Baby Elephant just keeps getting cuter and more awesomer. From Forbes Auto:
Tennis star Ana Ivanovic doesn't have much time to drive, but that hasn't stopped Verano, the Serbian distributor of French automaker Peugeot, from sponsoring her.
"Actually, my current car is the only one I've ever owned. I only passed my test two years ago," says the 20-year old Serb of the 2007 Peugeot 207 she got as part of the endorsement deal.
Ivanovic spends most of the year traveling to tournaments, where she's whisked from place to place by a hired driver. When not on tour, she relishes every opportunity to get behind the wheel.
"For me it's relaxing to just go out in my car and drive for an hour or so," Ivanovic says. "At home in Switzerland there is beautiful countryside, and it's the same in Belgrade. When I visit my family I sometimes drive near the rivers."
Ivanovic is the top-ranked player on the WTA Tour. She's the ninth highest paid pro tennis player, according to Forbes.com's latest ranking of Tennis' Top Paid Stars, having pulled in $8 million in prize money and sponsorship fees over the past 12 months.
This is Baby Elephant's car:
I actually love small compact cars that look like European rally cars, so I dig the Peugeot. But seriously, where do I begin.
She is 6'1''. How the hail does she fit into that thing and toodle around in it. Just the thought of her all folded up cruising the Swiss countryside is making me laugh uncontrollably.
According to Motor Trend, the Peugeot 207 is a subcompact, which is the equivalent to a Honda Fit or Toyota Yaris, both sold in the States. She is one of the top 10 grossing female athletes according to Forbes, and this is her car? How AWESOME is that? That's like when I found out that Helen Hunt, back in her Mad About You days, drove a Volvo. It's just so practical and down to earth of her. I have a lot of friends who live in San Francisco and make 7 figure salaries who drive beat up Hondas and old Toyota Camries because they travel too much to make it practical to own a nice car. I find that quite admirable, especially in today's keeping up with the Joneses society.
Anyway, good on Ana. I didn't think you could go up in my book but you just did. And here's hoping that Peugeot springs for a convertible model next. Because seriously, it's adorable!
Other tennis players' cars according to the article:
- James Blake: 07 Lincoln Navigator, 07 Porsche 911 Turbo, and 04 Cadillac Escalade
- Jelena Jankovic: 08 Porsche 911, eyeing an Aston Martin
- Agnes Szavay: Audi A3 Cabriolet 2.0 TDI
- Maria Sharapova: Land Rover Supercharged
- Daniela Hantuchova: 02 Porsche Boxster, 05 Land Rover Range Rover, 08 Porsche Cayenne
- Robby Ginepri: 03 Cadillac Escalade, 06 BMW M6
- Tommy Robredo: 07 Mercedes Benz ML500
- Nadia Petrova: 08 Porsche Cayenne
