Straight drive: A look at Sachin Tendulkar's love affair with cars on his special day

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, former Indian cricketer and captain, turned 44 on Monday. Widely known as God of cricket, Sachin played a huge role in the elevation of cricket as a religion in India. He remains a motivation for aspiring cricketers not only in India but also in the rest of the cricketing world even after his retirement.

Away from cricket, one topic Sachin is most passionate about is cars. On many occasions, he has confessed to being a petrol head. He likes to spend time driving cars and taking care of them. Sachin is currently the brand ambassador of BMW India and own many cars of the German brand, with the most notable being BMW i8 hybrid sports car.

His first car was a Maruti 800, followed by a Maruti Suzuki 1000. His current garage boasts of BMW 7-Series, BMW X5 M50d, Nissan GT-R, Mercedes-Benz C36 AMG, Audi Q7, to name a few. He was once gifted a Ferrari 360 Modena by seven-time Formula One champion, Michael Schumacher for equaling Don Bradman's record of 29 test hundreds in 2002.

Do you think Sachin would have made a good racing driver what with his reflexes and love for speed? Maybe the pictures below will give you a cue:

Sachin Tendulkar with one of his first cars, Maruti 1000

Sachin Tendulkar while he was the brand ambassador of Fiat Palio during 2001 to 03.

Ferrari 360 Modena gifted to Sachin by seven-time Formula One champion, Michael Schumacher for equaling Don Bradman's record of 29 test hundreds in 2002. He later sold the car to a Gujarat-based business man. The Ferrari eventually made an appearance in the Bollywood movie 'Ferrari Ki Sawaari'.

Sachin driving Caterham 7, a super-lightweight sports car produced by Caterham Cars in the United Kingdom.

Sachin Tendulkar, who is promoting kart racing, drives a go-kart at a racing circuit in Bombay February 22, 2004.

Sachin Tendulkar seated on the Jordan Formula One car of his compatriot Narain Karthikeyan during Spanish Grand Prix practice session in Montmelo near Barcelona, Spain May 7, 2005.

Sachin Tendulkar waves the chequered flag for Red Bull Formula One driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany as he crosses the finish line to win the first Indian Formula 1 Grand Prix at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida on October 30, 2011.