To be precise, UK limo specialist Carbonyte took a Smart Fortwo and stretched its chassis by 106.2 inches (2700mm) to create a 17 feet long vehicle (5100 mm) - about the size of a Mercedes-Benz S-Class. According to the UK firm, despite growing twice its normal length (2695mm), the Smart’s new lightweight alloy chassis allows the vehicle to be powered by its original 600cc engine and still reach motorway speeds of 80mph. In all, the build process took 300 man hours over four weeks from the initial chassis cut to the final paintwork.

The prototype model you see in the pictures was designed as a promotional vehicle, featuring a 20:1 scale fibre-glass replica soft drinks can, complete with ring-pull, which serves as van-like storage space for promotional items. The stretched Smart Fortwo can be liveried to any client’s design choice and hired on a daily basis or it can be manufactured outright at a projected cost of around £25,000 or approx $49,400.

We know it’s eerie, but Carbonyte is also looking to take the stretched Fortwo into the funeral industry by using the latest electric technology to produce an individual yet environmentally-friendly hearse. Now that’s something we definitely want to see – from the outside that is … -Click through for more pics