Here’s a look into F1 fame Niki Lauda's Car Collection

Born Andreas Nikolaus Lauda, Lauda adopted a much shorter "Niki" as his first name and went on to make history. Born in February 1949 in Vienna, Niki Lauda was one of the best and is still considered one of the greatest drivers F1 has ever seen.

Other than showcasing his excellent driving skills with multiple championships under his belt, Lauda shocked the world with his iconic 6-week return after the infamous crash on the Nurburgring in 1976.

Due to his successful career, Lauda teamed up with iconic racing teams such as McLaren and Ferrari in place of a hefty salary amounting to millions of dollars. Niki Lauda's net worth is estimated to be around $200 million, thanks to his businesses and his job with Mercedes as the Non-executive chairman.

Despite being a prominent F1 racer and a wealthy airline owner, Niki kept his garage rather concise with powerful and practical vehicles, which is comparable to the collections of other F1 drivers like Nigel Mansel, Jackie Stewart, David Coulthard, and James Hunt. Let’s take a look at his garage.

6. Land Rover Defender

The Land Rover Defender needs no introduction due to its legendary status in the automotive industry.

Continuing the legacy of the older Land Rover Series SUVs, the Defender was a purpose-built off-road vehicle with the least amount of focus on ride comfort and driving dynamics. In an interview, Lauda stated that he used a Defender for a long time while he visited Ibiza. At the time of his death, the Defender was expected to be the most practical and cheapest vehicle in his pan-country garage.

The Land Rover Defender is powered by a 2.5-liter turbocharged diesel I-4 motor. By default, the motor was tuned to deliver 120 hp along with 266 lb-ft of torque. The motor is mated to a standard 6-speed manual transmission with a dedicated low-range transfer case. The Defender has a 0–60 mph sprint time of 14.2 seconds and a top speed of 82 mph.

5. Ferrari 365 GT4

Niki Lauda was gifted a beautiful 1973 Ferrari 365 GT4 when he signed his contract to race with Ferrari. Fortunately, he won after a couple of years, but the racer couldn’t retain this beauty.

Lauda tried to get the car through Austrian customs, but it turned out to be a pricey affair. Hence, he had to sell it a couple of years after receiving it as a gift. The car came with a compact V12 engine and a premium leather interior.

The Ferrari 365 GT4 got a 4.4-liter naturally aspirated V12 under its rear hood that was married to a standard 5-speed manual gearbox. The engine was tuned to deliver 335 horses at around 6,200 rpm. It could hit 60 mph from a standstill in under 6 seconds and reach a top speed of 152 mph.

4. 1987 E32 BMW 750iL

The F1 legend also owned a fine example of the popular 1987 BMW E32 750iL. Since he got the sedan in its longer wheelbase version, we now know that Lauda also had a fine taste for luxury.

During the time it was sold, the sedan came with an advanced and tech-rich cabin, such as an integrated telephone system and a spring mechanism to keep the windshield wipers against the glass on the Autobahn. The original price of the sedan was approximately $70,000.

The E32 BMW 750iL got a 5.0-liter naturally aspirated V12 under its rear hood that was married to a standard 5-speed manual gearbox. The engine was tuned to deliver 300 horsepower. It could hit 60 mph from a standstill in under 7.1 seconds and reach a top speed of 155 mph.

3. Mercedes-Benz G-Class

Much like the Land Rover Defender, the G-Class also enjoys legendary status in the SUV world and delivers an impeccable off-roading experience as well. Having a military origin like the Jeep, the G-Class still continues with its boxy and tall design and gets a punchy motor under the hood as well.

While it is an uncommon vehicle to be owned by Niki, a person who became famous for driving fast, it sure is a practical vehicle. The modern iteration of the G-class offers solid comfort apart from its immense ruggedness and off-road-specific mechanicals. At the time of purchase, the SUV is expected to have cost the F1 Legend around $114,200.

The Mercedes-Benz G-Class is powered by a 5.5-liter twin-turbocharged V8 motor, delivering 382 hp and 319 lb-ft of torque. With the standard 7-speed automatic transmission, the SUV can reach 60 mph within 6.0 seconds and attain a top speed of 130 mph as well.

2. Mercedes-AMG GT S

The Mercerdes-Amg GT S is the sportiest car in Niki Lauda’s garage. The AMG GT S succeeded the legendary SLS AMG with more performance on tap. However, the AMG GT S lacks the excitement factor of its predecessor. Lauda’s car did have a dedicated driving mode for the F1 legend.

While driving the car in dedicated mode, the car became more aggressive in nature, with a wide open exhaust system and sharper throttle response. In terms of design, the AMG GT S also lacks the SLS AMG’s charm but has a proper coupe design too. While it’s not known how much it cost Lauda for his GT S, the car carried a base price of $129,900 during its launch.

A 4.0-liter powers the Mercedes-AMG GT S twin-turbocharged V8 that produces 503 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque. The motor is married to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The car can reach a top speed of 193 mph and can do a 0-60mph run within 3.6 seconds as well.

1. Ferrari 288GTO

It’s no surprise that Niki Lauda owned the iconic Ferrari 288 GTO, even if only for a short period of time. Only 272 units of the supercar were ever produced, and all 271 units were painted red by Ferrari. Only one unit was painted yellow as a special edition from Ferrari itself.

While the car wasn't officially available in the US, Niki did not have any problem getting one for himself through the gray market route. Niki did sell his GTO back in 1990 since he was developing his airline business, and the 288 GTOs fetched a hefty premium apiece as well.

The 288 GT0 has an estimated value of $3.3 million today, making it the most expensive car that was part of Niki Lauda's collection.

A compact yet powerful 2.9-liter powers the Ferrari 288 GTO twin-turbocharged V8. The motor, while paired to a standard 5-speed manual gearbox, pushes out a healthy 400 hp along with 366 lb-ft of torque. It can run the 0-60mph sprint in under 5 seconds and reach a top speed of 189 mph as well.