More than 130,000 car lovers converged on the city of Las Vegas to attend the 2022 Specialty Equipment Market Association show at the Las Vegas Convention Center on Tuesday, Nov. 1. One of those happy car enthusiasts was Kevin Hart, who got to see his dream whip for the first time.
This year’s SEMA show, billed as one of biggest automotive shows in the country, took up over 1 million square feet at the Convention Center and occupied each of the venue’s four halls. At the event’s MagnaFlow booth, engineers delivered to the box office money maker a customized upgraded 1987 Buick Grand National GNX called “The Dark Knight.”
According to TMZ, Hart gave mechanics his Buick and allowed them to remix it with a new exhaust, carbon fiber hood, splitter and a custom-front fascia bumper. It took eight months for the old car to be enhanced by Hart’s hand-picked design team. One of the changes they made was to switch the Buick V-6 engine for a V-6 engine from the Cadillac V-Series.
Hart, along with his two sons, could not wait to see the new ride.
Before the car was revealed, he said, “I do love that this is something that brings people together. We all get to share the same like and love attached to a vehicle and a craftsmanship that goes into building it.”
The Philadelphia native, who has a net worth of $450 million, went on to say that cars are something that he will eventually pass down to his children so they will know “where their father’s passion is.”
After joking about how many cars he has, he said “This one we’ve worked on for quite some time. It’s been an amazing idea and I did not want to see it before I got here. So, this is actually my first time seeing the Grand National as well.”
When the car was unveiled, Hart could not contain himself, saying, “Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!”
Hart was elated at the new ride and shared his plans.
Referencing one of his other Grand Nationals, he said, “I feel like that car is artwork. I don’t wanna drive that car. I wanna save that car.” He said, over years, the car as a model, will obtain value.
“I wanted a Grand National that I could drive,” he said as a reason why this car means so much. “When I tell you the combination of that color: that nickel, that dark blue, that cream. We stayed true to the Grand National interior while giving the little flair and pop of new … The body the way it sits … I mean I can’t complain about anything.”
He said, unlike many collectors, he actually drives his cars and that he can’t wait to get on the road in this new vehicle.
The “Ride Along” actor has quite a few cars, about 20 exotic and classic cars, that he says he doesn’t show because he doesn’t want people to think he is an “asshole.” But there are some he has stunted with.
1966 Pontiac GTO
Sources say Hart’s Pontiac GTO may be one of his favorite toys. The star opted to keep the ride classic, maintaining most of its vintage attributes but updating it with a set of Forgiato wheels.
1967 Ford Mustang GT500E
One of the pride and joys of Hart’s extensive car collection is his 1967 Ford Mustang. After he bought the Mustang, the car lover restored it to its top condition, adding an automatic transmission.
Ferrari 458 Spider
Hart nicknamed his Ferrari 458 Spider the White Lighting. An extraordinary feature of this car is that it has a roof on the car that automatically lowers and is powered by a V-8 engine. Hart likes with power. This one has a whopping 562 horsepower.
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG
Hart also has a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. The gull-wing coupe has a lightweight aluminum chassis, which helps its 563 horsepower, 6.2-liter V-8 engine send the car from zero to 60 in just 3.7 seconds.
Ferrari 488 GTB
According to the Dupont Registry, the comedian paid almost half a million for his Ferrari 488 GTB. The car has a power rating of 661 hp from a 3.9-liter twin-turbo V-8 engine. The Italian supercar goes from zero to about 100 miles per hour within six seconds.
2016 Jeep Wrangler
Hart calls his Jeep Wrangler a vehicle he got as a gift for this “What Now” tour the “Jeep Nasty.” He has extensively customized since it landed in his garage
Hart’s love for muscle cars almost cost him his life. On Sept. 1, 2019, the comedian was in a horrible car accident in his 1970 Plymouth Barracuda that temporarily left him partially paralyzed with three spinal fractures. His car ran off the Mulholland Highway and tumbled down an embankment in the area of Malibu, California.
The funnyman was not driving the car when it crashed. Jared Stanton, the partner of Rebecca Broxterman, and the personal trainer of Eniko Parrish, Hart’s wife, was at the wheel. The car apparently was practically totaled in the crash.
