When it comes to professional drivers from the world of NASCAR and Formula One, the vehicles that they are most closely identified with are, of course, those that they drive in races. However, it will come as no surprise to fans to learn that their favorite drivers also have a passion for cars when they are away from the track.
From million-dollar supercars to souped-up hot rods, NASCAR and Formula One stars love to make sure that their vehicles stand out from the crowd, and modifications are one way to stamp their personality on their wheels.
Check out the list below of some of the amazing cars owned by professional drivers from Formula One and NASCAR, and the unique ways that they have modified their impressive vehicles.
15 Jenson Button - Matte Black Nissan GT-R
British Formula One star Jenson Button won the World Championship in 2009 when he was driving for the Brawn team and has since moved to the Super GT racing series in Japan which he won in 2018. Long before he made the move to Japan, Button clearly had an appreciation for the country’s cars, as he owned a Nissan GT-R with a custom matte black wrap.
14 Denny Hamlin - Custom Bodywork On His Lexus LFA
NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin is the proud owner of one of the most impressive cars on this list; a bright yellow Lexus LFA Nurburgring Edition. Only 50 models were sold worldwide, with just 15 making their way to the States, and Denny’s model cost him $500,000 once he had added on a few modifications, including custom bodywork.
13 David Coulthard - Maserati Transmission Mods
Formula One driver David Coulthard last raced in 2008 and has since gone on to work as a commentator and pundit on TV. He still loves fast cars, however, and had quite a collection at his homes in Monaco, London, and Switzerland, including a Maserati GranSport with a modified short shifter.
12 Lewis Hamilton - Custom Wheels On His 4x4
Fellow Grand Prix star Lewis Hamilton is one of the most successful Formula One drivers of all time, winning his sixth World Championship in 2019. He is another professional driver with an enviable collection of cars in his garage, including a diesel-powered Mercedes GL-Class luxury SUV with custom AMG wheels.
11 Joey Logano - Reinvented Ford Econoline
Always one to do things differently, NASCAR racer Joey Logano’s modified vehicle isn’t a supercar or even a high-end SUV. Instead, he has completely reinvented a Ford Econoline van from 1961. The vehicle is almost unrecognizable, thanks to a radical new design, including an all-white paint job with lime-green wheels.
10 Heikki Kovalainen - Finnish Paint Job On His Lotus
Personalized paint jobs and vinyl wraps are a quick and easy way for any driver to add a bit of personality to their vehicle, and Finnish Formula One racer Heikki Kovalainen decided to show a bit of patriotism when he had his Lotus Evora painted in the colors of the Finnish flag.
9 Carl Edwards - Cold Air Intake On His Anniversary Shelby
Carl Edwards of NASCAR fame is one of the very lucky owners of a 2008 Shelby GT500KR, one of his prizes for winning the 2007 championship. Ford created the vehicle to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the original Shelby, and Edwards elected to have his model fitted with a cold air intake system to improve engine performance.
8 Tony Stewart - Modified Cadillac Hearse
One of the most intriguing characters in NASCAR also happens to own the most unusual car on this list; a modified 1984 Cadillac Hearse. Naturally, the car’s interior was completely ripped out and rebuilt from scratch, and Stewart had his hearse tricked out with a high-end sound system and even a hidden drinks cabinet.
7 Ryan Newman - Dukes of Hazzard Charger
One of the most famous Dodge Chargers of all time is the General Lee, the bright orange model driven by the Duke boys in TV series The Dukes of Hazzard. NASCAR racer Ryan Newman is a fan of the show, as he gave his vintage Charger its very own General Lee makeover.
6 Jimmie Johnson - Mod Cons Added To His 1949 Pickup
Several NASCAR drivers own vintage pickups as part of their vast car collections, including rebuilt and repaired models from the 1930s and 1940s. Jimmie Johnson owns a revamped 1949 Chevy pickup, which has been retrospectively fitted with mod-cons like a sound system and air conditioning.
5 Sebastian Vettel - High-Performance Twizy
The Renault Twizy is perhaps the last vehicle that you would expect to see in a professional driver’s collection. The Twizy is a very compact two-seater electric buggy, but the version that Formula One star Sebastian Vettel owns is much more powerful than the standard models, which even has the same Kinetic Energy Recovery System installed in F1 cars.
4 Lewis Hamilton - Manual Transmission Pagani Zonda
Formula One star Lewis Hamilton is the lucky owner of one of the very few Pagani Zonda models with a manual transmission instead of a sequential system. In fact, his Zonda 760 LH is even rarer than it seems, as it was commissioned by and built for Hamilton – hence the LH initials in the car’s name.
3 Adrian Sutil - Techart Modifications To His Porsche
Fellow Grand Prix racer Adrian Sutil always stays loyal to his native German car manufacturer Porsche. He owns several Porsche models, including a Panamera and a classic Porsche 911 but they have all been modified and personalized by another German company, Techart, who specializes in providing tuning packages for Porsche vehicles.
2 Dale Earnhardt Jr - 1967 Camaro Restomod
The Earnhardts are just one of many successful family dynasties in motorsport, with Dale Earnhardt Jr following in his father’s footsteps into NASCAR racing. Earnhardt Jr is a big fan of the Camaro and owns several vintage and brand new models. The highlight of his collection is his rebuilt 1967 Camaro which has a completely new clutch, cooling system, and brakes.
1 Sir Stirling Moss - Personalized License Plate
Sir Stirling Moss, an icon of British motorsport racing, competed in Formula One between 1951 and 1961, winning 16 Grand Prix races throughout his career. Even now, at the age of 90, he still enjoys driving, and has an electric Renault Twizy with his personalized license plate reading “7 SM”.
Sources
Car Throttle, NASCAR, Motor Sport, Fox Sports, Car Scoops