Inside Louis Walsh’s impressive car collection including £75k Maserati slapped with no parking sign
LOUIS Walsh might not be much of a petrolhead but he does love cars and drives a flash Maserati.
The Irish TV star and music mogul, 71, is thought to have a net worth of £116million, so could afford pretty much any car he wanted.
He has been spotted behind the wheel of a sleek Maserati Gran Turismo which was worth a cool £75,000 back in 2008.
To get your hands on a new one nowadays, you’d have to fork out somewhere between £131,000 and £162,000 depending on which version you plumped for.
For your money you do get 542bhp, a top speed of 199mph and the ability to go from 0-62mph in just 3.5 seconds.
In December 2008, the man behind pop bands Westlife, Boyzone and Jedward, returned to his sports car to find it had been slapped with a no parking sticker after he’d parked the car on double yellow lines in Dublin.
Having avoided getting an actual ticket, Walsh simply peeled off the sticker and drove off.
The former X Factor judge also appeared on the BBC‘s popular motoring show Top Gear in August 2011 in the Star in a Reasonably Price Car part.
Presenting the section, Nick Dalton revealed that Walsh “doesn’t drive a huge amount”.
Walsh freely admitted he wasn’t the best driver but said he was having lots of fun, all the same.
He told the motoring show: “I’m not doing good but… I’m fine. I never wanted to be a racing driver but it’s fun and the more I do the more I like it.”
Walsh added: “It’s just control and confidence and trying to relax. It’s very hard to relax.
“I’m doing my best,” saying while laughing: “I haven’t been on the grass much.”
Walsh said: “I’m not going to be a racing driver, y’know. But it’s fine, I’m having fun.
He admitted he didn’t listen to the bands he manages while driving but did put on the Rolling Stones which he considers to be “great driving music” but revealed he didn’t drive fast anyway.
Walsh said: “I just can’t concentrate and I cannot focus and you have to be able to do that to be a really good racing driver – but it’s fun… it’s a day out.
“I love cars but I don’t drive fast. Love cars… love, love, love them.”
Despite saying he didn’t drive fast, Walsh got round the track behind the wheel of a Kia Ceed in 1.47.7, some way behind the leader Matt LeBlanc who dashed round in a time of 1.42.1.
LeBlanc was just a fraction faster than Rowan Atkinson who went round in 1.42.2.
Walsh was far from being the slowest though with Damian Lewis going round in 2.09.1 although his time was hampered by snow.