RL1

Not sure if this has already been posted...an interesting article in the Montreal Gazette a couple of weeks ago...funny shot at the BMW M5

Jenson Button of Great Britain has two Mercedes in his own garage, a monstrously powered C63 AMG DR 520 - and a Smart Car. Go figure.

Photograph by: MARK THOMPSON GETTY IMAGES, Postmedia News

The most common question I'm asked is: "What kind of car do you drive?"
Truth be told, I spend my money on cabs and bribing neighbours to ferry me to auto distributors. Anything I could afford would pale in comparison to anything I test. I'm not alone in this regard. One of Canada's other leading auto writers drives an awful orange AMC Hornet. Others survive on aging Mazda MPVs and whatever rust-bucket pitying in-laws might hand down. In other words, you'll glean no insight into cars by databasing what auto writers drive.


But you might do so from peering at the list of rides (crash.net/f1/ news/172013/1/f1_stars_ road_cars__revealed.html) owned by Forumula One pilots.


After all, these are the very best drivers in the world and, perhaps more importantly, can afford any automobile they want.


As you might suspect, Mercedes-Benz and Ferrari are well represented on the list. Of course, part of that is a simple case of partisanship because Ferrari owns a team and woe would be the driver for Maranello if he had anything other than a prancing horse in his driveway.


So, it's no surprise that Fernando Alonso drives a 458 as well as a Maserati (until recently a subsidiary of Ferrari) Gran Cabrio, while Felipe Massa has a slightly more family-friendly 599 and a Maserati Quattroporte.


Likewise, Michael Schumacher lists a Ferrari California among his daily drivers, though I suspect he has a garageful of Ferraris left over from his championship years at Maranello.


Schumacher also has three Mercs - this, after barely just more than one unsuccessful season with the German team - a great, honking twiceturbocharged V12 S65 AMG as well as a C63 sedan and GL SUV.


Nico Rosberg, positively frugal in comparison, lists only the C63 as his personal ride and, though that, too, is an AMG ride, it is the lesser of all the products Mercedes' in-house tuning arm offers. Lewis Hamilton, currently the craziest driver in the paddock, drives a pedestrian GL 450.


Predictably, Jenson Button has two Mercedes in his garage. Like all self-indulged, he drives a monstrously horsepowered C63 AMG DR 520 (limited-edition, 520 hp). To quell his guilt, he drives a Smart Car. So, I don't how much we can learn from Button's choices either.


One seeming anomaly in this luxury-brand consciousness is the appearance of Infinti's FX50S twice on the list, first with championship leader Sebastian Vettel's garage and also in Heikki Kovalainen's driveway. The first can be attributed to Infiniti's sponsorship of Red Bull racing (Vettel is a "global brand ambassador" for the brand), but you still have to give the FX 50 its props because it is one of the finest-handling SUVs around. Kovalainen further cements his rep as an eccentric nutter by also having a Nissan GT-R in his stable. It's surprising the Finn has so far managed to stay out of jail.


There are a number of BMWs on the list, but certainly not the ones you'd expect. It's surprising - actually, perhaps not so surprising since the current car has never lived up to its predecessors' reputation - that not a single M5 appears on the list.



Instead, Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi drives an X5 and teammate Sergio Pérez drives an X3 (indeed, those who decry SUVs in general as ill-handling blights should note that there was a surprising number of sport-brutes sprinkled on this list). Pérez also listed a Z4 convertible.


From there, the list descends into randomness. Like Yours Truly, Paul di Resta must be blagging rides because he claims no car on this list. Nick Heidfeld obviously suffers from a split personality disorder since his (multicar!!!) garage offers anything from an aging but still incredible Porsche 959 to one of the most boring vehicles of all time - a Toyota Sienna minivan. Throw in a Ford Mustang and a Volkswagen Beetle Convertible and it's plainly obvious that we have a very confused young man.


Fiat, however, will be pleased to see that its 500 makes Heidfeld's eclectic list. Indeed, the 500 is also on Vettel's list (he also has a Volkswagen T5 van) as well as Jarno Trulli's. This last, however, would seem to be a red herring.


Trulli lists the 500 as his only car and I don't for a minute believe that an Italian Formula One driver who has a son named Enzo really drives a subcompact as his only mode of transportation.
Indeed, as far as I can see, the only circumspect selections - the ones outsiders might glean that elusive insight with - belong to Virgin's Timo Glock. He drives a Volkswagen Touareg and Audi A4, both powered by frugal 3.0-litre turbodiesel V6s. His would seem to be the only choices motivated by pure pragmatism.

iKai

its nice to know that even the c63 will amaze a F1 driver such as Michael Schumacher thanks for posting this the night before my c63 coupe delivery/pickup

hunterjah

Very cool story, thanks for posting. At the AMG Driving Academy this weekend I asked many of the instructors which AMG product they would own and hands down most responses were the C63, even over the SLS. I also asked Tommy Kendall about his stable and he's in an S63, but really loves the C63. He said he has a Black Series C63 coupe in his future. Judging from the way he drove my taxi lap in the Black CLK, I think he needs one of those too!

VaclavSV

Following Jenson Button on twitter and he posted pictures hooning a 2012 P31 C63... claimed to absolutely love burning rubber in it! He tweeted more about driving that car than winning in Japan LOL. As a huge F1 fan that link was really cool! thanks RL1

hhughes1

It's the entertainment value that separates the C63 from the pack. It is just a blast to drive!

SMP

What do Schumacher, Rosberg, Button and Hamilton have in common? All their business rides have Mercedes engines ..... of course they all list a Mercedes as their personal ride as well. Just like Alonso and Massa use Ferrari's and Maserati's as their daily rides. At the end, it's who pays the bills that dictates what they drive in public

AMGC60-3

I believe Schumcher had a Benz when he was with Ferrari as well.

AWD

I know the past few times Lewis Hamilton has been in Los Angleles, he drives a white SL63 AMG with MFG plates. Looks like MB USA takes car of him whenever he is in town.

empunker

pretty cool that there are 4 C63's listed - Button, Rosberg, Schumacher, and Liuzzi.

I've never heard of Button's DR 520 edition, wonder what it looks like.

VaclavSV

rage2

enochroot

so sick

Helms

Here are 25 pictures of the DR 520 Edition:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?s...4175423&type=1

RL1

UNREAL!!!! and all that alcantara in the interior!!! drooooollll

RL

PATRIEK

Schumacher drove AUDI while he was with Ferrari, now he drives a black SLS. Ther's no C63 I know off ...
His wife drives a black GL450

HIRO63

In Japan past Formula One driver Augri Suzuki owns C63.

shchow

+1, Although not 100% compliant, I'm sure that this has alot of influence on which cars these professionals use for their daily commute.
Would be interested to see what NASCAR drivers drive...
What Rally Car drivers drive...
What Truck Series drivers drive...

As far as the dig at the M5, I view it differently.
The E63/S6 were not even mentioned in the same breath.
So I interpret the author's intent that the M5 is the best in its class...

tonnygreg786

There are always some facts that are related to most famous and best car race drivers but still these facts are unknown from many people. Here I would like to share a fun fact about the most famous Nascar car race driver Richard Petty that he was presented a Nascar award “Award of Excellence” in 1987.