March and April are traditionally when annual incentive-based compensation is paid out across the wider financial industry, prompting finews.com to look for the ideal car matching ten different kinds of bankers.
Even today, the automobile remains unequaled as a status symbol. It is of little surprise, then, that the temperatures of Swiss auto dealers rise in tandem with the ides of spring when most financial institutions pay bonuses out to employees.
But the choice is not an easy one given the large number of models on offer out there. However, the Bugatti super coupe pictured as the lead-in to this story won't be one of them as the so-called La Voiture Noire isn't a model or a series, it is an example of exactly one – and it has already been sold to an unnamed buyer.
But the large range of automobiles out there seems to correspond to the large macrocosm of individuals working in the financial sector. Which led us to ask - what car fits what type of banker?
1. The Key Risk Taker
Adrenaline and combustion engines: Aston Martin DB12 (Image: zVg)
When it comes to pay, the so-called key risk-takers are often near the top of the banking industry summit. At least when things are going well. Most are often in market trading functions and their decisions often move the needle between profit and loss.
The Aston Martin DB12 is the one that most fits this adrenaline-laced lifestyle with the necessary touch of style. The model is called a super tourer and it has clear links to the glamorous moments of the past, speak James Bond.
At the same time, every fiber of DB12's being exudes performance, dynamics, and high tech. The 680 HP strong engine can do 0 to 100 km/h in 3.6 seconds, with its price starting at 225,000 euros.
2. Sustainability Enthusiasts
Slightly insubordinate: Abarth 500e Scorpionissima (Image: zVg)
Climate targets, social development goals, ESG, and impact investing. A certain subset of bankers banter over the concepts of sustainability jargon almost more than they do the classical definitions of portfolio theory.
The most original way to show everyone you mean it for climate-charged bankers could well be the Abarth 500e Scorpionissima. It is the electric reincarnation of the original Italian fun car par excellence. Since being founded in 1949, Abarth has made a name for itself with highly agile driving characteristics and a sympathetic yet slightly rebellious road presence.
The Scorpionissima special edition is a celebration of Abarth's first attempt to go electric with a full complement of options and familiar scorpion design elements. The car goes for 42,990 francs.
3. Fintech Wizards
Digital Lifestyle: Genesis G70 Shooting Brake (Image: zVg)
The neo-banker daydreams about the depth of user experience and artificial intelligence, and has little use for core banking systems and client advisors. They try to deduce what clients really want through the cloud instead of serving clients an expresso in a fancy yet understated meeting room.
The Genesis boutique on the Bahnhofstrasse is making many banker hearts flutter. Its offering is particularly directed at the high-tech or even digital native set with all its newfangled concepts - driving as a service or how to make life an app, and other things like that. The Hyundai subsidiary offers slick vehicles such as the G70 Shooting Brake, a complete package that helps soothe away the pesky analog of their world, things like mechanic visits and tire changes, for example.
The luxuriously fitted limousine with 200 PS, diesel engine, and 8-gear transmission is available for 58,700 francs and up.
4. The Romantic Banker
The last of its kind: Maserati Levante V8 Ultima (Image: zVg)
The financial industry is not really known for romance. Maybe that is why many bankers have very romantic and intense private lives. Good wine, food, beautiful nature, culture and design.
Italy incorporates all of that like no other country. And of all the luxury auto brands out there, Maserati is easily the most accessible. The Modena-based car maker's engine sound is akin to what Luciano Pavarotti was for the world of opera. Now, for the last time, Maserati has launched the Ultima special edition with a V8 engine that captures that typical Maserati sound.
The SUV in the GranTurismo tradition is powered by a 427 kW, 580 HP 90° Twin Turbo V8 engine. Production is limited to 106 cars and although it ended in December there are still a few models out there up for grabs.
5. The Confident Asset Manager
Commanding Presence: BMW i7 M70 xDrive (Image: zVg)
Asset managers are the space explorers of the financial industry. They often make the other parts of finance look small and meaningless given the gargantuan volume of institutional assets they are used to managing. Despite that, attention to detail is still key, even decisive.
The fully electric BMW i7 M70 xDrive gives off the impression of a spaceship while paying microscopic attention to everything. It has a commanding presence combined with a luxurious interior and is full of high tech. Its main core ingredients comprise the two electric motors on the front and rear axles that can generate a combined 485 kW (660 HP) with a 105.7 kWh battery that has a range of about 500 kilometers.
The 2,770-kilogram heavy colossus goes from 0-100 km/h in 3.6 seconds and costs 172,400 francs.
6. The Net New Monetistas
It might take several bonus rounds: Bugatti W16 Mistral (Image: zVg)
Net new money is to wealth management what kilowatts and horsepower are to cars, one of the most important key performance indicators. And there are private bankers out there who specialize in maximizing those kinds of inflows. When things are going well, the top bracket among them can afford an 8.6 million franc Bugatti W16 Mistral after a couple of bonus rounds.
They are the kind of private bankers who move around in a tense atmosphere characterized by speed and compliance. That kind of bipolarity on the street is exemplified by the hyperaggressively designed French supercar. The Roadster convertible sets the standard in terms of a sports car. It has a 16-cylinder W-shaped engine which is the beating heart of a quad-turbo motor. And, like Maserati, it will be the last of its kind.
Its 1,600 HP helps it to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 2.3 seconds and 0 -200 km/h in 6.1 seconds while its top speed is a very impressive 420 km/h.
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