With their stretched bodies, LED interior lighting and loud sound systems, limos are probably the most ostentatious rides out there. The same goes for Limojet, a Learjet turned into a limo (!) and jammed with everything needed to make the prom night a more unique experience, if the owner would rent it (he won’t).
Used for promotional purposes, it may look like a plane, but it is actually an empty fuselage fitted with a complete running gear sourced from different vehicles and powered by a V8 engine.
Several parts had to be crafted from scratch, and despite looking fast, it’s not. It’s estimated to be able to hit about 100 mph (160 km/h), which is not that bad, all things considered, especially since it weighs some 12,000 pounds (5,443 kg). You won’t want to speed in that thing anyway, so no harm done.
Commercial jets don’t get afterburners – only fighter jets do. So those ‘afterburners’ you see light up are just for show, as they feature speakers and LED lights. In fact, there’s a complete sound system hidden beneath the flaps, so the one-of-a-kind ride can bring the party to any location, as long as there’s a road in the vicinity.
The interior has been custom made. It starts with a single seat at the front, behind a regular steering wheel and pedals (no stick and rudders there). Further back, it can sit up to eight occupants, who will keep themselves busy with the entertainment system and loud stereo, while being surrounded by LED lights. You know, the usual. Still, if you want to channel your inner Maverick, some of the aircraft’s original buttons were kept and they are used to control the rear lighting and other functions.
Getting it to this stage is said to have cost well over $1 million. And in order to buy it, someone interested would have to cough up five times that. If they don’t like this configuration, they could also have their own Learjet Limo custom built to their preferences, as that’s the whole idea behind this project.
Now, if only USAF would sell any of those retired F-14 Tomcat airframes to civilians… that would be a cool project for a sports car with tandem seats. If they can do a Limojet, why not a Tomjet for those who feel the need for speed?