It’s a thing of pride to be compared to a fictional character, especially when that fictional character is a “hard man” with mad driving skills, as portrayed by none other than Vin Diesel.
So, when we say that John Cena’s car collection outshines Dominic Toretto’s, we’re implying the WWE icon’s cars are so cool that even the street racer, auto mechanic, and dare-devil carjacker in Fast and Furious has to show respect.
Toretto’s and Cena’s car collections represent a tale of two legendary garages, even though one is fictitious and the other is as real as Nature’s Reserve in Land O’Lakes, Florida. That’s where Cena has his house and a large garage housing his impressive car collection. Let’s check them out while drawing parallels with Toretto’s American muscles.
1969 MGC GT
John Cena’s 1969 MGC GT is a British sports car that got crossed from its ‘classic’ sojourn into the modern era of speed via a custom 6.2-liter LS3 V8 engine. In other words, a restomod with its 145-hp 2912 cc 6-cylinder engine transformed into an LS3-powered 430-hp high-performance machine.
He bought it in 2020 and had it extensively modified by the Houston, Texas-based Extensive Metal Works. It was featured in the Motor Trend TV show Texas Metal. Come on, would you choose Dom’s signature car – the 1970 Dodge Charger R/T – over this? You sure that blower sticking out the hood really works?
1970 Plymouth Road Runner Superbird
Now, this is quite the acquisition. Performance aside, Dom would offer a heartfelt salute to Cena just for acquiring this orange piece of automotive history. Less than 2,000 units were built for the US.
This is one of the four Aero Warriors that briefly dominated stock car racing and the NASCAR circuit until they were forced out of the game via rule changes. NASCAR just had to do something to stop them, or there might be no end to their humiliating victories. John Cena added the thing to his impressive car collection since his garage can accommodate the dramatically large rear wing.
Let’s see. Cena’s Superbird and Dom’s 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS competed in NASCAR during the 1970 season. Well, Richard Petty famously drove the Superbird to 18 victories that season, which is all that needs to be said. At least Dom fled to Mexico on the Chevelle SS.
1966 Dodge Hemi Charger 426
The 1966 Dodge Hemi Charger 426 is a rare piece of muscle car history, and one of the 468 1st-gen Chargers equipped with the 426 HEMI V8 currently belongs to John Cena. Few cars meant for the mass market were blessed with the 426 between 1966 and 1971.
They include rare gems like the aforementioned Roadrunner, Plymouths GTX and Barracuda, and Dodges Challenger, Coronet R/T, and Super Bee. Dom owned the 1971 Plymouth GTX, a high-performance variant that paired the 426 HEMI with aggressive styling.
We leave you to be the judge of which outshines the other, although we admit the HEMI-powered GTX generally commands more cash than the ‘66 Charger with the original engine.
1969 COPO Chevrolet Camaro
John Cena’s 1969 COPO Camaro is one of the first produced. This car is as rare as they come, with just a little over a thousand units manufactured. This figure includes 69 units of the ultra-expensive and rarer ZL1 variants and 1,015 units of the 4-speed and M40 L72 versions.
Short for Central Office Production Order, COPO Camaros were limited-run specials purpose-built for drag racing. The heart was GM’s legendary 427 L72 V8, producing 425 hp.
Cena’s car is among the first 9561 COPO models delivered to the famous Camaro 427 builder and racer Dickie Harrell. We have a tough decision to make if we draw parallels with Toretto’s 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona, the rare and mighty muscle car Dom used in Fast & Furious 6.
1970 Mercury Cougar Eliminator
This high-performance variant of the Mercury Cougar reveals a shared passion for classic American – a fascinating piece of automotive history. Ford’s Mercury division offered the Eliminator for just two years and just 2,200 units for the 1970 model year. It has several potent engines for a heart, notably the 428 Cobra Jet V8, producing around 335 hp.
The Eliminator is still a hard one to find even if you widen your search beyond 1970, seeing as Mercury built 4,500 units in total. John Cena’s Eliminator wears the Competition Yellow, which was exclusive to the Eliminator and was part of Ford’s “Grabber” paint series.
This time, we don’t have a difficult decision to make about which outshines the other if we draw parallel with Toretto’s 1970 Plymouth Road Runner.
2007 Saleen Parnelli Jones Limited Edition Ford Mustang
Only 500 examples of this car were ever manufactured, and one of them belongs to John Cena. It’s not enough to say that the Saleen Parnelli Jones Limited Edition was a limited-edition Mustang commemorating a racing victory.
It’s important to emphasize the particular racing history, Saleen Parnelli Jones’s victory in the SCCA Trans-Am title in 1970. Developed collaboratively by Ford and Saleen special vehicles manufacturer, the Parnelli Jones Limited Edition is a beautiful blend of classic design and modern performance. We’d say this car definitely outshines Torreto’s 1970 Chevelle SS.
2006 Ford GT
We’re trying very hard here to figure out something in Dominic Toretto’s garage we’d accept in exchange for Cena’s pampered Ford GT. He treated it like a baby, without as much as a honking turbo or a mate black wrap.
Cena bought the supercharged 5.4-liter V8 modern classic brand-new and kept it in excellent condition with very low mileage, burning approximately 100 miles a year on it. Actually, he’d have thrown in a lot more mileage in that car if, well, his big, tall frame would let him.
Inspired by the legendary GT40 race car, Cena’s 2006 GT was fully speced, only missing racing stripes. By comparison, Dom’s 1994 Toyota Supra MK IV won’t mind stepping aside for this car to pass.
2013 Corvette InCENArator
The InCENArator is a custom Corvette so named for its flame-shooting exhaust pipes. This is real-world stuff you don’t want to compare with Orange Julius’ (Amaury Nolasco) 1993 Mazda RX-7 in 2 Fast 2 Furious, which featured a fictitious flamethrower exhaust system and fake nitrous-oxide system made from plumbing parts and scuba gear.
That car was a rental from a private owner, who apparently didn’t mind the car being violated via cosmetic and mechanical rebuilds, such as the rebuilt engine with 3 mm apex seals and a red color in place of the original silver. Cena’s InCENArator is the real deal, boasting eight exhaust pipes with real flames shooting out of them.
2009 Corvette ZR1
John Cena purchased the 2009 Corvette ZR1 the same year for around $103,300, a pretty penny for a supercharged beast wearing the Bow Tie. This car is known for its 6.2-liter supercharged V8 heart, which delivers a pounding 638 hp and incredible performance.
What Toretto would offer in exchange is most likely the 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8, which he drove in Fast and the Furious 5 and The Fast and the Furious 6.
Toretto’s Challengers in these Furious installments showcased a widebody kit that expanded the car by six inches, allowing the use of tires with up to 315 mm of tread width. Leave us out of your judgment on both cars.
2017 Ford GT
In September 2017, the pro wrestler upgraded to the latest version of the iconic GT supercar, powered by a 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6. The twin-turbocharged 6-cylinder engine produced 647 hp at 6,250 rpm and 550 lb-ft of torque at 5,900 rpm. With a 7-speed automated manual transmission routing power to the rear wheels, it raced from rest to 60 mph in approximately 3.0 seconds and reached a top speed of 216 mph.
By comparison, the 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon featured in The Fate of the Furious 8 gets motivation from a 6.2-liter supercharged HEMI V8, producing 808 hp @ 6,300 rpm and 717 lb-ft @ 4,500 rpm.
With an 8-speed automatic sending power to the rear wheels, it made it to 60 mph in approximately 3.2 seconds and a top speed of 168 mph. It’s a street-legal drag racing car, while Cena’s 2017 Ford GT represents a true blend of performance, luxury, and innovation.
More On The 2017 Ford GT
The WWE superstar was once in the news in 2018 when Ford claimed a breach of contract over his decision to sell the supercar before the 24-month required ownership period had elapsed. Cena and Ford eventually reached a settlement for an undisclosed amount, with Ford reportedly agreeing to donate the money to charity. The GT is a little fire starter, isn’t it?
