The Prius may be relatively tame compared to other Barris specials, such as the wildly-named Drag-u-la or Kargoyle, but it still proved to be a showstopper at the Sema tuning show in Las Vegas. Barris showed that you can still look mean while being green. Now, with numerous enquiries from Prius owners, Barris is considering a range of aftermarket parts for the hybrid.
But that's just the start of it. Hybrid hype will go through the roof when Barris unveils his next project - a hybrid hotrod.
'We're going to make the first hybrid roadster,' he smiles. 'We're taking a little '32 Ford body and taking the hybrid drive from the front of the Prius and moving it to the rear. So it will have power and steering at the rear. Then we'll put a Mustang hydraulic front end and put it on the front of a special frame. Now I've got front-wheel steering, rear-wheel steering and a hybrid.
'The body is going to be aerodynamically sculpted to match the little deuce body. The fenders will cover the front and rear wheels, which will be 21s at the fronts and 22s at the rear with fat tyres. All the safety lights will be LEDs and we'll have rear cameras so we don't need side mirrors."
Barris reckons it's the most complex job he's ever taken on, but one of the most exciting, bringing his classic custom (sorry Kustom) look to the latest technology.
Due to be unveiled in Las Vegas in November the big question is, who'll be first in the queue to buy one - Brad or Leo?
Related Links
Feature: Making Cars for the Movies
Check out all the other creations from George Barris - from
the Fast and the Furious to
Starsky and Hutch
Feature: Driving KITTWe don a leather jacket and a wig, stick it in 'Super Pursuit Mode' and go hunting for perps around, erm, Basingstoke.
Feature: Gran Torino: Starsky's star car"The Ford Gran Torino was a throwaway car. It cost about $4000, you'd do 100,000 miles and junk it."
