Despite a first name mirroring that of a certain Deutsch automaker, Mercedes Luna used to drive a Honda. Not just any Honda, but a modified Civic. Say word? Word. Growing up in Rosamond, CA, by way of Mexicali, Mexico, Mercedes would cruise the local street races with her brother and even partake in a few. Outlaw? Maybe. But take those qualities and combine them with an exotic look resembling a young Eva Longoria, and this is one Mercedes that belongs on the cover of 2NR.
Mercy . . . may I call you Mercy?
That's what my friends call me, but yes, as long as you don't break out trying to sing Marvin Gaye.
We'll save that for a drunken karaoke night. Were you born in the States?
No, I was born in Mexicali, which is in Baja Mexico. I came to California when I was 12 years old.
Explains the cute accent. What was the first English word you learned?
It wasn't a word but a sentence: 'I don't speak English'. [laughs]
Quite possibly the most important, yet oxymoronic phrase to learn in any foreign language.
[laughs] I can attest to that. When I came to the States, I didn't speak English at all, so I would freak out every time someone would try to communicate with me. The minute a person would open their mouth to say something, I'd blurt out, 'I don't speak English'.
Where in Cali did you move?
We moved an hour and a half north of Los Angeles. First to Palmdale and shortly after to Rosamond.
Rosamond? As in Willow Springs Raceway?
It was probably the coolest place in sixty square miles. I used to get excited every time there was a big race-that meant there would be a lot of people coming to our small town, creating some kind of action.
Were you into cars, growing up?
Yes! Growing up, imports were very popular-it was all about who had the fastest car in town.
What did you used to drive?
My first car was a Honda Civic. I remember I wanted to make it look cool as soon as I got it, so I added clear corners. [laughs]
Did you do anything else to your Civic?
It's funny because my brother used to read Import Tuner all the time, which was where he used to get all his ideas for my car. We ended up swapping out the wheels, intake, exhaust, header, and suspension.
So how did a girl from Antelope Valley get into modeling?
I rolled like a tumble weed into the local mall when I was 16 and they had a scout looking for new talent, which was when I started my portfolio. At 19, I was invited to a Lakers game and was fortunate enough to meet owner, Dr. Jerry Buss, who asked me to be one of their models.
What stuff did you do with the Lakers?
I had a photoshoot on the basketball court and took some amazing pics for a calendar promotion they were working on. I also did Spanish announcements for Laker TV.
The Ariza-for-Artest trade; were you for it or against it?
I think Ariza was a huge spark last season and a big part why we won it all . . . too bad the Lakers gave his money to Artest. But Artest is hungry for a ring, so maybe he'll help us get two championships in a row. Let's just hope no one in L.A. spills beer on him! [laughs]
Other than the Lakers, what were some other gigs you've had?
I did some stuff with Rockstar, Mazdaspeed, and was Miss Makita. Working for Makita was a lot of fun. I got to travel nationwide.