Stretching the Limits

Doppelganger Infinitis
Base vehicles: 2008 Infiniti QX56 & 2008 Infiniti FX35
Stretch length: 140" each
Year completed: 2008
Manufacturer: LCW Automotive
                    San Antonio, Texas
                    www.lcwlimo.com

You can call them the unlikely suspects: two shiny pearl-colored Infiniti SUVs each stretched 140 inches. In an ocean of Lincolns and Cadillacs, these two are definitely not your everyday, luxury livery rides.

LCW Automotive in San Antonio, Texas, was commissioned to stretch these one-of-a-kind beauties. Starting with base cars—the QX56 and the FX35—the pulchritudinous siblings were transformed into exquisite luxury stretches (which were unfortunately separated from the nest when one went to a private overseas buyer while the other moved to a New York City fleet).

This project was a first for the custom builder, and the engineering team thoroughly researched the sui generis project before accepting the order this past January. Todd Boyar, vice president of LCW, says, “The process was smooth. I had my engineering team check out the vehicles beforehand and they said it was definitely possible.” (The FX35, the smaller of the two, also is more car-like to drive and the base car has a higher gas-mileage rating than many of its gas-guzzling cousins.)

The interiors are the standard, high-quality fare one would expect from LCW: stainless steel ceilings, wood consoles, LimoTouch controls, and dazzling fiber. But it’s the exteriors of the vehicles that really do the showing off. “[The client] wanted an original chassis that was unique,” says Boyar. The interiors were cherry-picked by the customer.

Would Boyar consider stretching another Infiniti? “Definitely,” he says, without hesitation. Uh oh ... Has this started a trend? LD