A swank car is the first icon of luxury bought by a star, when he moves into the circle of the spotlight for the first time. As stardust settles on him, his taste for luxury cars gets fine-tuned too. Here, some of the industry’s top stars talk about their favourite cars.
Shahrukh Khan
Nothing but the most grandiose for him, whether it's a home or his car. An Opel Astra or even a Honda City is too ordinary. Shah Rukh's car is a sinfully bright red Pajero. “I bought it some three years ago, and don't have a heart to change it”, says Shah Rukh. He takes it everywhere --- to the sets, to his friends' homes, for rides in the monsoons, even to his favourite restaurant. “It's an unbelievable car, I almost lust for it.”
Hrithik Roshan
He may be the heartthrob of millions of women, but for Hrithik, the ever pragmatic man the favourite pair of wheels is a white Ford Ikon. "I like it because it's sleek and very comfortable. I think BMW is too flamboyant and Mercedes very obviously rich. Ford, on the other hand, combines luxury with a certain sleekness." He is bonkers about his beige convertible. "It's roomy and gives me space to stretch out," he sighs, eyeing the chocolate brown leather seats. "It is also more practical, because it lets me carry a lot more things than what a Merc would do. I carry my exercise gear, my clothes for shooting, even my make up sometimes, in the convertible." His dream vehicle though is a BMW. "I will buy it one day," he promises himself.
Jackie Shroff
“Cars are a passion with me. I keep falling for cars the way people fall for girls. I sell off once I've had enough of one and buy another." His favourite is his sleek black Land Rover. "It's beautiful," he beams. "It runs like a dream. I can't think of any other vehicle I would like to keep for the rest of my life!" At present, he alternates between the Land Rover, a rather staid, off-white 1998 Mercedes and a Nissan 1995 petrol jeep. "When I couldn't afford a car I'd travel by bike right from Napean Sea Road to Andheri everyday. At first, the ride was a necessity but then it became a passion." When he isn't working, Jackie drives around the backlanes of Bandra, the suburb where he lives. Of course, he does that in the dead of the night, when no one's around. "For me driving has become a sort of relieving factor. After a long day's shoot if I drive myself home, it helps me unwind. So, I naturally look forward to that hour alone. The fact that I need to concentrate on the road, look out for people crossing - all this takes my mind off other things. I love my cars and know them like the back of my hand. I sit and tinker with my latest additions and get familiar with them all the time."
Sanjay Dutt
“I recently bought a Lexus LX 470 Sports Utility Vehicle and that, obviously, is my favourite vehicle right now. It is the ultimate jeep. It's got everything - comfort, speed, power, looks and it's tough too. The LX 470 is better for Indian roads, speed-breakers and potholes. Mercs and BMWs are too low slung and you have to be so very careful with them. Earlier, I had a BMW 3 Series, followed by a series of Indian cars. Among the Indian cars, I liked Maruti Esteem quite a bit. Five years ago, I bought a 5-litre turbodiesel Toyota LandCruiser, another terrific vehicle. I would love to own a BMW 850i, a Mercedes SLK or a 500 series, but then you have to be so careful with them, given the conditions of our roads. I do rather opt for a tougher car."
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