These include several Lamborghinis and Ferraris, and one his most recent additions is a Pontiac G-8. This new "classic car" from Detroit shows the renewed interest by both car manufacturers and the public in stylish, powerful cars.Many of the cars highlighted in current music videos are things like a Bentleys, Phantoms, and Ferraris. Mr. Jackson decided to look at some of the new offerings coming out of Detroit in evaluating those cars in the same way that you look at some of the faster imports. Generally the cars that are put in music videos need to be dressed up for use in the video, but the cars themselves are worthy of attention. Some of the changes to the cars are things like fitting big wheels in the back and small joints on the front in order to change the profile of the car. In addition, a car may get special paint or detailing for the video.
The Pontiac company is happy to have their cars featured in his videos, and one trade-off was that Pontiac asked 50 cent to be in several of their commercials. In this case it's the agreement benefits everybody. In addition, the designers of the new Pontiac came and asked for Mr. Jackson's input on the look of the car. He came in with the idea of designing something like an AMG kit, but when he saw the existing car design he was very pleased with it as it was. His personal G-8 car is red with a black racing stripe which gets wider as it goes toward the back of the vehicle.
One of Mr. Jackson's favorite things about his current cars is the way that they look, in that their styling is reminiscent of the classic cars of the 60s and 70s. He is more concerned with the performance and the look of a car rather than the car itself has to be all original. Just like Mr. Jackson's vehicles, a few changes in the color, detailing, or tire sizes can give a very distinctive look to an already distinctive car.
Other musicians, like William Roberts, also has a fleet of powerful cars that have influenced the styling of some current cars. One of his trademark cars is a white on white BMW, which influenced a number of other people to purchase white on white cars. Not only are these models such as the BMW and the Corvette, but the white on white concept moved on down to produce some white on white Nissans. Again, for this musician, performance is important, but style and a distinctive stamp is paramount. Some of his new cars are a white on white BMW 760, a black Maybach, and a black Escalade SUV. It is interesting to see how this new style of cars fits in with the other car cultures of Miami, the city that he lives in. One group loves the old school and Phantoms, there is the Miami vice culture with its Ferraris, and then there is this new trend. All of these cars are quite distinctive and a drive through the streets of Miami can be an interesting snapshot into short history of American car culture.