Maria Sharapova is one of the world's greatest women tennis players. But aside from being an amazing athlete she's also — how do I say this — easy on the eyes.
A 6'2 blonde Russian is a terrible thing to waste.
In addition to winning a handful of grand slam titles and certainly cementing herself in tennis history, she's also become a brand ambassador for Porsche. We've seen her debut a couple models previously but the latest she was seen behind the wheel of is the all-new Boxster Spyder.
And, if I am honest, it's a lovely thing. Not only is it my favorite Porsche at the moment, I also adore Russian women. It's a win-win, folks.
As you'd expect from a brand ambassador she drove the car and loved it. Blah, blah. Anyway, onto the pictures of this lovely woman and an even more seductive auto.
Porsche's press release follows:
Maria Sharapova test drives the new Porsche Boxster Spyder
Stuttgart. For Maria Sharapova it was like an ace in Wimbledon: ahead of the traditional Women’s Tennis Association’s (WTA) pre-tournament party in London, the Porsche Brand Ambassador paid a visit to the Porsche Centre Mayfair on Thursday before taking the new Boxster Spyder out for a test drive. The purist sports car celebrated its world premiere at the New York International Auto Show in April and is the lightest yet most powerful Boxster that Porsche has ever made.
Four days before play starts in earnest at the year’s most important Grand Slam tournament, the superstar from Russia treated herself to a quite special driving experience with the new top model in the open two-seater series. It retains the independent character of the previous Spyder which has already attained cult status. The classical fabric roof is still opened and closed by hand and the sports car is only available with a manual transmission. As a true original roadster, the Boxster Spyder offers a traditional sports-car driving experience but with contemporary performance. This means a firm sports suspension with 20-mm lower ride height, brakes taken from the 911 Carrera and a 3.8-liter six-cylinder engine with an output of 375 hp (276 kW). The sprint from 0 to 100 km/h takes just 4.5 seconds.
Maria Sharapova piloted the Boxster Spyder around the streets of London’s Mayfair district and was visibly impressed. “This is huge fun – truly thrilling,” said the five-time Grand Slam winner after the test drive. “I love that this new Boxster Spyder is like a classic sports car, but at the same time feels so modern and sophisticated. It’s a fantastic car and I need to get one!.”
The distinctive design of the Boxster Spyder includes stylistic elements that recall the legendary sports and race cars from Porsche. For example, as a tribute to the 718 Spyder from the 1960s, the new Boxster Spyder has two prominent streamlined bulges that extend down along the long rear lid behind the headrests. The partially manually operated, lightweight top is suitable for everyday use and brings to mind roadsters from the past, while the fins that stretch back to the rear lend the vehicle’s silhouette its characteristic design.
Porsche Boxster Spyder: fuel consumption urban 14.2 l/100 km; extra-urban 7.5 l/100 km; combined 9.9 l/100 km; CO2 emissions 230 g/km; efficiency class (Germany): G