Scramble for luxury cars continues

Cars

Some popular artistes in the country appear to be in a rush to acquire expensive cars, writes CHUX OHAI

 

Nowadays, more Nigerian artistes seem to be obsessed with the desire to acquire luxury cars. Many of them have formed the habit of strolling into any car mart and splashing their hard earned money on exotic vehicles that catch their fancy, even as some people have insinuated that the money is not hard-earned in some cases.

The list of those that have caught this bug appears to be growing by the day. But top on this list is fast-rising singer, Ayo Balogun, aka Wizkid. A few weeks ago, the young man, who just clocked 23, posted a photograph of a new Porsche Panamera, which is said to cost N14.6m, on his Instagram page.

The photograph was an indication that Wizkid had bought a new car, barely 10 days after he narrowly escaped being killed in an accident on June 15, 2013.

The singer’s car, a N14m Porsche, was badly damaged in the accident, which occurred on the Lekki-Epe Expressway in Lagos.

While Wizkid was still revelling in the warmth of the reactions that greeted the posting on Instagram, his pal, Davido (real name David Adeleke), reportedly placed  an order for a 2012 model Mercedes Benz SUV, valued at N20m.

Excited by the prospect of owning yet another exotic vehicle, Davido tweeted a message on his Twitter handle, saying, “Can’t wait for my baby to land! G55 AMG! Thank u Lord! ”o

Both Wizkid and Davido seem to be absorbed in a struggle to outdo each other in a competition to acquire expensive cars. So far, the former has bought four cars, including a N6m Volkswagen Convertible and a 2012 model Hyundai Sonata, since his career kicked off on a sound note a few years ago.

Davido’s expected Mercedes Benz SUV will further swell his collection of exotic cars, which already includes a Range Rover Sport, Audi Q7, Chevrolet Camaro & Hyundai Sonata.

But fans of the two artistes are worried that they are too young to be spending so much money on expensive vehicles. Obviously irritated by the rivalry between the singers, a fan reacted in a popular blog, “Now their problem is what car to buy and how to outdo each other.”

 Although it is not confirmed if Wizkid paid for the new Porsche Panamera from his pocket or it was part of an insurance deal, the young man was roundly berated by fans who felt that he had erred by not donating money to save the life of OJB Jezreel when the latter needed funds to undergo a major surgery.

Also Olamide, whose fast-paced raps in Yoruba has earned him much respect from music fans, and popular producer, Samklef, seem to have something in common: a passion for the Range Rover series.

A few weeks ago, it was rumoured that Olamide has acquired a brand new 2013 Range Rover Sport. Yet, the rapper’s fans and close associates described the story as false, saying the vehicle was a 2008 model.

While the controversy over Olamide’s car raged, a photograph showing Samklef in another Range Rover Sport (also believed to be a 2009 model) was circulated on the social media and passed off as his latest acquisition.

Kingsley Okonkwo, popularly known as KCee, formally made his entry to the millionaire’s club when he recently acquired two brand new exotic cars: a 2013 Range Rover (super charge) and 2013 BMW X6. A few days later, the dashing co-owner of Primetime Entertainment, Dayo Adeneye, was said to have taken delivery of a N25m Bentley Continental GT.

The boss of Mavin Records, Don Jazzy, got many fans sighing and tongues possibly wagging when it was announced that he had bought a new Porsche Carrera GTS in June. The car is said to have cost him a whopping N70m!