Ferrari the name brings to your mind red devils from Maranello - the Mecca for every real Ferrarista in the world. But how about the longest Ferrari in the world which is actually a limo, confused...? Well so was I, but here is how the two big names from automotive world became one.

It’s a creation of limo boss Dan Cowley; who also owns the astonishing ‘Terminator’, the ten wheeled Hummer (Europe’s longest stretch Hummer) and a former McLaren carbon fiber expert Chris Wright. It’s made from a Ferrari 360 Modena chopped in half and stretched by 9.5ft with a section of hand-built carbon fiber. The duo decided to challenge the opinion of American limo builders that a stretch Ferrari was impossible to build because traditional conversions use steel beams, which would make it too heavy.

After consulting Ferrari engineers and drawing up detailed plans for a hi-tech carbon fiber conversion, a suitable donor car was found. The car was a black ‘04 model 360 Modena with an F1 paddle gear box, which had covered 30,000 miles. It was then delicately cut in half and for over the next eight months the carbon panels were designed and built.

And now, the 20 feet long car, which only seats eight person, is all set to enter the Guinness Book Of World Records for the two records- The fastest Limousine and the Longest Ferrari.

With a top speed of nearly 170 mph, the 3.6 liter V8 engine accelerates the car from 0 to 60 mph in less than six seconds. The passengers climb-in through hydraulically powered 9ft long gull-wing doors to sit into the carbon fiber racing seats equipped with full five-point harnesses.

Alike the original, the V8 engine is visible through the rear glass window. Just for some extra safety, surplus crash protection bars and carbon roll over hoops have been installed. The brakes and gear box are all typical but the suspension has been upgraded to survive with the added weight and to automatically raise the body while tackling speed bumps.

To put in some luxury, a 10-inch flat screen monitor which relays images from cameras mounted on the outside of the vehicle is attached between each pair of seats. A six speaker surround sound system and slimline DVD have also been built in.

Although average won’t be a criteria here for it’s a luxury oriented drive, yet to please the odds the car gives an average of 15mpg on the motorway, which is credible considering the weight. The incarnation will debut in the Limousine & Chauffeur Show 2007 at the Birmingham NEC commencing the 16th of September.

Ferrari 360 Modena Limousine was just an idea thought off over drinks by the duo that then materialized it, ultimately developing a stunning product. Both believe that the amazing top speed of 170 mph has been achieved without any sort of tuning upgrades, thus to cross the 200mph barrier wont be a tough ask, wonder what the car would be dubbed then!

Ferrari 360 Modena Limousine Picture Gallery

[Courtesy:Liveleak]