Professional athletes make enough money to afford any car they desire and customize the daylights out of it (or onto it, if they choose). Luckily for Jeep, many of them prefer to get around in heavily modified Wranglers when they’re not running, swinging, throwing, or punching. Just look at what boxer Floyd Mayweather and Atlanta Braves center fielder Cameron Maybin drive.
New York Mets left fielder Yoenis Cespedes has one, too. It was even outfitted by the same Miami company that created the one-off JKUs for Mayweather and Maybin. Like those rigs, Cespedes’ Jeep has big aftermarket wheels and tires, a unique interior (complete with the name of the creation, “El Duro,” embroidered into the backs of the baseball-style seats), and special exterior touches. Unlike the Mayweather and Maybin Jeeps, the El Duro edition Wrangler Unlimited is not subtle in the slightest. If the two-tone red and white color scheme doesn’t catch your eye, the abundance of off-road lights, fender treatments, and pronounced replacement front bumper will.
After all was said and done, Cespedes spent $80,000 on his bespoke Jeep. Do you think it was money well spent?
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
