A Ferrari for Dhoni?
By Margherita Stancati
Ferrari SpA recently announced it will step into the Indian market in a matter of weeks. It also said it would take up to a year before an Indian buyer can finally get his or her hands on the steering wheel of one of its supercars.
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| A Ferrari could be the red hot icing on the cake for Dhoni. |
But one man may not have to wait that long to cruise Indian roads in a Ferrari: Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the star captain of India’s cricket team who Saturday led his team to World Cup victory with a Man of the Match performance in Mumbai.
A Ferrari could be the red hot icing on the cake for Dhoni, who has already been reportedly showered with cash, plots of land and other gifts.
Pictures of a mysterious flaming red Ferrari 599 GTO have set India’s auto blogosphere abuzz with rumors it is a gift for Dhoni. (It’s so mysterious that the face of a person pictured next to the car has been blanked out).
The car’s saffron, white and green bonnet stripe makes it very distinctly Indian and therefore perfect for the country’s cricket captain. (With only this for evidence, it’s a bit of stretch to conclude that the Ferrari is intended for Dhoni). But another detail – the fact that the driving seat is on the left, rather than the right – has left some perplexed.
A spokesperson for Ferrari in Italy confirmed the car in the picture was a Ferrari 599 GTO – a limited edition model – but declined to comment on whether it belonged to or was intended for Dhoni, citing a company policy that says the identity of Ferrari owners cannot be discussed.
Another question is who would’ve shelled out an estimated $500,000 to buy Dhoni this super car, the fastest road-going model in Ferrari’s range? Even the auto blogosphere so far appears silent on the issue. Could it be that Dhoni treated himself to a super gift?
Another star of India’s cricket team, Sachin Tendulkar, has been driving around Mumbai in a Ferrari for years. The Italian car manufacturer gave India’s favorite cricketer a 360 Modena way back in 2003. At the time, the government had initially allowed Tendulkar to have his Ferrari without paying the hefty $230,000 import duty. After a court raised complaints, the carmaker eventually agreed to shoulder the tax burden – presumably because it regarded it as a price worth paying for the Tendulkar brand.
From http://blogs.wsj.com/
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