Lewis Hamilton is known, of course, principally for driving cars. Formula One cars, in particular. But he’s also a bit of a motorcycle enthusiast.
The world champion teamed up with MV Agusta when the Italian bikemaker was briefly owned by Mercedes. But while the two manufacturers have since gone their separate ways, the partnership between LH and MV has continued, and yielded this – their third special-edition collaboration.
The LH44 edition is based on Agusta’s Brutale 800 RR – a naked street-fighter with an 800-cc (48.7-cubic-inch) three-cylinder engine rated at 140 hp (103 kW) and 64 lb-ft (87 Nm) of torque. Weighing just less than 380 pounds (172 kg) dry, it’ll top out at 152 miles per hour (244 km/h) – that is, if you have the testicular fortitude (or death wish) to put its capabilities to the test.
The special edition features CNC-machined guards for the clutch and alternator as well fuel and oil filler caps. There’s loads of carbon fiber trim as well, along with ceramic coatings for key components and a blacked-out triple exhaust. The bike is decked out in a red and black livery that’s said to have been co-designed by Hamilton and MV Agusta’s in-house design team.
Following the similar Dragster and F4 special editions, production of Hamilton’s latest ride is set to kick off this summer. Only 144 examples will be made, each individually numbered, in reference to the number 44 that Hamilton’s car wears when he’s not reigning as world champion. It’ll cost you, though: €24,144, to be specific, or about $28k at current exchange rates.
That’d almost be enough to put you in a base CLA, which would have enough room to bring your friends along too. But then a Brutale in the right hands will run circles around even the AMG CLA45 without breaking a sweat. So you figure out which you’d rather have in your driveway.