Many sportsmen strυggle to make ends meet while pursuing their dreams. The best at their sport, however, do not, including F1 drivers, football players, golfers, and tennis players. No one is exempt from Maria Sharapova’s indulgence in her passion for swift luxury vehicles.
The tennis player, who was born in Russia, achieved tennis’ pinnacle before quitting at age 32 in early 2020. She achieved some very remarkable milestones over her 19-year professional career, including five grand slam titles, Olympic medals, and the top ranking in the world.
Along with rewards, this success also brought sponsorships, brand agreements, and an awful controversy. She was suspended in 2016 after a pσsitive drυg test, and companies stopped working with her.
Especially noteworthy in the automobile industry was Porsche, for which she served as a Brand Ambassador starting in 2013 and has resumed a partnership with upon her return at the 2017 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart.
She has made appearances in this capacity at press conferences and auto shows, frequently working with fellow Porsche ambassador Mark Webber to promote Porsche’s most recent and greatest models.
Sharapova was driven by Webber in an extremely unsuitable 918 Spyder, Porsche’s entry into the holy trinity of hybrid hypercars, to a Women’s Tennis Association function in Kensington as part of a humorous marketing ploy.
She has been pictured at these events with a wide range of luxury vehicles from the German manufacturer, frequently in higher trim levels like the 911 GT2 RS and 911 Targa 4S but also vintage vehicles like the 356 Spyder and 930 generation 911.
Many of these, however, are not in her personal collection, and it is known that in 2014, she drove a grey Panamera GTS with a 4.4 liter V8 engine capable of reaching speeds of 178 mph and 60 mph in 4.4 seconds, so it is understandable why she claimed to have had difficulty staying within the speed limit.
She created the Panamera GTS by Maria Sharapova, a version of the Panamera that came in Carrera White with Black wheels and a brown leather inside, as part of her ambassadorial duty. A quick scan of the classifieds reveals numerous used cars with comparable characteristics to her design decision, which speaks to the significance of her position at Porsche and the sway she currently enjoys within the company.
She took a test drive in a 360 horsepower, 180 mph Boxster Spyder in 2015, right before its introduction. She spent more time posing for press pictures than navigating the congested streets near the Porsche showroom in Mayfair.
Upon Sharapova’s arrivαl at Wimbledon in this Boxster when the official vehicle was the brand-new Jaguar XE, British newspapers stated that she had started a tennis car wαr. This raised a lot of feathers because of the two brands’ long-standing rivαlry, which was recently reignited with the introduction of the F-type, a serious 911 rivαl.
Sharapova conducted an interview with GQ magazine as part of the same publicity push ahead of Wimbledon while posing with the beloved Cayman GT4 in the recognizable Guards Red hue. She appeared to be at best nervous when they talked about how she would be forced by her friends to spend some time on the track, possibly even the Nürburgring. The grand slam champion might feel less at home in Porsche’s track-focused vehicles.
At the Porsche Research Center in Weissach, she underwent Mark Webber’s driving tutoring in a yellow 911 GT2 RS, a car that is difficult to drive because to its rear-engine, rear-wheel drive, tail-happy character, and 553 lb of torque. She gained confidence turning into curves and accelerating away from the apex after applying her competitive attitude to driving the 700-horsepower race vehicle.
Prior to taking on her position with Porsche in 2013, it is known that she spent time with Range Rovers, demonstrating her preference for opulent SUVs. She used a Macan as a courtesy car when her Panamera was in the shop, possibly rekindling her passion for the advantages of the SUV.
While away from home in 2019, she upgraded to a blue Cayenne S, but later that year, she received a black Cayenne Turbo, a $127,800 vehicle. It would not have been a problem for the tennis star to arrive at her next appointment in style thanks to its four tailpipes and 541 horsepower V8.
The Cayenne Turbo is a great option for the now-retired athlete as a daily vehicle because it is upscale, fashionable, and has more than enough power to accelerate away from stoplights and on-ramps quickly. With a boot capacity of more than 700 liters and more than 1700 with the 40:20:40-split seats up, the latest generation of Porsche’s bigger SUV is also effective.
For Sharapova, this is a must because her social media accounts portray a person who is constantly on the go between picture sessions, press conferences, professional efforts, and workouts. All of these have a lot of extra luggage, and the Cayenne, a utility vehicle class leader, is the best vehicle available.
