The 27-year-old Filipino boxer, whose love for billiards and cockfighting is matched only by his love for cars, showed up at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood last Monday driving his new pet.
It’s a 2007 Mercedes Benz SL550, which the native of Gen. Santos City reportedly purchased earlier this month. It’s the third vehicle he has acquired in the US while training for a big fight.
The all-black beauty, which has a tag price of $95,575 or roughly P4.8 million, is a two-door light sports car armed with a 5.4-liter V8 engine that could go 60 mph in only 5.4 seconds.
It’s the first Mercedes for the left-handed knockout artist who acquired a Lincoln Navigator in the US in 2004 before buying a more compact and stylish Porsche Cayene last year.
The Porsche, priced a little lower than the Mercedes, has been shipped to the Philippines more than a month ago, but has yet to be released by Customs. The tax alone runs up to close to P2 million.
While there’s always someone who can drive for him in the US, Pacquiao sometimes couldn’t help but take the driver’s seat like when he goes to church on Sundays.
Back home, Pacquiao moves around town in his huge Dodge van, which he reportedly bought for more than P2 million. He also has a 2006 Pajero and an older model Ford Expedition.
There are a couple more cars in the garage of his Gen. Santos City family residence.
Pacquiao is guaranteed $3 million or P150 million for his Nov. 18 match with Erik Morales in Las Vegas, and is bound to make even more if he wins this one.
By then, Pacquiao would probably look good in a Ferrari.