The unbelievable story behind Shaquille O’Neal’s ‘Frankenstein Ferrari’ is awe-inducing
- Shaquille O’Neal used his 7’1″ frame to be an unstoppable basketball player
- But his large frame hasn’t always been an advantage, especially when it comes to buying supercars
- During an interview on Conan O’Brien’s talk show, Shaq shared the story behind his ‘Frankenstein Ferrari’
Published on Dec 21, 2023 at 4:07 PM (UTC+4)
by Adam Gray
Last updated on Dec 21, 2023 at 9:39 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Alessandro Renesis
Shaquille O’Neal used his considerable frame, not to mention his incredible talent and work ethic, to become one of the greatest basketball players of all time.
But if the truth be told, his 7’1″ frame hasn’t always been an advantage.
During an appearance on Conan O’Brien’s talk show, Shaq revealed that being so big makes buying a Ferrari a challenge.
READ MORE! Shaq spent 7 figures on cars in one day after car dealer asked him unbelievably annoying question
During the interview, Shaquille O’Neal shared the modifications that had to be made to buy a Ferrari.
“When I first came from Baton Rouge [to] Beverly Hills, you see all the fancy cars come by,” Shaq said.
“So one day I see a Ferrari come by. I was like, ‘I want one of those guys.’ So I went to the thing and the guy was like, ‘You’re too big.’ And I hate those words.”
“So one of the guys was like, ‘Maybe you’ve got to get two and put them together’… I was like, ‘You know what, maybe I will. I’ll take that one and that one’ – and I got a Ferrari,” he continued.
O’Brien couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“Wait so you built a Ferrari?” he asked in disbelief, “Where you cut them apart… and then made like a giant stretch Ferrari?”
“Yes,” Shaq responded.
There’s a video on YouTube, albeit confirmed, where user ‘Slot King Dream’ take viewers on a tour of Shaq’s modified 1998 Ferrari F355 Spider.
The video’s captioned, “Yelp… Shaquille O’Neal 1st Ferrari modified definitely for a big man.”
In the video, the YouTuber claims that when sitting down behind the wheel of the supercar, even with his legs stretched out, he can’t reach the pedals.
He also points out that the petrol tank is in the hood instead of the back where it’d usually be, as Shaq had it removed so he could move the seats back.
What’s more, Slot King Dream also claims Shaq’s Ferrari had no soft top, either.
According to The Sports Rush, Shaq’s Ferrari’s interior was modified with wider aftermarket seats and had a custom Alpine sound system installed, too.
As per driving.ca, Shaq sold the Ferrari in question for $65,000 in late December 2020.
Shaq has bought several over notable cars over the years, including a 1963 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible, a customized Chevrolet Express G1500, and a Cadillac Escalade.
The Former NBA star also had to fork out an exorbitant amount of cash to modify his Lamborgini Gallardo.
What’s more, Shaq once spent 7 figures on cars in one day after a car dealer asked him an unbelievably annoying question.
DISCOVER SBX CARS: The global premium car auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie
Adam Gray is an experienced freelance motoring journalist and content creator based in the United Kingdom. Using his media accreditation with manufacturers’ press offices, Adam test drives the latest cars and attends new vehicle press launches, producing written reviews and news pieces for a variety of lifestyle and business publications. Here at Supercar Blondie, Adam applies his journalistic skills penning social-first content around current news and trends. When he’s not behind the wheel of the latest car or writing up another viral story, Adam can be found at his local rink playing ice hockey or at the Riverside Stadium supporting his beloved Middlesbrough FC.
