higher than standard risk for insurers.
Their increased engine power and speed statistically equate to a higher number and more severe accidents.
These cars also usually have more technologically advanced engines and/ or specialised parts and require more qualified technicians to repair them, leading to higher repair costs.
Finally their high value, above €60,000 to €100,000, and desirability mean that they can be prime targets for theft and vandalism.
What Makes a Car ‘High Performance’?
Standard cars, such as commuter and family cars, are used as a benchmark to decide what cover car insurers will offer you and at what price. Categories of car such as supercars, sports cars, performance compacts and saloons, and hot hatches, do not usually meet these criteria.
There are a number of factors that mean that your car falls outside the ‘standard’ criteria that are acceptable to car insurers.
Engines with large engine displacement, usually engines above 2.0L or 2.5L (2,000/2,500cc) or a higher brake horsepower (BHP) above 200+ BHP typically triggers loading or require non standard high performance car insurance.
Insurers will also consider how ‘punchy’ the car is with smaller, lighter cars with more powerful engines, such as a small car with a 1.6L engine, considered higher risk than a heavy SUV with a 2.0L engine, due to their acceleration and power to weight ratio.
A ‘hot hatch’ car with ‘turbo’ or ‘supercharged’ in its specs may automatically move the car into a higher risk category, even if the engine is small (1.0L).
In Ireland, vehicles are broadly categorised into insurance groups from 1–50, with cars in categories 31-50 considered high performance or luxury cars. Groups are used as reference indicators, not strict underwriting rules.
Vehicles with high brake horsepower, rapid acceleration capability, or premium brand positioning are typically placed in higher insurance groupings.
Cars with V6 or V8 engines, or high powered electric cars will fall into the highest categories, cars with faster acceleration (0-100 km/hr) also factored in.
More expensive, higher end or luxury marque cars exceeding €60,000 may trigger specialist underwriting review depending on insurer appetite.
Along with the car’s value, the cost of repairs, such as a car with expensive parts or a car that requires specialist or lengthy repairs, or a car that requires original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts, will also cost more to insure or may require specialist high performance insurance.
If a car presents a higher than average theft risk, due to the desirability and high value of a luxury car or the fact that it is fast and ‘discreet’ like a hot hatch, then it will be in a higher insurance class and attract a higher insurance premium or require specialist insurance.
Car modifications affect how an insurer evaluates risk. When a vehicle is altered in such a way that it does not match its original manufacturing specifications, it will likely exceed the standard underwriting limits regardless of its non-high-performance designation.
- Standard vehicles which have been modified do not rate according to their original design parameters. The issues with these types of vehicles are not simply related to speed, but rather to whether they meet the standard rating assumptions.
- Performance vehicles are inherently excluded from standard underwriting criteria; therefore, when further modifications are made to a performance vehicle, the insurer’s risk exposure increases, and the vehicle is usually placed in the specialist market.
How Insurers Assess High Performance Cars
High performance cars sit outside standard motor underwriting thresholds. Acceptance depends on engine output, vehicle value, driver profile and modification status.
Mainstream insurers operate within defined engine and value limits. Vehicles that exceed these limits may require referral or fall outside automated acceptance criteria.
Specialist underwriters focus on performance and prestige vehicles. These policies typically carry:
- Higher compulsory excesses
- Restricted driver eligibility
- Limited or removed open driving
- Broker-only placement in some cases
- High-value models may be insured on an agreed value basis rather than market value, with the vehicle’s worth fixed at policy inception.
How Much Does High Performance Car Insurance Cost in Ireland?
There is no standard answer to that question as these insurance premiums are generally highly personalised and bespoke.
For a high performance compact car or saloon, essentially a ‘standard’ car with a more powerful engine and enhanced handling, you could expect a premium that is 50% to 150% above a standard premium, although this is subject to driver factors and individual variation.
For higher end, sports car or super car, premiums could be multiples of standard car insurance, with cover restricted to drivers over 25 or 30 with extensive driving experience.
Many of the most high end cars are covered by what are known as ‘agreed value’ policies, where the premium is a percentage of the car’s total value or purchase price (usually in the range of 1% to 2%).
What Factors Affect High Performance Car Insurance Costs?
Factors such as engine power (cc or BHP), acceleration, top speed capability all contribute to the cost of high performance car insurance, as these are generally powerful cars.
Higher value vehicles, that may require specialist repair and OEM or highly technical parts, will also mean a ‘high performance loading’ on your premium or specialist insurance.
However, there are a number of more ‘personal’ factors that also contribute to the premium you pay for high performance car insurance.
The proposed driver of the car will affect the premium significantly. Drivers aged under 25 are unlikely to be able to obtain cover for even hot hatches or performance saloons, and drivers under 30 may run into difficulties getting cover on the higher end sports cars or supercars.
A full drivers licence will also be a strict requirement for high performance car insurance, you would probably need to have held the licence for at least 2 to 5 years (no learner permit or N drivers).
Completing an advanced driving course, such as accreditation by RoSPA or IAM Roadsmart, may earn you a discount of up to 20% on your high performance premium. This can also demonstrate that you are a ‘car enthusiast’ which is a different category to ‘reckless driver’.
You will almost certainly need to have a full 5years+ no claims bonus or discount to obtain high performance car insurance, this would be a baseline rather than a way to obtain a discount.
It is also very strongly recommended that you fully protect your no claims bonus as, in the event that you are at fault in an accident, you will not lose your discount and be unable to obtain further cover.
Your annual mileage and ‘class of use’ show how much time you spend on the road so these will directly feed into your premium.
If you intend to use the car for ‘social, domestic, and pleasure’ use only, and do not intend to commute or use the car for business purposes this can reduce your premium.
Capping your mileage at, for example, 5,000 km per year could also mean a lower premium.
If you intend to use your high performance car at events, cover can vary depending on your insurer and the event in question.
Club event cover may be included in your policy, however this is limited to static car shows and meet ups.
Track days, such as Mondello Park, usually require separate standalone cover for the day and are not covered by standard insurance. If you join a car club (such as the BMW club or Porsche Club), specialist insurers may include a set number of track days as part of your cover.
Completing the Nürburgring may be one of your dreams but it is, unfortunately, specifically excluded from cover by most Irish insurers.
For high performance cars in Ireland, cover may require you to store the car in a locked, private garage overnight.
You may also be required to install a specific tracker to the car, especially for higher value cars, which provides 24/7 monitoring.
High performance car insurance FAQs
Yes, but if your daily use includes commuting or business use expect your premium to rise sharply. Lower mileage discounts (under 5,000 km per year) may also no longer apply.
Yes, it is possible, although you would need to have a full 5 yrs + no claims bonus, but it is notoriously difficult and you would likely need to obtain cover through a private broker.
If you can obtain cover you can expect the premium to be extremely expensive, even 3% to 5% of the car’s value, which may be prohibitive.
You may well need to install a 24/7 monitored insurer approved tracker for supercars or high end expensive vehicles.
Yes, but the penalty points may have a ‘multiplier’ effect on your premium, meaning that the premium jumps by 20% or more.
Yes, in certain circumstances. A named driver cannot be the primary driver of the car, but if you use a spouse’s car, for example, occasionally then you may be able to avail of named driver cover.
Adding an older, experienced driver to a policy can also lower your premium. However, it is next to impossible to add a named driver under the age of 25 (or even 30) to a high performance insurance policy. A named driver must also have a full licence.
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