15 Ways Shaq Had to Customize His Cars to Fit Inside

Shaquille O'Neal is really huge. The funny, pretty star is currently one of the analysts on Inside the NBA, although he is best known for all the championships he has won with the Los Angeles Lakers. Shaq's Hall of Fame status is well deserved because he truly is one of the best (and biggest) centers of all time, standing at a whopping 7ft 1in and weighing 325lbs (at least).

In addition to his basketball career, he has also released four rap albums, the first of which is titled Shaq Diesel- went platinum! He has appeared in many films, has appeared in reality shows and many commercials, and is the general manager of Kings Guard Gaming in the NBA 2k League. He also accepts A great podcastwith Shaka. So we can say that the guy is moving - his face is almost everywhere.

One of the coolest things about Shaq, aside from his court dominance, is his car collection. He does have some amazing cars, like a monstrous Ford F-650 that looks like it was built specifically for him, and a modified Chevy van that looks like it can fit 35 people inside. But Shaq also loves fancy cars and supercars. The problem, of course, is that it rarely fits in these machines.

To solve his unique problem, Shaq invites his friends to some of the best body shops on the planet to help him tune and modify each of his cars to his specifications so he can fit inside each one. These include cars like Ferrari and Lamborghini, Dodge Hellcats and even Smart Fortwo!

Let's take a look at 15 cars that Shaq had to modify to fit inside.

15 Vidor Roadster

via Autofluence DuPont Registry

The Vaydor Roadster may look like a supercar, but it's actually an elaborate body kit for a 2004 07-35 Infiniti GG. Shaq built this exotic, futuristic car for himself and it only costs $11,000! However, he had to modify it with Supercraft Custom Crafter Cars to fit inside it. The seats, pedals, and lower dash have all been redesigned so that his huge figure can fit more comfortably inside. The original Infiniti's roof has also been completely removed to give it more headroom - and we have a feeling the low windshield might not even completely protect it from the wind because of this!

14 dodge the challenger

Shaq is a big fan of fancy cars and he is also a big fan of fast cars. The only problem is that it doesn't fit in many ultra-fast supercars. He had to convert his Dodge Challenger Hellcat into a convertible to fit inside the 717bhp beast. The original Challenger came with a convertible, while the Hellcat did not. Yes, and the modern Challenger is also a huge car, but Shaq was still cramped because of the low roof. However, there would be enough legroom for him. The car has incredible torque and acceleration: it's one of the fastest (0-60 mph) cars on the market, so he definitely needed to make it a convertible to avoid hitting his head on the roof every time he hits the gas pedal!

13 Mercedes-Benz S 550

This chic looking car is clearly highly customised, which was necessary due to Shaq's enormous height. This one started out as a regular Mercedes-Benz S 550 sedan, then had the roof removed, the B-column removed, and a pair of hinged doors inserted. He also added custom side vents that look a bit out of place. like the wheels. This is definitely the kind of car to be seen in, as if Shaq doesn't have a big enough problem to be noticed already! But since both the front and back doors swing outward, it's definitely easier for Shaq to get in. The car may not look perfect, but for a man of Shaq's size, it fits.

12 Vanderhall Venice 3 wheel roadster

This funny car looks like a cross between a Plymouth Prowler and a go-kart. The Vanderhall Venice is one of the many three-wheelers Shaq owns. He seems to really like tricycle designs. This car combines the classic style of Morgan cars (from England) with modern design and a 180-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder engine. It's a tiny car weighing just 1,375 pounds, which is only slightly less than Shaq himself (just kidding). Surprisingly, it didn't take much bodywork to get Shaq to fit inside, although he did tweak the ECU to keep the power-to-weight ratio at the right level.

11 Double Polaris Slingshot

The Polaris Slingshot is a car that celebrities love, probably because it looks like a sci-fi spaceship on land. This is another three-wheeler that makes it look surprisingly unstable. For someone the size of Shaq, this might seem like a controversial ride, but he loves her so much he has two of them! West Coast Customs helped him customize this car and he converted it into a "SlingShaq" to fit comfortably inside. The WCC put a lot of their energy into expanding the legroom so he has more legroom. When Shaq rides in this thing, he makes the "car" look tiny, with his knees tucked up against him. But it's definitely a unique ride and we can't blame him for wanting one (or two).

10 Quadruple Polaris Slingshot

His four-seater Polaris Slingshot, which is still a three-wheeler, looks a little more manageable for the big guy since it's built on a larger frame. He must not have liked the two-seater very much—maybe there wasn't enough room in it—so he bought this one too, which looks as big as a regular sedan. However, when he's leaning back in the front seat, we doubt anyone will fit behind him. So it's really a three-seater, but with a different paint scheme. This car only costs $16,000, but the cost of Shaq's car modifications remains unknown to the public. He ordered this car from Underground Auto.

9 Smart Fortwo

You might be wondering what the hell is Shaq thinking about when he buys the smallest car on the planet, the Smart Fortwo? It's a pretty ugly little ride, it's not fast and doesn't seem to suit his style at all. Well, it's still unclear WHY he owns this car other than to play a prank on himself. For a 7ft 1in man as massive as Shaq, he completely outshines the small Smart car. He probably bought it on a bet as it starts at $28,000. He was forced to get a retractable fabric and a Targa-style roof so his shoulders and head could fit in the small car. We have no idea where his legs go in the footwell - maybe they disappear completely into another dimension.

8 Ferrari F355

As we mentioned earlier, Shaq likes fast cars, but he doesn't fit into most of them. The Ferrari F355 is no different. This car didn't start out as a convertible, but it was redesigned to fit inside, creating the F355 "Spider" that didn't exist before. Since the car's engine is mounted in the middle, this means that he had to make huge changes to the car itself. The chassis and bodywork have been stretched to give it more legroom, and the top has also been removed. It still must have been not very comfortable for the big man, because he eventually sold it to a museum collector. He was later discovered by Detroit police in a bust that still had the "SHAQ F1" license plate on it.

7 Cadillac Escalade

Shaq owns two Cadillac Escalades, and that makes sense. It seems to be a big enough machine for him to fit in, but it still needed some tweaking! In this case, significant changes were made to the doors: they were replaced with butterfly doors. The Escalade also received a lowering kit, chunky wheels and a Superman logo on the badge. But the upward-opening butterfly doors are the main exterior cosmetic element that makes this ride unique. While the doors may not create more room for entry, they do give it more width to work with, which is good for those who regularly weigh over 300 pounds.

6 Buick LaCrosse

One question Shaq was asked by his co-stars Inside the NBA if he actually fits in his Buick LaCrosse, as the car's ad says. It was clear that, as a spokesperson for the car, he was chosen to showcase the legroom and interior space of the LaCrosse. But does it really fit inside as easily as it does in commercials? Charles Barclay doesn't think so. He joked that Shaq had to rub himself with Gold Bond Lotion (another product he endorses) to get into the car. Co-analyst Kenny Smith then joked that if he wanted to take both of his children to the amusement park, he would have to take one child at a time, because otherwise they would not all fit.

5 Police car Cadillac Escalade

Shaq's second Cadillac Escalade is a high-tech, modified version of the luxury SUV he was given when he became an honorary police officer. Shaq has been in law enforcement for a long time, and here are some of the modifications to this car: First, it comes with custom seat rails to fit comfortably inside. Among the usual blue speed markings on his speedometer is red number 34, representing his jersey number when he played for the Lakers. The trunk is filled with custom stereo equipment, a Bulgari clock, and there are Shaq-inspired hints all over the car. The current owner of the car, before listing it on AutoTrader, believed that over $150,000 had been spent on modifications.

4 Jeep Wrangler

This is another car that Shaq could fit in without too much trouble, but it doesn't. West Coast Customs had to build a Wrangler specifically for Shaq. The WCC gave him a bit more legroom in the Jeep, and the team stretched the chassis 20.6 inches longer than the standard Wrangler's. In addition, the front and rear doors on each side were combined into two longer doors. The front seats were pushed back an appropriate length to give the leggy star some room, and it was fitted with fuel wheels, a Magnaflow exhaust system, Poison Spyder bumpers and rockers, a Smittybilt winch, and Rigid Industries off-road lights.

3 Lamborghini Gallardo

Another fully customized supercar Shaq once owned was a stretched-out Lamborghini Gallardo, effectively making it the first two-door Lambo limousine in existence. This stretched Lambo was custom made by the Gaffoglio Family metalworkers. Here panelists and metalworkers didn't have to start from scratch - the action takes place in the middle of the car, where an extra foot has been added, which means new doors, new glass, a new roof section and new floors. The interior has been completely redone, the wiring harness has been lengthened and much more. The effects weren't very close to the original designer's proportions, but that's okay for Shaq, who just wanted to fit inside the tiny thing.

2 Cadillac DTS

This custom Cadillac DTS looks amazing and really fits a king like Shaq. Unfortunately, he no longer owns it. His loyal friends at West Coast Customs built it for him when he was with the Miami Heat. This is a beautiful caramel apple burgundy DTS that has been "fully tuned from top to bottom" although the extent of these modifications is unknown. What we do know for sure is that it came with an insane stereo, powerful amps and multiple tweeters, and car builder Ryan said it was the loudest car he ever made for Shaq!

1 Ford Mustang

Another stunning looking car that was customized for Shaq's pleasure was this Ford Mustang, also painted in candy apple burgundy. It was actually a joint operation between Dub Magazine and MTV to feature celebrity cars on the MTV program. The Dub Magazine project, as it was… called, was built on the show. Sections of the car had to be removed and redesigned to move the seats back as much as nine inches. The stock fuel tank had to be replaced with a fuel cell, as it was located directly under the rear seats. Other modifications include 22-inch TIS wheels wrapped in Pirelli tires, a Baer brake kit, polished Roush supercharger block, custom leather interior, custom sound system and a complete Roush Performance bodykit.

Sources: Muscular Mustang, Motor Trend, Truck Trend and Auto News.