Porsche knows how to make its new $845,000 hybrid super sports car look like a bargain: Display it among cars that cost a few million dollars or more.

The company plans to make the rounds with the 918 Spyder at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in Monterey, Calif., later this month. It is a good spot for the debut because the people attending are rabid car fans who tend to have the means to acquire exotic sports cars. Besides, the Spyder seems almost cheap next to 40- and 50-year-old models selling for five times as much.

But the proximity of valuable collectibles raises a touchy question: Will the 918 appreciate in value the way the Ferrari 250 GT SWB and Alfa Romeo TZ-2 of the 1960s did? Or will it rapidly lose value like most costly cars? Read More »