Lewis Hamilton once bought a replica of the vintage Shelby GT500 (1967) for a whopping $200,000. The car became famous after it featured in the movie, “Gone in 60 Seconds“. Since Hamilton is a movie buff, he too bought this ride after he saw the film. However, soon after he bought it, he referred to it as a “heap of junk” in an interview with the Sunday Times. The 39-year-old said that he never drives it as the only thing that the company did well was the “paint job“. As for the rest of the car, he said that it “just isn’t very good“.
While Hamilton’s GT500 cost $200,000 at the time he bought it, the same car is now worth $320,000 according to revologycars.com. Hamilton presumably was keen to get his hands on this car as he is a huge fan of cinema and perhaps did not think much about its performance aspect.
However, that is not to say that the automobile does not have any remarkable features. It perhaps just does not satisfy Hamilton’s wants. And who would blame an individual who has a net worth of $285 million and can most likely add any vehicle in the world to his $15 million worth car collection.
Coming back to the features of the Shelby GT500, it has a supercharged Ford/ROUSH Performance 5.0L Ti-VCT “Coyote” DOHC V8 engine. According to motortrend.com, this is the most powerful engine Ford has ever produced in their 100 years.
Ford at the time of producing the Coyote engine produced three different types. The 5.0L Ti-VCT is the original type. The engine is extremely powerful as it has a 710HP. To provide context, this is an extremely high value as only a little over 30 cars have higher than 600HP, as per autoweek.com.
Furthermore, it also has a twin-disc clutch that reduces the amount of effort drivers need to pedal to extract more power from the car. Its brakes are at par with that of the Ferrari 488.
Considering that the brakes of the Ferrari 488 are the third-strongest among any car according to brembo.com, it is fair to say that even the Shelby GT500 (1967) has very strong brakes. To provide more context, drivers can reduce the speed from 62.1 mph to 0 mph in just 97.1 feet.
Lastly, the Shelby GT500 (1967) also has a world-class exhaust system to help the car utilize more power. Considering that it has such remarkable features, it is surprising that the only reason Hamilton bought this car is because it appeared in a film and looked good to the eye.
Considering that the Briton can make such hasty decisions based on films, such is the impact that cinema has on his life. Among all the films that he enjoys, Top Gun is one of his favorites.
Lewis Hamilton has been a fan of Top Gun since childhood
In an interview in August 2022, Lewis Hamilton explained how he has been a fan of Top Gun since childhood. During the interview, he revealed how he once begged Hollywood actor Tom Cruise for a role in Top Gun: Maverick.
“When I heard the second one was coming out, I was like, ‘Oh, my God, I have to ask him’. I said ‘I don’t care what role it is. I’ll even sweep something, be a cleaner in the back,’” explained Hamilton (as quoted by skysports.com).
The 39-year-old was eventually offered a role as a fighter pilot. However, it was he who turned it down. Hamilton revealed that since he is a perfectionist, he would not have had enough time to perform this role to the best of his abilities.
Lewis Hamilton then revealed that while he had no choice but to reject the role back then, he would not turn down such an opportunity ever again. While the Mercedes driver may not have gotten the opportunity to act in any other film, he did manage to convince Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski to direct his own upcoming F1 movie starring Brad Pitt.
