Celebrity-owned cars can command a premium for their provenance, that is when the celebrity isn’t found out to be a dick. Today’s Nice Price or Crack Pipe custom Gallardo is celebrity-owned, but is it one worth celebrating?
We’ve had two French cars here this week, and the results have been split. Monday’s Renault GTA dropped narrowly, while yesterday’s baguette and twizzler mustache 1972 Citroën 2CV soared in a 69% Nice Price win. It was a slow soar, and it backed up traffic, but a win is a win.
Are you familiar with the entertainment industry family, the Browns? There’s Charlie, Sally, and of course, Snoopy. And perhaps most notorious of all, there’s Chris Brown, the rap star who in 2009 mistook his then-girlfriend, Rihanna for a punching bag and took out his anger issues on her.
Yeah, he’s a total dick for doing that, and that might be the reason that his uniquely modded 2004 Gallardo isn’t generating a feeding frenzy of buyers seeking to see just what Brown can do for them.
Brown dubbed the Lambo Tupac Lyrics after the works of Tupac Shakur, the slain rap artist who, like Jesus, arose as a hologram. No one knows what hologram Tupac thinks of Brown appropriating his lyrics for Lord Knows and having tattoo artist Huero paint them all over the Gallardo’s boot lid, roof, and engine cover, as hologram Tupac has been muzzled by the corporate music industry.
Other non-stock elements here include a bespoke suede interior (with a steering wheel that looks like they forgot to take the painter’s tape off ), a bangin’ sound system, Batmobile body mods, 20-inch Asanti wheels, and a Fabspeed exhaust system. All the work was handled through West Coast Customs, which may be another reason the car is sitting on the lot.
Aside from the exhaust, it looks like the mechanicals have been extensively left alone. That means a 5-litre DOHC V10 with 493-bhp and - in the car’s case - the six speed E-gear auto/manual flappy paddle gearbox. I guess Chris wanted to keep his hands free in case someone tossed him a mike or wanted an autograph signed.
There’s a modest 16,457 miles on the clock and the dealer listing notes that the car gets a comical 9 MPG city and 15 highway. That’s not a big deal when you’re a big rap star, but man, real world? That’s some shitty mileage.
I don’t know the Rap Industry, but I do know that Chris Brown’s actions sullied his career, and that history may negatively impact the desirability of owning a car so closely identified with him. Also, the presence of Tupac’s words on the car may limit its appeal among East Coast Hip Hoppers. But how much would each matter?
You know, back in the mid-sixties, Carroll Shelby built a pair of Cobras he dubbed the “Super Snakes.” One of the twin-supercharged 427-equipped cars Shelby kept for himself, while the other went to Bill Cosby, yes, that Bill Cosby. Cosby drove the car once, and then returned it to Shelby as he felt it was too much of a handful and might just kill him. He built a stand up routine around the experience.
That car, CSX 3303, was destroyed when its then-owner, Tony Maxey drove it off a cliff, killing himself in the process. The Shelby car, CSX 3015, sold not too long ago for a cool $5.5 million, and you would have to wonder if, had it not been destroyed, would the Cosby car also reach similar heights today in light of the comedian’s current alleged shitty behavior and possible criminal acts? I’m pretty sure it would as he only drove it once, and it’s a freaking Cobra. A Gallardo once owned by Chris Brown, however?
The price for Tupac Lyrics is $89,999, which is ballpark for a decade-plus Gallardo, but seems light for a custom job with a celebrity connection. What do you think, is $89,999 a fair price to pay for this rap star’s ride? Or, does that price mean you’re definitely not down with the Brown?
You decide!
Goxmotors out of Illinois, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to z3ds for the hookup!
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