What would you guess Formula 1 racer Lewis Hamilton drives when he’s away from the track? Maybe a Lamborghini LP 640, Ferrari 599 GTB, or (given his employer) a Mercedes SLR McLaren 722? Well, while famed driver Michael Schumacher enjoys taking laps in the new Ferrari California, it turns out that Hamilton’s father Anthony is the supercar fan in the family—Lewis likes to run at an easier pace, and F1’s current leader for the 2008 driver’s title now commutes to work in a diesel Mercedes GL-Class SUV.
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The second GL he’s owned, Hamilton’s latest ride is a GL 320 CDI, featuring a 3.0L diesel V-6 under the hood making 224 hp and 376 lb-ft of torque. And while this powertrain’s 0 to 62mph time of 9.5 sec and 130 mph top speed aren’t exactly worthy of the Monaco circuit, the driver explains that when away from his 500-hp race car he prefers “to relax, kick back and cruise,” and the GL is “just about the most comfortable road car I’ve ever driven.” And with gas mileage of approximately 18mpg city/29 highway, for a full-size SUV the diesel GL is surprisingly painless at the pump—not that Lewis has any trouble paying for gas.
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