Meet The Badillac, the Insane Shaq-Mobile Cadillac Eldorado

The Badillac is exactly what its name sounds like, a bad Cadillac where, its creators say, “bad” stands for “fun.” It could also stand for “badass” or “in bad taste,” depending on who you ask, but one thing is for certain: there is absolutely no way on earth The Badillac could ever pass you by unnoticed.

November is autoevolution’s Tuning Month, a month-long celebration of all kinds of (spectacular and spectacularly) modded vehicles. The Badillac might not be the fastest or safest car out there, but as far as looks and cojones go, you really can’t find a better example.

Dubbed the Shaq-mobile by Formula One during the U.S. Grand Prix, The Badillac instantly became a viral star, and not only because Shaq sat in it for a few minutes. It was clear from the start that it was a modified Cadillac Eldorado and that someone had taken the Texas theme and ran it out of the park, just as it was clear that there was a decided Mad Max feel to the build. Some even suspected that this was a repurposed Burning Man vehicle and, as it turns out, they weren’t wrong.

The Shaq-mobile, albeit a one-timer, is actually a 1969 Cadillac Eldorado that’s been modified into an art car. Jalopnik traced it to Austin, Texas, where it’s being used as a party ride. It’s called The Badillac and it’s described as a “Cadillac [that] time traveled back through the Wild Wild West, then warp forward through a post apocalyptic future, cracking Mad Max on the a*s with a bullwhip screaming ‘Hey let’s party!’ It’s Baaad, it’s a Cadillac, it’s The Badillac.”

One could take issue with the Mad Max reference, since we all know that modifications in this fictional universe are always rooted in functionality. There is none of that in The Badillac, except maybe for the steampunk metal art on the sides (are those some kind of repurposed animal traps?!). In short, everything on it is meant to enlarge a party space. Think of it as a rolling nightclub slash concert stage, and you get a good appreciation of the purpose of this vehicle.

As it turns out, The Badillac did start as a Burning Man vehicle, and it was attendance at the festival for nine years before it was retired due to insufficient funds in 2018. A crowdfunding campaign proved unsuccessful in getting the necessary amount to fix unnamed issues ($22,000 was the goal), so that same year, The Badillac became a party ride for tourists. How Shaq came to ride in it remains a mystery as of the time of press.

It was built by J.C. Adams, who describes himself as “entrepreneur, veteran Burner and art car fanatic,” and it’s an insane piece of art. The convertible features a large pair of bull horns on top of the windshield: they’re made of fiberglass and are illuminated from the inside. In fact, everything about the Badillac lights up, which is in keeping with the idea that this is a rolling nightclub: the sides of the car, the cabin, the hood, everything.

Seating inside is for at least half a dozen people, on a plush U-shaped leather sofa, with foot rests and glass holders. The hood is clad in wood and actually serves as a stage for music concerts or art performances – or as a tanning deck or dancefloor, depending on the occasion. While at Burning Man, The Badillac was used as a complex party machine, with a DJ booth placed in front of the bull horns, and two separate dancefloors. Naturally, The Badillac has its own pro audio system, and can even come with a professional DJ to spin your tunes.

Now that Burning Man is a closed chapter (at least for the time being), The Badillac is offered as a specialty party ride in Austin, for prices starting at $400 for 3 hours – and more, if you want to use it as a concert stage. After all, if you can party with friends in a Ferrari limo or other surprising builds, why wouldn’t a steampunk Texan build do? The fact that Shaq was finally able to ride comfortably should be enough to recommend it, right?

When in Texas ????????

It's the @SHAQ mobile! ????#USGP ???????? #F1 pic.twitter.com/bOcNTV5Rzq

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 25, 2021