Basketball star Shaquille O’Neal also happens to be a big car fan – in the literal sense, too, considering his height of 7’1” (216 cm). After acquiring a posh restomod of a 1964 Chevrolet Impala last year, he went on to order a matching motorboat.
Like the car, the vessel is inspired by the cabriolet starring in the 1991 crime thriller Boyz in the Hood. Both flaunt a radiator grille with a chrome look to it, LED headlights and DRLs, and lots of other period-correct design bits. The headlights are fully functional on the boat seen here, while the wheels are fake and implemented as static parts of the bodywork. Even so, the whole thing looks deceptively realistic as it slides onto the water, as seen in the short vids above.
The Impala motorboat even goes as far as to have its own “passenger cabin” complete with leather seats, a dashboard, a steering wheel and some pedals. Shaq says the accelerator pedal is responsible for propulsion, while the brake pedal is used for reversing. It seems to be decently fast based on the videos, too.
Last fall, O’Neal ordered a custom stretched Corvette built for him because he couldn’t fit into the regular one.