For most of us, the car we buy from the dealer or classified ads is enough to keep us happy. Four wheels, nice drive – that’s all we want. But for some people, the car they have is not enough. They want to change it, to make it either more suitable for their needs or a better reflection of their personality. This can lead to some very interesting results.

If you have the time, skill and/or money, you can transform your vehicle into something…different. Whether you think that different is good or not is another thing. Taste is subjective after all. So you may be horrified or you may be inspired. Here are some of the most outrageous car modifications.

SMART tank

The SMART car is a great little vehicle for driving around town. But it does have a bit of an image problem. Most likely the smallest car on the road, it feels a bit weak, that it can be toppled over easily. Enter the SMART tank. Gone are the small wheels, replaced with tank treads. A camouflage paintjob adds to the transformation. Whether it would be fit for the military, remains to be seen.

Gold Camaro

It’s no secret that some US drivers like to show off when they are behind the wheel. Whether it’s a big pickup or a loud muscle car, it’s very American to show off. So the gold camaro is a perfect example. Wrapped in a metallic gold paint job, add to that enormous wheels that have gold-coloured rims, you have something that Goldfinger can only dream about. Whether it would pass the MOT in the UK doesn’t matter. Having it on your driveway with a SORN would be just as amazing.

Upside Down Car

No, not the result of a horrible accident. Some mad genius had the idea to take a car and to modify it so that the vehicle could operate upside down. While the drive sits the right way up behind a windscreen added to the base, the rest of the car is flipped. Road legal, it turned plenty of heads as it cruised along just like any other car. The idea hasn’t taken off, so unfortunately we’re all stuck driving our right-way up cars. How boring.

Wood wheels

When you need to get your tyres serviced, you go to a garage, right? Not if you have wooden wheels. You’ll need a carpenter for that. No, this isn’t some sort of Amish variation. One rather adventurous Skoda Capri owner swapped his tyres for wood. The exact reasons why are known only to the owner. And, why it might be seen as a bit of forward-thinking green driving, you are likely to fail your MOT.

Giant Muffler

How do you promote your car repair business? How about converting a car into a giant muffler and driving it around town? The US car repair company Meineke did exactly that, modifying a vehicle so it looked like one of their most commonly repaired parts. An advertising gimmick, sure, but one that has people talking about the company many years after the car has been retired.