The GOAT! The greatest of all time! Five-time MVP Michael Jordan is one of the most celebrated athletes ever, and for good reason. Jordan played 15 seasons in the NBA, leading the Chicago Bulls to six NBA Championships. His career and lifestyle caught the attention of shoeheads at Nike. The GOAT signed a contract, and the rest is history. Now, Jumpman is raking in billions of dollars. Talk about a slam dunk!
But, better than that, MJ has been known to be a massive gearhead, owning some of the coolest and rarest cars to roam the planet. In this article, I’m going to break down some of Michael Jordan’s coolest rides in his car collection worth more than $5 million. First off, he’s got a Bugatti sitting next to a Toyota Camry.
1984 C4 Corvette ($20,000)
The year was 1984 and MJ was lacing up for the first time as a 21-year-old rookie when he received his first endorsement deal from a local Chicago Chevrolet dealer. For doing some commercials, they gave him a new Corvette. Powered by a new, 5.7-liter, big, bad V8, the Corvette was faster, sharper, and leaner than its older brother. And Jumpman was one of the first people to get the new Corvette.
But, thanks to The A-Team, the C4 had already been given global recognition. Regardless of recognition, Jordan’s C4 ‘Vette was unmistakable, proudly wearing an Illinois plate supporting “JUMP 23” and rivaling the royalty of The A-Team‘s Corvette.
But, it didn’t take long for MJ to level up his game and his cars. After a few years in the league, he was able to afford the top-of-the-line Porsche 930 Turbo Cabriolet.
1989 Porsche 930 Turbo Cabriolet “Flat Nose” ($200,000+)
Jordan’s 1989 Porsche 930 Turbo Cabriolet was spec’d in one of the coolest shades of white. The 930 Turbo was essentially the road-going version of the badass 935 racecar, and Jordan’s version chopped the top and upped the cool factor.
MJ liked this car so much that he even designed the Air Jordan 6 after the car, taking designs from the whale-tail and incorporating it into the heel tab of the 6 shoes. Something about the pop-up headlights on a timeless design like the 930 really makes this a car fit for collections. Pair that with one of the best plates fitted to any car (his 930 Turbo Cab was fitted with “MJ JJ”) and it proves not only that his taste in cars is great, but also his choice of license plates.
And his Ferrari 512 TR also proved that fact, wearing the plate “M AIR J”.
1992 Ferrari 512 TR ($221,000)
MJ gifted himself this ferocious Ferrari after winning his first championship with the Bulls in 1991. But, instead of getting it in Rosso Red, he matched his suits in his favorite shade of black. Imagine being able to spec your cars to match your outfits. Well, that’s what I did. And if you want clothes to match my car, check out all of our Ideal merch.
Unlike my Ideal cars, MJ’s 512 TR has 12 cylinders, firing away just inches behind Air Jordan’s neck, screaming to the tune of 428 Italian horses!
But, if you think MJ only had one Ferrari you’d be wrong, because he also owned a Ferrari 550 Maranello.
Ferrari 550 Maranello ($175,000)
Like the 512 TR, the 550 Maranello also was powered by a big, bad V12, but this one is in the front and it comes with about 60 more horsepower! Jordan not only liked the V12 up front, but also the timeless design. He incorporated many elements from the 550 Maranello to create the Air Jordan 14 trainer, like the breathable air ducts and the Jumpman shield design. And, unlike his first Ferrari in black, he did it right in red on the second go-around.
But, on his third Ferrari, he went away from red. His Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano was grey.
Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano ($300,000)
MJ’s 599 proved that he was a fan of the front-engine V12. And, while the red-lipstick paint from the 550 was gone, his 599 still did have some red in the interior.
Spec’d to the nines, his 599 is one of the coolest Ferrari’s on the road. But is it as cool as his Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722?
2007 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 ($700,000)
This cool-as-hell supercar might have 4 fewer cylinders than the 599 but it’s way rarer. While there were just over 2,100 SLR McLarens produced worldwide, Jumpman was lucky enough to own a much more special and limited version of the SLR. 722 editions were built to honor Stirling Moss’s victory in the 1995 Mille Miglia in his 300 SLR. Moss ran with number 722 and, hence, MJ needed one too.
Now, I mentioned that the 722 edition was rare, but how rare? Only 150 of these cars left the factory, so you’re lucky if you ever get to see one of these.
But, chances are that you will never get to see a Bugatti Veyron, especially a limited edition Sang Noir version that the GOAT was rumored to own once.
2010 Bugatti Veyron Sang Noir ($2,250,000)
The Bugatti Veyron itself is very limited, but only 12 lucky customers were able to own a Sang Noir edition. The Sang Noir (or “black blood”) was inspired by the Veyron’s ancestor, the Type 57S Atlantique. And both cars are collector unicorns fetching millions of dollars each time they trade hands.
Unlike the old tech from the 57S Atlantique, the Veyron is poised for the 21st century. The new age of Bugatti is all about speed, and it’ll hit 60 miles per hour in just 2.5 seconds and a top speed of over 250 miles per hour.
This legendary piece of machinery is definitely one of the GOATs of the car world, just like its owner Mike. And it’s a lot like the beautiful and, dare I say, the greatest air-cooled Porsche ever made: the 1998 993 Turbo S.
1998 Porsche 993 Turbo S ($375,000)
1998 was the second time Jordan quit basketball, but that was probably to spend more time enjoying his brand new range-topping 993 Turbo S. He also matched it to his collection of Bulls jerseys in bright red. But, better than the spec was the license plate that said “AIR”. Talk about a slam dunk!
When he returned to the NBA, he also stayed on-brand and returned with another Porsche. But, this time, it was a GT3 RS 4.0, the 997 that I wish my car was.
Porsche 911 997 GT3 RS 4.0 ($475,000)
Air Jordan makes sure that when he’s out, he makes a statement. And part of that statement comes from the cars he arrives in. He didn’t go out and buy a GT3 or even a standard GT3 RS. Instead, the 4.0 takes the GT3 RS to a whole other level. Adding in 0.2 liters, you’d just assume that the block was bored out, but you’d be wrong because the 4.0 shares its block, crank, and titanium rods with Porsches 911 GT3 R and RSR racecars!
MJ also needed to round out his collection of 911s, so he paired his GT3 RS 4.0 with a GT2 RS!
Porsche 911 997 GT2 RS ($500,000)
The 997 GT2 RS was the modern-day widowmaker. Porsche added aero from their racecars and the engine from the beastly 911 Turbo to create this wicked masterpiece. The GT2 RS lapped the “Green Hell” in a terrifying 7 minutes and 18 seconds, nearly a minute faster than the GT3 despite the GT3 having a bigger engine.
So, the GT2 RS is made to tackle the track, but what about the road? Michael owned another rare Porsche, one made to tackle the streets, a legendary Carrera GT!
Porsche Carrera GT ($1,500,000)
Sure, it might be at home on the track, but the Carrera GT is really known for its killer exhaust note, known to be one of the best-sounding cars on Earth! Only the best for the GOAT. The Porsche Carrera GT is one of the most legendary hypercars, powered by a high-revving, F1-derived V10. The CGT is a rocketship powered by three aluminum pedals and just two feet, even if they’re size 13, in MJ’s case. That’s smaller than I expected, but the punch of the CGT is anything but small.
But what about his brand new 2021 Toyota Camry? Maybe 300 horsepower, right? Not MJ’s. His is a little bit more powerful. Okay, maybe a lot more powerful. His Toyota Camry has 670 horsepower! And it competes in NASCAR!
2021 Toyota Camry (NASCAR)
Wearing the number 23, of course, Jordan has started his own NASCAR team with Bubba Wallace as his driver. Bubba Wallace is one of the best African-American drivers of all time and is currently the only driver of color. MJ has voiced that he grew up going to NASCAR races and that he saw a lack of diversity in the sport. And he wants that to change, so he decided to be the one to start his own team and, in their rookie season, even took their car to victory lane at Talladega Superspeedway!
Money has bought Jordan a bunch of cars. But, with his fame, he has been gifted a lot too, just like his next car, a Corvette ZR1 40th Anniversary.
1993 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 40th Anniversary Edition ($60,000)
1993 was the 40th anniversary of the Corvette. And, to celebrate it, they made a special edition commemorating the moniker. Just 224 were made and they were all produced in a special ruby-red paint. Based on the ZR1 model, the ‘Vette not only looked good, but it also went like hell. With 405 horsepower, this definitely wasn’t a slouch. And the flashy exterior made it a pretty perfect gift.
But just 4 years later, Jordan was gifted another present from Chevy: a C5 Corvette!
1997 Chevrolet Corvette C5 ($45,000)
1997 was the first year of the C5 generation of Corvette and Jordan was one of the first to ever roll up to practice in Chevy’s newest ‘Vette. It’s a proud tradition; Chevy gave Corvettes to the Apollo astronauts, Super Bowl MVPs, and, of course, history’s greatest basketball player.
While Jordan is obviously biased towards his Chevys, he was rumored to own one of the coolest Fords too: the first-generation Ford GT.
Ford GT ($450,000)
Built to commemorate the history of Ford taking on Ferrari in LeMans, Ford had a slam dunk on its hands. They powered the Ford GT with a supercharged 5.4-liter V8 that moved like one of MJ’s fast breaks. And its thunderous exhaust sounds like the roar of the crowds when Air Jordan went to the rim on his opponents.
The Ford GT had supercar-rivaling performance, but the price of a Ford, which worked out well for the mega athlete. But, he was on no budget and his Mercedes SLS AMG proved just that!
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Gullwing ($200,000)
Years after letting go of his exquisite SLR 722, Mr. June decided to return back to the moniker, wanting more style and class in his ride. He’s been rumored to have owned an SLS AMG with gobs of power up front, the famous gullwing doors at the sides, and the thunderous roar out the back.
The SLS AMG proved to be a proper chariot for self-proclaimed “Black Jesus,” but so did his Mercedes W140 S600 Coupe that he had modified by Lorinser.
1996 Mercedes-Benz W140 S600 Coupe By Lorinser ($200,000)
Air Jordan decided that even the top-of-the-line Mercedes S-Class wouldn’t do, so he had it sent over to the famous Benz tuner Lorinser. His S600 got fitted with a custom widebody kit, 18-inch chrome wheels, and a custom exhaust to really set MJ’s car apart from every other S-Class out there.
But, when he was done with his S-Class, he moved on up in the world and got himself an Aston Martin DB7 Volante.
2001 Aston Martin DB7 Volante ($153,000)
After hanging up his boots, Jordan became a part-owner and president of the Washington Wizards NBA team in January 2000. But, with having all this responsibility, Jordan decided that he needed a responsible car, an Aston. So, he went out and bought a Rannoch red Aston Martin DB7 Volante to suit his fancy.
But, instead of using it to go to work for corporate, he suited up for his own team, driving his DB7 Volante to and from practice, until he bought a newer DB9 Volante.
Aston Martin DB9 Volante ($215,000)
An Aston is a very sophisticated car. So, when Jordan got it in the most flamboyant color he could, he knew he was committing a sin. Once his DB7 was gone, he replaced it with a DB9, a silver DB9.
While the DB9 didn’t directly influence a shoe design, his Bentley Continental GT sure did.
2005 Bentley Continental GT ($160,000)
Loving the luxury, Jordan took inspiration from his Bentley to design the Air Jordan 11s, using the diamond quilting and leathers from the interior to complete one of MJ’s best shoes.
And while the shoes sold like hotcakes, the last car on this list, the Cadillac XLR-V, did anything but that.
2006 Cadillac XLR-V ($100,000)
The Cadillac XLR-V was a sales flop. So, in order to sell more units, Cadillac sent a transporter over to Jordan’s pad full of Cadillac XLR-Vs. Jumpman was able to choose his favorite color and he chose red. And while that timeless design looks like it belongs on a cruiser, the “V” version added horsepower and a supercharger to its 4.4-liter Northstar V8, so it’s got the best of both worlds.
You must be logged in to post a comment.