It is well known that many of the world’s most expensive cars are owned by celebrities. While many prefer vintage rarities, others prefer the latest, state-of-the-art, limited edition, personalised models.
Jay-Z and Beyoncé have a collection of more than 15 vehicles, ranging from family-friendly models to well-rounded and stylish convertibles, in which they are often seen travelling the world. The most show-stopping piece in the collection is clearly the Maybach Exelero, which is worth $8 million and was admired by the public in Jay-Z’s “Lost One” video. The Batmobile-inspired wonder has a maximum speed of 351.45 km/h and can go from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.4 seconds, all while weighing 2.66 tonnes. The Maybach Exelero is an exceptional and unrepeatable high-performance sports car, which means that only one of this model has ever been built in the world.
However, perhaps the most famous and popular collection in the world is linked to another Jay, Jay Leno. The former Tonight Show host is renowned for his almost pathological passion for cars and is the proud owner of the Big Dog Garage in California, which currently houses a collection of cars worth more than $150 million. One of its greatest pieces is the $12 million McLaren F1, possibly one of the most iconic supercars of the last century. Designer Gordon Murray’s brainchild still lives on as the basis for the T50 supercar. In its heyday, the McLaren F1 set the record for the world’s fastest production car at 240.1mph. But the most valuable of the collection cost Leno much more than that: although the price is unknown, the Leno EcoJet is a unique supercar that the presenter developed in collaboration with General Motors and was unveiled at the 2006 SEMA show in Las Vegas. The flashy-designed car is powered by a 650-horsepower Honeywell Lt-101 turbine engine that runs on biodiesel and is built on a Z06 aluminum frame that incorporates magnesium components.
Soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo likes to live large, and the Manchester United striker is known for his passion for supercars. The 37-year-old Ronaldo’s £24 million collection includes 3 Ferraris, 2 Lamborghinis, 2 Bugattis, 2 McLarens, 2 Rolls-Royces, but also a Porsche 911 Turbo S, a Koenigsegg CCX, and a £164,000 Bentley Flying Spur. The current jewel in the collection is clearly the €9.5 million Bugatti Centodieci, bought last year, of which only ten examples were ever made, boasting an 8-litre W16 engine, with special models producing 1600bhp – around 100bhp more than the Chiron, and costing around three times as much overall. It can accelerate from 0-62mph in just 2.4 seconds and has a top speed of 236mph.
With a fortune of $125 million, Birdman is still one of the richest hip-hop producers in the world, and he spends it on cars, and is said to have the most patented collection in the business. He has spent $8 million on a custom Maybach Excelero, a high-end limousine licensed for speeds of 350 km/h (217 mph) or more. But the finest piece in the collection is the Bugatti Veyron, which cost the rapper just $2 million. The model is the fastest legal streetcar in the world! The Super Sport version is much faster, with a top speed of 431 km/h. Originally based on the Bentley Hunaudieres concept, it was designed and developed by the Volkswagen Group.