What Cars Do Famous Geeks Drive?

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on 06/04/2007







Filed under:on 06/04/2007

We know that geek cars are all loaded with the latest technological marvels – which are really what is supposed to turn the true geek on. So which cars do geeks prefer? Maybe the luxury car Mercedes-Benz 2007 S-Class sedan chock full of electronics – an onboard radar system, automated acceleration and braking controls, night vision display are some of the features that can be expected in this car. So let’s take a look at the most well known geeks’ cars and how they are customized.

Bill Gates (who else!)



The first geek car we’ll look at belongs to the one and only Mr. William Gates III, founder of Microsoft. Now Bill Gates loves the Porsche. He owns a 1999 Porsche 911 convertible, which is quite a rare car. His other car is a 1988 Porsche 959 Coupe, which is one of 230 made by Porsche.









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1988 Porsche 959 Coupe owned by Bill Gates

You will be amazed to know that in spite of the 959’s unknown crash ratings, Bill Gates is still driving this car around, thanks to a federal law signed by President Clinton allowing him to do so. Rumor has it that Bill Gates and Paul Allen employed Microsoft engineers to write a computer program that could simulate the 959’s crashworthiness, which helped in the bill’s passage.



Michael Dell



Our next geek is Michael Dell, of Dell, who gave us the personal computer. Luxury is a way of life with Michael, and he enjoys his 2004 Porsche Boxster when the sun shines brightly. This is a two-seater car that handles smoothly with its six cylinder engine and top down capability. The Porsche Boxster is no longer sold as a new car. In less clement weather,





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2004 Porsche Boxster owned by Michael Dell

Dell prefers to move around in his 2005 Hummer H2 SUV. Satellite Radio, Power Driver's Seat, Heated Front Seats, Heated Rear Seats, Split Folding Rear Seat – are only a few of the standard features of this car. Optional features are a navigation system and a back up camera.



Larry Ellison



Mr. Oracle himself – he loves adventure and the Bentley is his car. He enjoys the luxury and style of the Bentley Continental Flying Spur sedan, which is a great four-door car to drive.





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Bentley Continental Flying Spur owned by Larry Ellison

Among Bentley’s two full size sedans, the Continental Flying Spur is smaller, sporting a twin turbo W12 engine. Performance is unquestionably superb and the car looks very impressive with its luxury levels. This car is identical to the Continental GT coupe.



Steven Ballmer



Ballmer is also a Microsoft billionaire who surprisingly drives a sporty maroon 1998 Lincoln Continental rather than a Ferrari, Porsche or a Rolls Royce. He plans on getting a Lincoln Zephyr.





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1998 Lincoln Continental owned by Steven Ballmer

Chris Pirillo



Chris Pirillo is an Internet entrepreneur, book author, ex-TV show host and technology enthusiast. He is addicted to computer hardware and software -and the Acura TSX. According to him, the 2006 TSX is about as geeky as today’s cars can get. This car has an audio in jack, live traffic reports, Bluetooth connectivity, Zagat ratings and an excellent navigation system with voice recognition.





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2006 Acura TSX owned by Chris Pirillo

The car also has handsfreelink, keyless access system with driver recognition. The sound system in the Acura is a 360-watt system with AM/FM stereo, 6 disc in dash CD changer and eight speakers. There is also an XM satellite radio, MP3/auxillary input jack and home link. Other accessories include a dual zone automatic climate control system and heated front seats, theft deterrent system with an electronic immobilizer. The exterior temperature indicator lets you know what the temperature is outside.



David Pogue



David Pogue is a New York Times technology columnist and CBS news correspondent. His favorite car is the Prius, which is a hybrid car – that is, it has both a gas engine and an electric motor. While driving at low speeds, the electric motor powers the car. When the car stops, the gas engine shuts off. While traveling at high speed, the gas engine takes over, accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in about ten seconds.





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Toyota Prius owned by David Pogue

Pogue is thrilled with the keyless entry and ignition. The key chain has a transmitter and you can carry it in your pocket. To unlock your car you don’t even have to take it out – as you approach your car and go for the door handle, it unlocks itself. After getting into the car, you can continue to keep the remote in your pocket. To start the car, there’s a power button on the dash. The car comes on, sensing the transmitter in your pocket. You can lock the car after you get out by touching a button by the door handle. If you prefer to actually use the remote, you can operate the relevant buttons for the necessary actions.



The battery in the Prius powers the Air conditioner, conserving energy when the car is running. The car’s optional voice-recognition system lets you program it to respond to certain words so that you can use the radio, turn on the heat, watch the next CD or use the navigation system. The Prius has plenty of space in the hatchback area. According to David Pogue, the Prius is one of the best cars that deliver far better mileage on a gas engine and a tax break, thanks to its hybrid status. The car drives very quietly.



Steve Jobs, the CEO of Apple Inc, and Chairman of Pixar Animation Studios, and the biggest shareholder at Disney, drives a car without number plates.





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Steve Jobs' plateless car







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