A self-confessed petrolhead and all-round perfectionist, skiing icon Jon Olsson lists his top five cars and explains why he’s trying to kick the car habit one engine at a time.
You are a busy man with an epic skiing career, growing car obsession and plenty of other projects to keep you occupied. Are you always looking for new and exciting things or can you pat yourself on the back and take a rest soon?
Looking back at my ski career I’m satisfied with about 2 percent of what I’ve done so that’s what really pushes me… to try to do things better every time. I started rebuilding the Red Bull R1 Rebellion car four years ago and then every summer I come up with new ideas. I’m happy that I have now done something that I will be happy with for more than two weeks! I wish the quest for perfection would end! I start looking at details and it doesn’t matter if I’m skiing or designing cars or building a jump… I have a hard time being satisfied with where it’s at. It is a little frustrating at times being like that but I get good results and get a lot of stuff done.
Is it possible to ever have enough cars in the garage?
You definitely can have too many cars… every car requires insurance, maintenance and storage! At one point it becomes more of a headache. You get the car to enjoy it and when you have to deal with all of that it makes me just want one car. It’s absolutely an addiction. Once you’ve started the obsession though it’s hard to not want the next best thing… I’m working on it!
Olsson’s Top 5 Supercars…
1. Bugatti Veyron Super Sport – “well, because it’s a Veyron!” Italian design and an eye-watering amount of power, this car has 1200bhp to keep even the most talented driver on their toes. Built for an extreme driving experience, this one is perfect for Olsson’s quest for speed and handling.
2. Pagani Zonda R – “I’d make this street legal and it would be my ultimate car. It looks and sounds absolutely amazing. If you could put that on the street it’d be an all-time high, like letting a Formula 1 car on the streets.” Mid-engined sports car that is made of carbon fibre. The 6-litre V12 would cause most of us mere mortals to need a change of trousers after a lap on the track.
3. Koenigzegg Agera – “no, I can’t pronounce this one either!” With a price tag of $1.6 million it’s certainly an investment buy but you can offset that with the Agera R version’s biofuel option. Eco-friendly and fast… sort of.
4. Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead – “I have been looking at this but until now haven’t been mature enough to own a car with four seats.” Refined elegance and a more grown-up statement, with this graceful cruiser with plenty of room in the back for Jon’s skis. Perfect.
5. Porsche Carrera GT Gemballa edition – “it’s a few years old but has always been a favourite of mine.” Back in the late 90s, the 600hp model broke the fastest lap record for road cars at the Nurburgring, marking this car out as the ultimate pin-up for a young Jon and it still holds a place in his heart today.
Want more?
- Check out Jon's official site
- Interview on the Red Bull R1 Rebellion with Jon Olsson
- Jon Olsson profile & news feed on Redbull.com
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