Turns out the self-professed “gear head” – he said as much on TV show Downey’s Dream Cars – has one of the most environmentally friendly car collections we’ve ever seen. From vintage rides and luxury vehicles to zippy sports cars, he’s even pimped some of America’s oldest classic cars to be fully electric.
Last summer, Downey announced the RDJ Dream Cars Sweepstakes, in which he’s giving away all six cars he modified to be more eco-friendly on his show – and there’s still a chance to win one of the actor’s rides, as the sweepstakes end this July.
Here’s a look inside Robert Downey Jr’s epic car collection, estimated by online car magazine Rerev to be worth over US$10 million.
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1. Audi E-tron GT
Downey pulled up to the Avengers: Endgame premiere in this concept car that also featured in the film. And since it was made as a prototype, it remains one of the rarest vehicles in his collection. According to YouTube channel LuxeWish, this all-electric luxury car can charge 80 per cent of its battery in just 20 minutes.
2. California T Ferrari
This Ferrari may not be top of the range compared to some of the carmaker’s other models, but there is something special about RDJ’s version: it’s blue. Valued at US$190,000 by Rerev, the car still packs a punch with a 3.9-litre V8 engine.
3. A 1965 Chevrolet Corvette
Downey had this car, which was originally a low mileage Chevrolet from 1965, completely reworked for his show Downey’s Dream Cars. An impressive 2,450 hours were spent modifying the car to make it fully electric and to give it an eco-friendly mushroom “leather” interior, per the show’s website.The car is currently up for grabs for a lucky winner through Downey’s RDJ Dream Cars Sweepstakes.
4. Bentley Continental GT
According to GQ, Downey was given a matt green Bentley Continental GT as part of his payment for Iron Man 3. The car can hit 0-60mph in under five seconds.
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5. Custom 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302
A classic muscle car – in other words, an American-made two-door with a powerful engine – this mustard-yellow Mustang was adapted especially for Downey by carbuilders SpeedKore. Per Motortrend, they added carbon-fibre panels and upgraded the engine, making it one of the fastest in his entire collection.
6. 1972 Chevrolet K10 Pick-up
Another of the cars Downey modified for his HBO show, he described the original as a “gas-drinking, carbon-belching dragon of a vehicle”, and was delighted when his crew “turned it into a stealth weapon capable of superhero feats of strength”. Now almost unrecognisable as a 50-year-old car, a touch screen was also added to the interior.
Downey recently gave this car away as part of his RDJ Dream Cars Sweepstakes. Now, who could its new owner possibly be …
7. Acura NSX
Downey got to take home this one-of-a-kind concept sports car, which was custom made for the very first Avengers film. Estimated by Rerev to be worth over US$9 million at this point, the car even has diamond quartz brake calipers.
8. 1967 Camero RS Speedkore
OK, so this car was technically only RDJ’s while it was being designed, because when he’d finished modifying it, he gifted it to Marvel co-star Chris Evans. Thought to be worth US$275,000, per YouTube channel Car Wars, its steering wheel even resembles Captain America’s shield.8 of the worst celebrity statues ever, and the hilarious reactions to them
“We were on set and he started hinting … asking me if I like cars,” Evans told Jay Leno, who’s also a car enthusiast, on CNBC. “I think they’re aesthetically beautiful, but I don’t know much about them. And, sure enough, I showed up on set one day and it was there.”“This [has] an LS3, a Chevy motor, a Whipple supercharger … that’s about 750 horsepower,” Leno said after looking under the bonnet.
“Might as well be Spanish to me,” Evans joked.
Perhaps Downey should have kept that one for himself after all …
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