After 20th Century Fox released the first film adaptation of the comic book series known as The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, the public reaction was strong and immediate: “What is this pile of cr*p? Thankfully, though, the movie wasn’t that bad thanks to the acting of Sean Connery and a car unlike any other you’d seen before.
Cue Captain Nemo's car. This isn’t it, though. This, my friend, is a replica of the model. Christened the Spirit of Nemo, the doppelganger for Captain Nemo’s six-wheeled machine from The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen measures 24 feet (7.3 meters) in length and it’s 102 inches (2.59 meters) wide. The big numbers don't matter here because this thing tips the scales at more than 6,000 pounds (2,721 kilograms) and it is underpinned by two Cadillac Fleetwood limousines.
Built from carbon fiber and fiberglass and reinforced with aluminum and steel, this street-legal (yes, street-legal) replicar is far from the typical kit car thanks to the elbow grease and the attention to detail that went into the making of this thing. Its builder, Ken Freeman, linked the steering gear of both donor cars to create the quad-streer front end. Under the 10-foot (3-meter) long hood, you’ll find a full-on V8. Believe it or not, the engine bay of this monster is spacious enough for a man to stand up in it while working on the engine.
It’s rather clear, then, that this is one hell of a contraption, one that necessitated lots of green dollar bills to build, a mountain of mechanical prowess, and a tremendous passion for the arts. Just look at all those bits of sculptures and trim affixed to the exterior and cabin of the Spirit of Nemo, then ask yourself how many man-hours were needed for all the handiwork.
With two days to go until the virtual gavel strikes the sound block, the bidding on this replica stands at $165,000. Is this insane apparatus worthy of that or would you rather prefer a Mercedes-AMG S63 Coupe instead?
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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