Extravagant Celebrity Car Purchases

No matter how much money we throw at celebrities, they always seem to find ways of spending it. From Justin Bieber’s $25,000 ‘Family guy’ necklace, to Victoria Beckham’s 24 karat gold iPhone 4, there seems to be no end to the imagination of celebrities with piles of money burning a hole in their pocket. Whilst some just make us cringe with the frivolous waste these celebrities flaunt, others we can only watch and envy. Celebrities throwing away money on pointless status symbols is a far cry from owning the fastest, rarest and sexiest supercars in the world, so here’s a few of our favourites.

 

Nicholas Cage’s Ferrari Enzo - $670,000

Probably the best know supercar ever built, the Enzo has a top speed of 217mph and a 0-60 time of 3.4 seconds. Only 400 models of the iconic, 12 cylinder, 6.0 litre Ferrari, named after the company’s founder Enzo Ferrari, were ever produced, and actor Nicholas Cage is reported to have spent $670,000 on his. Could be a bargain, considering that the 400th model is reported to have sold at auction for $1,274,229 in 2005, with the proceeds going to the survivors of the 2004 Tsunami.

 

Jerry Seinfeld’s Porsche 959 - $700,000

Avid car enthusiast and owner of one of the largest Porsche collections in the world, Jerry Seinfeld paid $700,000 for his Porsche 959, one of only 337 ever built and the centrepiece of his collection. To his despair, he was not initially allowed to drive it since it would not pass US emission tests, though it was eventually made street legal in 1999 under the “show and display” federal law.  

 

Kanye West’s Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 - $750,000

For his 35th birthday, this rapper/producer was given a $750,000 black Lambo from his girlfriend Kim, who also has quite the exquisite taste in vehicles. Featuring a 6.5 litre V12 and 7 speed transmission, the Aventador puts out 700bhp, tops out at 217mph and has a 0—60 time of 2.8 seconds. And it doesn’t look half bad either…

 

The Veyron club – Around $2 million

It’s difficult to discuss the car purchases of celebrities without referencing what has become a worldwide favourite – the Bugatti Veyron. Whilst there are more extravagant car purchases out there, this one is recognised world-wide as being at the height of engineering magnificence. Until recently, the Veyron was one of the most expensive and fastest street-legal cars in the world; the Grand Sport Vitesse with 1,200 horsepower was worth $2 million.

There are many car-loving celebrities out there joining the Veyron club, and they deserve a mention in this post. The Bugatti boys club has included the likes of;

• Tom cruise
• Birdman
• Jay-Z
• Ralph Lauren
• Cristiano Ronaldo
• Simon Cowell

Jealous much? Well, you might not be when you get an eyeful of the estimated running costs of a Veyron; $2 million to buy is just the start, with running costs estimated at $300,000 per year, including an average $10,000 service, and $50,000 for a set of replacement tyres! And imagine the insurance costs?! Time to get online and compare prices Mr Cowell.

 

Jay Z’s Maybach Exelero, $8 million

Reportedly costing the rap superstar $8 million, the Exelero is a one-off custom build and tops our list of extravagant car purchases, because we couldn’t find ANY more expensive cars. Commissioned by tyre company Fulda, it’s a chopped-down two-seater coupe based on the Maybach 57 limousine, with top a speed of 218.38mph despite weighing 2.66 tonnes, its 5.9 litre engine turns out 700bhp and a 0-60 time of 4.4 seconds.

Its owner Jay-Z is estimated to be worth over $500 million and has sold approximately 50 million albums worldwide, receiving 17 Grammy awards for his work. It must be getting tough to find things to spend that cash on?

Whatever you think of celebrities and the ways they find of spending their money, it’s worth remembering one thing; if these people weren’t around buying these supercars, the manufacturers would stop making them. Just because I’ll likely never afford the 911 or Enzo of my dreams doesn’t mean I’d want to see their sort disappear from the roads. Whilst insanely jealous we should at least be a little grateful that someone has the money to spend to convince Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche to keep doing what they do best, for the rest of us to enjoy (even if it is through a television screen).

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This article was written by David Rendell, content writer for online car insurance companies comparison website Confused.com.