In reality, few stretched cars are technically limousine, and not because they don't originate in the French region Limousin. That's a better joke than you may think because the word 'limousine' does originate from the French region but simply meant a vehicle designed to have a chauffeur. However, the exact reason it's called a limousine is lost to the mists of time. The best guess is that early limousine drivers favored a cloak favored by shepherds in the area as only the passenger area was enclosed. The modern interpretation of a limousine is a four-door vehicle designed to be driven by a chauffeur and has a partition available to separate the passenger compartment. Typically, they are long-wheelbase variants, but a London taxi cab technically fits the description.

A stretched limousine, on the other hand, is a car that has been elongated to fit more passengers and can have any number of doors. The first was invented by an Arkansas-based coach company called Armbruste in 1928. It seated 12 people and is long gone now, but the tradition of stretching cars continues. A tradition of turning normal cars into stretch limousines has also developed. Of course, people also have a lot of fun turning cars you wouldn't think of as a limousine into a luxury people carrier. That's what we're going to look at here, starting with a Jacuzzi-equipped Mini, of all things.

2009 Mini Cooper

Prepare your eyes for this Pepto-pink party-people monstrosity. It's the work of a company called Lime Lite Coach Works, which appears to typically create more restrained and stylish rides. This one, however, is as tacky on the inside as it is on the outside, and the outside features a (non-functioning) hot tub. It seats six people, and its primary use on the for-sale listing is described as "Party / Bachelor / Bachelorette." It has been around the block and even popped up for auction with Barrett-Jackson as part of the Tammy Allen Collection. Tammy Allen's car collection has some fantastic rides, so how this one snuck in there is anybody's guess.

Porsche Panamera

There's more than one stretched Porsche Panamera out there in the world, but this one is available for hire through Phantom Limo Hire Ltd. in the UK. It's advertised as the first in the nation and seats eight with entry through some cool gull-wing doors at the back. It's svelte on the outside, the gull-wing doors are a fun touch, and the red-and-black leather isn't garish. However, it looks like the LED lighting changes the interior drastically at night. "Whether you are headed to Royal Ascot, Glyndebourne, a wedding or private event, this limousine is unique and peerless, offering the ultimate in distinction," Phantom Limo Hire says. But while it's certainly different, there's something more distinct coming on this list.

Ford F-650

If you want to party in the city with 27 other people, then a stretched F-650 truck is the answer. Typically, the F-650 is a medium-duty work truck often equipped with a massive 7.2-liter gas engine that can pull 37,000 pounds of weight. It's complete overkill but is more commonly converted into a stretch limo than you might think. This one will cost you from $275 to $350 per hour in Canada. However, we have seen one in the US that features a pole for, er, dancing in the middle.

Ferrari 360 Limo

Meanwhile, in Australia, you can find an absurd yet entertaining Ferrari 360 Limo. It still has the 3.6-liter V8 engine under the hood and the gated manual gearbox for the driver's entertainment, but its maximum of nine passengers can be entertained by a full bar, multiple TVs, and cinematic surround sound. The engine is now at the back rather than in the middle, but at this point, this 2003 model year 360's handling is a moot point. You wouldn't want to tackle a back road in this conversion - especially not when it was for sale at $300,000.

Sin City Wannabe

There's only one place that a party monster truck could have a natural home, and that's in Nevada. However, this brute is the brainchild of Big Toyz Racing and is designed mainly to give desert tours around White Hills, Arizona, to up to 12 people at a time. It's also the world's longest monster truck and is powered by an 8.2-liter Ford big block. The body is a fiberglass replica of a Ford Excursion, and the whole thing was built over 15 months. By all accounts, it's a legitimate thrill ride in the desert, but the inside needs a serious gaudiness upgrade before it's ready for a Las Vegas strip.

Volkswagen Beetle GT

This 1972 Volkswagen Beetle GT stretch limo is just fun. The creation was completed in 2006 with a rebuilt 1.6-liter air-cooled engine and a stretched body to give passengers additional legroom. They can relax with the cream leather seats, deep pile carpets, and sheepskin rugs while enjoying modern luxuries like a TV and sound system, and being separated from the driver by an electric glass divider. Passengers can also open the sunroof to get that real classic VW Beetle experience.

Chevrolet Corvette

This wondrous machine was built by Pinnacle Limousine Manufacturing using a 2017 Chevy Corvette, with its primary endeavor of servicing weddings. As well as the stretch and extra doors to make the Corvette a 10-passenger sedan, the build includes tinted windows, fiber optic lighting, strobe lights, a sound system, touchscreen entertainment, a mirrored ceiling, mood lighting, and a TV. We last saw it up for sale by the owner for $174,999 with just 17,781 miles. We suspect that this could be a worthy investment for a limo rental company in the right areas of the US, which is to say most of them.

1965 Volkswagen Bus

If you want a classic bay window Volkswagen Micro Bus these days, you'll pay through the nose. This one, though, sold for a crazy $220,000 recently on eBay. It was originally built by a SoCal Volkswagen restoration shop to serve tourists in Maui, Hawaii. However, it went up for sale with just 1,600 miles on the clock. The price paid included the licensed limousine company it was built for. The stretch bus seats 12 people, and it's been meticulously rebuilt and includes a turquoise and India ivory paint job and a brown leather interior. Maui is one of the highest-trafficked wedding destinations in the world, so there's no doubt it will start racking up the miles when COVID restrictions lift.

1966 Ford Mustang

If you're not annoyed enough already that someone sacrificed a 1966 Ford Mustang to turn it into a stretch limo, then consider the fact that it took two of the classic cars to make this. It becomes clear when you realize the back is made from a convertible model, which should, at least, make it fun to ride in. Other than the fact it's a crazy cut-and-shut with double bench seats in the rear, it's powered by a typical small-block Ford V8 engine with a four-barrel carburetor. Sacrilege? That's up to you to decide.

If you're indifferent toward Ford classics and instead consider the original Viper to be holy, don't even think about clicking this link.