Porsche 911 and its Celebrity Owners

Initially launched at the IAA International Automotive Show in September 1963, the Porsche 911 has been one of the most successful sports car in the world, with over 8,20,000 units been delivered. This 2-Door high performance sports car has been the heart of Porsche's portfolio from over 5 decades, and is often considered as a benchmark for all other Porsche products, ranging from the Cayenne to the Panamera. The 911 is currently in its Seventh generation, and has been reinvented time and again in order to demonstrate the manufacturer's innovative power to the world.

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The fact that made the 911 a breakthrough success lies in the combination of sportiness and everyday practicality packed inside one beautiful architecture. An impeccable amalgamation of tradition and innovation, design and functionality, exclusivity and social acceptance has made each generation of the 911 to write its own success story. Ferdinand Porsche, founder of Porsche car company aptly described the 911 as an elegant and operational package by claiming that, “The 911 is the only car you could drive on an African safari or at Le Mans, to the theater or through New York City traffic.”

In its current avatar, the Porsche 911 is built on an all-new platform, which is only the third platform since the original 911. Known internally as the 991, this car raised the performance and efficiency levels to a new level, thus representing the greatest technical evolution in the history of 911s. The entire 911 series gets some exciting workhorses under its hood, as the Carrera houses a 3.4L engine that produces 350 hp, and the Carrera S features a 400 hp 3.8L engine. The Carrera S can also be equipped with a Power Kit, that enhances the power output to 430 hp. Later in the 991's life span, Porsche unveiled its high performance twins, Turbo and Turbo S, which produced 520 hp and 560 hp respectively.

Due to all above listed USPs, the Porsche 911 has been a part of the list of celebrities' favorite cars. As a result, various generations of this sports car can be seen in the garages of the following famous celebrities.

1. Maria Sharapova This Russian professional tennis player, who is currently ranked World No. 2 by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA), is known for liking the 911 Carrera. Though she owns multiple Porsche cars, she is often spotted in a white Carrera, which was bought for $130,000, after Sharapova had won the 2012 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.

2. Christiano Ronaldo One of the best football players ever born, Christiano Ronaldo is a proud owner of a black 2007 911 Carrera 2S Cabriolet. He loves to drive this $101,000 sports car with the top down.

3. Bill Gates Though Bill Gates has all the resources that could buy him extremely high-end cars, he has plenty of Porsche classics in his garage. One of his all time favorites is a 1979 Porsche 911 Turbo, which was recently sold in an auction.

4. Tom Cruise Having been driven a wide range of cars ranging from a Ford Fiesta to the BMW i8 in his movies, and despite owning the mighty Bugatti Veyron, Tom Cruise is a huge Porsche fan, and houses a black 1997 Porsche 911 in his highly diverse garage.

5. Rihanna After the success of her album, Unapologetic, Rihanna was gifted a Porsche 911 S Cabrio, by Jay-Z's Roc Nation. This $160,700 worth sports car is the most valuable vehicle in the Barbadian Singer's garage.