In his popular show, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, Jerry Seinfeld picks each celebrity guest up in a vintage car, then drives them to a coffee shop. When Kevin Hart appeared on the show, Seinfeld chose a 1959 Porsche 718 RSK race car. He revealed that he chose the car because he felt the Porsche and Hart had three crucial things in common.

1959 Porsche 718 RSK

Jerry Seinfeld has a net worth near $950 million and he has invested between $50 and $150 million in his collection of some of the world’s most valuable cars. One of Seinfeld’s most beloved cars is his 1959 Porsche RSK race car.

Porsche built this model of 718 race car from 1957 through 1962. It is a lightweight, mid-engine car leveraging cutting-edge aluminum construction. The “RS” in the Porsche 718 RSK’s name stands for RennSport (sports racing). The K signifies the K-shaped torsion-bar suspension.

A flat four-cylinder, boxer-style engine powers this race car. The engine in most 718s is a quad-cam with a displacement of 1.5 liters. The powerplant makes 142 horsepower and is mated to a five-speed transmission. The entire car weighs 1,260 pounds. Seinfeld says, “this is the car Porsche used to prove that a small car with a small engine could be faster than a big car with a big engine.”

The Porsche 718 won first in its class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans several times. The race car also claimed overall victories at Targo Florio and in the European Hill Climb Championship. After that, Porsche built a single-seater open-wheel version for Formula One. The 718 placed in many Formula One races until Porsche replaced it in 1962. The 718 was more successful in Formula Two, winning multiple races.

Seinfeld’s RSK is the 19th example Porsche built. He claims it has a 1.6-liter engine. Therefore, Porsche may have equipped his car with the 160 horsepower, 1.6L engine designed for the 1960 racing season. 

This vintage race car’s $3 million value makes it one of the most extreme celebrity-owned vehicles. But Seinfeld says of his 1959 Porsche 718, “If you just want to go for a drive for the pure joy of it, I think it’s just about the best there is.”

Kevin Hart and Porsche: ‘Small, Smart, Better’

When Seinfeld went to pick up Kevin Hart for his show Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, he reached for the keys to his 1959 Porsche 718 Spyder. Seinfeld said, “Because of its economy of dimensions and tremendous performance, I felt like this was the perfect car for my very special guest this week: Mr. Kevin Hart. Kevin doesn’t take up a lot of space either, but he is one of the most fun guys in the world.” 

To Kevin, Seinfeld revealed the three things he and the 718 share: “This is Porsche’s philosophy: Smaller, smarter, better. This is how I see you.”

Hart fired back, pointing at the car and asking, “Is it safe?” Seinfeld answered, “No,” and the two of them donned goggles and went for a drive anyway.

Once driving, Hart took right to the vintage race car saying, “Oh Jerry, this is nice!” By the highway, Hart was shouting for joy at the top of his lungs: “This is amazing!”

Kevin Hart has ‘a couple of souped-up cars’

Hart is an avid car collector. He humbly said to Jerry, “I have a couple of souped-up cars.” He then launched into an explanation of his Ferrari’s different driving modes while Seinfeld assured him he understood Ferraris. Finally, Seinfeld interrupted Hart to say, “You can stop the explanation at this point.”

Hart produces Kevin Hart’s Muscle Car Crew series on the Motor Trend channel. The standup comedian has amassed an impressive car collection. This collection includes several Ferrari supercars, Mercedes AMGs, and luxury cars such as an Aston Martin Vanquish and Maserati Gran Turismo. Hart is also a fan of muscle cars. He made headlines in 2019 when he was injured and his 1970 Barracuda totaled in a crash. Luckily Hart has recovered.

Hart’s collection has been conspicuously missing any vintage Porsches. But Seinfeld recently sold his 718 for nearly $3 million. So maybe someday soon, Hart will buy the “amazing” Porsche 718 for his collection.