Even as a streetwise kid from a tough Boston neighborhood, Mark Wahlberg had a passion for cars. He bought his first one from a friend at the age of 13 and has even admitted to stealing a few. Now, as a successful actor, producer, and entrepreneur, Wahlberg has owned a collection of vehicles most people can only dream of. You’d probably expect a celebrity known for playing tough guys to favor sports cars and SUVs. Though he’s definitely had his share, he also loves his Chevrolets and a special Toyota minivan.

Mark Wahlberg: From hell on wheels to Hollywood star

While Wahlberg was serving time for assault, his brother Donnie was making it big in the boy band New Kids on the Block. “I could have done that instead,” Wahlberg told Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson. Wahlberg was originally part of the group, but he dropped out before the band got its big break.

“The funny thing was, I remember the first time they came on TV to do one of their big performances. I’m sitting in the rec room in jail, and I’m like, ‘Hey, that’s my brother. I could have been in that group.'”

Mark Wahlberg, Top Gear

According to IMDb, his experience as an inmate prompted him to change his criminal ways. Donnie helped him get his first gig as the lead rapper of Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. That led to a stint as a Calvin Klein underwear model. And as his music career waned, he turned to acting.

Wahlberg made his movie debut in Renaissance Man in 1994. His starring role in Boogie Nights in 1996 opened even more doors. To date, he has appeared in over 30 films and even earned an Oscar nomination for his supporting role in 2006’s The Departed. He has also produced several TV series, including Boardwalk Empire and Entourage, the latter loosely based on his own movie career.

Wahlberg’s success both on- and off-screen has some serious perks. Not only does he own a mansion in lavish Beverly Park, but his car collection is also enough to make any gear head swoon. 

Wahlberg’s love affair with sports cars

It’s no surprise Mark Wahlberg was spotted checking out the new Mercedes-AMG One. The first new car he ever bought was a Mercedes-Benz SL that, according to GQ, vandals and thieves subsequently damaged. Wahlberg’s 2012 Mercedes-AMG SLS is a sweet upgrade. MotorTrend reports that the gull-wing coupe boasts a 6.4-liter eight-cylinder engine harnessing 563 hp, a twin-clutch seven-speed automatic transmission, and a three-mode suspension.

The highly anticipated AMG One is the first sports car to offer Formula 1 technology off the track. The turbocharged six-cylinder hybrid with an all-wheel-drive system is expected to rev up to 11,000 rpm with a maximum speed of over 217 mph. Motor1 reports that as of April, the prototype was in its last phase of testing. Mercedes will make only 275, and they’ve all sold out. Wahlberg said he hadn’t been measured for his seat yet, so chances are his name is on that list — and who could blame him? As one of Hollywood’s highest-paid actors, he can afford the estimated $2.7 million sticker price. 

Another hot property in Wahlberg’s garage is the stunning 1999 Lamborghini Diablo VT Roadster. Produced from 1990 to 2001, this sleek devil has style and horsepower to spare. In fact, it’s the first Lamborghini to break 200 mph.

A luxurious ride, minus a little performance

Wahlberg has a soft spot for Rolls-Royce and Bentley vehicles. In the Top Gear video, the Mercedes and Rolls-Royce blew the Bentley away. True, luxury sedans aren’t built for racing speed or agility, but they’re perfect for cruising Beverly Hills with the crew, Entourage-style. Wahlberg has been spotted in a gorgeous white convertible Bentley Azure T. He also owns a hefty 2018 Bentley Mulsanne, which GQ called “a very polite thug.” 

And he owns a 2014 Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe, an elegant $481,000 model. According to GQ, Autocar magazine called it “one of the finest cars on the road by any criterion.”

Wahlberg apparently liked it enough to add the first-ever Rolls SUV to his collection as well. The enormous 2018 Rolls-Royce Cullinan is built like a tank, weighing 2.7 tons. Even so, it can roar from 0 to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds and costs roughly $374,000. Pretty impressive ride, but it looks like a Chevy Malibu Maxx on steroids.

Wait, did he really say minivan?

He may be rich and famous, but Mark Wahlberg isn’t above driving mainstream models you might see at soccer practice. He owns a Chevy Suburban and a 2020 Corvette. It makes sense, given he and his friend/business partner Jay Feldman own a  Buick GMC dealership and two Chevrolet dealerships in Ohio. “I drive all the time. I like driving some of the Chevrolet prototypes,” Walhberg told the Detroit Free Press.

But he told Ellen DeGeneres that his go-to family car is a 2015 Toyota Sienna minivan. You can find him looking sheepish on the HotCars list of “badass celebrities who drive boring cars,” but Wahlberg cherishes his minivan. “I like my car because it’s very unassuming …,” he said on The Ellen Show. “I don’t let too many people drive that van. That’s my baby.”

Dubbed the “mint mobile” by his four children for its stash of Life Savers mints, it sports a cool set of rims, DirecTV, and tinted windows. He says his kids love it, but his wife, who drives an SUV, “will not get in it for anything.”

Wahlberg may be a huge star living the sweet life, but “one thing you find about Mark is that he’s very disarming. He’s a regular guy,” Feldman says.