I realize that most of the references to this particular car online are treating it with a mixture of amazement and contempt, an emotional cocktail I’ve been served many, many times. And, really, I don’t think that’s fair. Sure, this particular car isn’t to everyone’s taste, and, arguably, may only be to the taste of whoever put in the considerable time and resources required to make such a thing. But I think it’s an impressive achievement, especially because it uses one of the hardest elements for the DIY auto-customizer to integrate into a design: the wildly tall taillights of a Cadillac Escalade.
Look, say what you will about this thing, but whoever made it had a vision, and they executed on that vision, which puts them in the upper 1% of vision-havers worldwide. That vision seems to be the urge to take what appears to be a second-gen (1999-2001) Acura TL and transform it into something that feels like what an aspiring car designer in 1940 might have predicted for what cars would look like in the future after eating a huge, sweaty fistful of hallucinogenic mushrooms.
As I noted, I think the punctum of this build has to be the massive Escalade taillights, integrated into what may be simultaneously the tallest and yet stubbiest tailfins ever crafted by human hands.
Here, just look at it, via this ex-Twitter account’s post:
Help pic.twitter.com/cng2PKWf9t
— Torx ????⛽ (@Spottyroo) May 29, 2025
Man, just look at it: the bulging fenders, the oddly squared-off trunk, the minimalistic bumper, and, of course, those taillights. Everyone three counties away will know when this car is braking or about to take a turn, and I salute that. You’re not just turning on your brake lights in this car: you’re broadcasting your braking plans to the world.
It looks like the car has been spotted before, in a state prior to it being finished and painted, which gives some interesting insight:
So they finished painting it… ???? pic.twitter.com/RzJZ4Ma5yt
— Ely ???????? ???? â–³ (@ely_sec) May 29, 2025
The front end is puzzling as well; what exactly is going on there? I did a little digging, and was happy to find that pictures of the front end do exist online:
Those pictures seem to be from a car show in January, and the photographer has a nice full 3/4 front view of the car:
Wow. It does not disappoint. The inspiration of that front end feels a little different from the rear, though, which feels like a late 1950s fever dream. The front end reminds me more of a car from the late 1930s or early 1940s, like this 1939 Dodge:
Sure, there are differences and more modern touches, like that pair of nostril-lights, but in overall form, this feels like a late 1930s/early 1940s front end. With the rear feeling like something out of the 1950s and the relatively untouched center greenhouse section retaining its late 1990s/early 2000s look, we have a car that literally spans 60 or so years of automotive styling.
So maybe it’s not exactly coherent; who among us is? Personally, I believe this Acura owner was inspired to build this thing one day while stuck in traffic behind an Escalade:
Maybe they saw those twin scarlet towers and felt somethings stir inside them. A challenge, of sorts. Why should this boxy SUV be the only car that gets to have taillights with the same proportions as a highway streetlight, or maybe a very subtle and elegant boomerang? It shouldn’t! And they accepted the challenge, and set out to transform their trusty but boring-looking Acura into something truly memorable.
Is it all based on that Acura TL? I mean, I think so, though it is rocking Silverado wheels and that lower sill sure is thick. Is it on some kind of GM truck chassis? I don’t think so, the suspension looks more Acura than Silverado, doesn’t it?
A lot of effort and skill and time and resources went into this thing, and while it may be many people’s first instinct to jeer, I’m going to suggest a different path: celebration. Someone is having a fantastic time with their car, and in doing so, they managed to tame the mighty and unruly Escalade taillights, and I believe that deserves our respect. And maybe fear.
Where in the Sam Hell is Mack Hardigraw when we need him?
Definitely something the tail lgihts are probably one of the more expensive pieces. Maybe a blazer or tahoe chasis with tl cab and custom from and rear.
The taillights are probably worth more than the car.
Could be, I can hear the old timers yelling “put a paint job on it it will be worth more” trying to explain patina to a gaggle of feral 70 and 80 years olds doesn’t go well. I think there were some monstrosities like that at some auctions maybe 20 to 25 years ago I figured they had given up by now.
See Jason! I TOLD you nothing good would come from goading Paul Hogan at Blinkie’s!
(If you got this joke, it’s probably time to consider being screened for colon cancer.)
Yes, there was “a vision”, yes it took skill and effort an time but… dear god. It’s such a mess of a vision. Pain. What I feel is pain.
Said vision started with
1. Hey y’all watch this
2. Hey I just won a year of free beer.
3. I bet you can’t get a working car out of the junk in your backyard
4. What do you get when you cross an Acura and a Cadillackackack?
5. My vision is 20/400 but it doesn’t affect my ability
There’s whole reddits dedicated to the idea of terrible idea, excellent execution. I love it. Just like you said Jason, this took vision and work to create. It might be ugly, but dammit, he was committed and got it finished. Thats more than damn near any of us can say.
We asked ourselves could we do it, we never stopped to ask should we do it?
Jeff Goldbloom Jurassic Park
Yes you should. At least for this car, maybe not for the T-Rex.
Introducing the 2025 model year The Homer.
All my life, I have searched for a car that feels a certain way. Powerful like a gorilla, yet soft and yielding like a Nerf ball. Now, at last, I have found it.
The body (well, the main part) is definitely a Acura TL of early 2000s vintage. The door handles and rear quarter match perfectly. I should know, I have one in my driveway. But it’s sitting far too high and the rockers are huge. As pointed out below, 6 lug wheels don’t match. Also, I don’t know if the transverse Honda 3.2 would fit under that narrowed nose. Sitting on some kind of GM RWD truck frame?
Whatever it is, it’s somehow impressive and terrifying.
Yeah, at first I thought the 6-lug wheels were brought to you by a wheel adapter kit. But it’s way too high off the ground and I think I see a rear diff, both of which agree with your theory that the body was dropped onto a RWD truck frame.
“Look, say what you will about this thing, but whoever made it had a vision, and they executed on that vision, which puts them in the upper 1% of vision-havers worldwide.”
Absolutely this. Ideas are easy, execution takes commitment. Whoever created this had the dedication to see through turning their idea into reality, broadcasting their ideal of automotive beauty to the world. Is it to my taste? Absolutely not. But speaking as someone with a long list of project ideas that have gone nowhere, I salute their focus and celebrate their project car driving on the road. I’m with Jason: Respect. And maybe fear.
The best I can make out the license plate from the two photos is Z55 BHT, which connects to a 2005 Cobalt. So I either need a better look at the plate or the answers to a whole series of more questions.
That’s plausible. The 2005 Cobalt could well be the person’s daily driver and they swapped plates in hopes that they wouldn’t get pulled over on their way to a car show. That or there’s some mild title fraud involved, but the former seems more likely.
I think the inventor installed license plate blockers so he wouldn’t be embarrassed
I’m shocked the front looks as good as it does, minus the weird nostril lights at the top.
Are we sure that’s not bad AI? Something about the “nose” looks wrong. Sort of like how AI frequently screws up hands.
Although… lots of things other than the nose look wrong.
That’s quite the length to go to for a joke.
The perfect vehicle doesn’t exi—–
Is the front plate a mouth looking to devour your soul to power those lights?
I always called those taillights “Satan Horns” and now it’s clear we’ve found the dark lord’s actual vehicle. And it’s pretty much as expected, including Florida tags.
I want to see the associated boomer board that likely follows this car everywhere.
And time-out doll with slingshot in back pocket, and drive-in tray with plastic food, and copious small American flags stuck into every hole and crevice
As a boomer with some cars, I have boards. actually the most useful is the sticker in the window.
Yes it is a…..
No, it is not for sale
Sometimes the board is useful, like the FAQ thing on the internet. Just realized that my board are a bit of laminated A4 stuffed under a wiper.
The door handles scream early 2000s Maxima, but the rear 1/4 window doesn’t match.
This thing has enough random parts that Maxima handles could be a deliberate choice. Well, as deliberate as any other choice made here.
I was thinking late 90s Altima myself with the rear quarter windows. I don’t see Acura at all.
As long as the AC works, I’d drive it.
Sweet Jeebus, your ability to boil a sentiment down to its bare, minimal essence absolutely floors me 10001010. I agree with you 100%, especially given the Florida plates. 🙂
This smells of similar reasons to the JeePrius, he must’ve had the parts, maybe a free Acura TL, the front end off a 40s sedan, and some Escalade tail lights, and had to do SOMETHING with them, and that something was this.
When I first saw the top shot, I was thinking Cadillac was just going retro and bringing back tail fins for a new Cimmaron.
I know it’s the butt of a thousand auto-journo jokes, but I rode in a Cimmaron once as it was piloted around Brooklyn by a short, cute, delightfully/slightly chubby Italian girl with curly hair and I actually enjoyed the experience. It was kinda comfortable and quiet for such a small GM car of that era.
Whether I would have done so if the car were being driven by someone else, I do not know.
Evidence of two things. Not all unique items are interesting. Mental illness manifests in many strange ways.
Which is why police bodycam videos on Youtube are so popular.
I’m hung up on the Silverado wheels. They’re SIX LUG. Are they on adapters? Did someone find a way to swap 6-lug hubs into the stock knuckles? If no to both, then what in the Frankenstein’s abomination is going on with the suspension? I have so many more questions, but I’m too scared to ask them all.
I assume it is a Silverado frame and driveline with the Acura-based carbuncle of a body dropped over the top.
I assumed it wasn’t at first, but the more I look at it, that appears to be true. The track width and wheelbase don’t seem to be anywhere near a stock TL of this era, but are believable for some variation of a GMT800.
Carbuncle is so underused. I’m grateful for your usage and the accuracy of it.
Seconded! 🙂
You can see a rear differential in the picture where the front & rear aren’t painted. The TL body doesn’t make a lot of sense – it seems the GMT800 cab would have been a better fit for a ’40s looking car, and you could have just left everything stock, but, none of the rest makes any sense anyway.
The longer I look, the more questions I’m afraid to ask.
Thankfully I know the answer to the one most important question: Where is this car based? Based it wearing what appear to be Florida plates, far enough away to know that I’m safe.
Oh, you don’t live in North or South America, then? Because I’ll never feel safe from Florida cars without an ocean between me and Florida.
I live far enough up the east coast to wager that this thing either doesn’t brave or survive a trip up this far, but I am planning on going to the 24hr of Daytona in January, so I’ll have to remind myself to stay diligent and stay safe. I’ll also adopt the policy they remind us about at airports, if I see something, you best believe I’ll be saying something (in the Autopian Discord at least)
Bugs Bunny was right, just cut off florida and let it float away.
Those appear to be 1940 Ford headlight trims, wonder if they hacked up any Ford sheet metal for the hood & fenders?
Pretty sure it’s all reproduced.
You are generous with this. To me, it looks like someone tried to recreate the front end of a Prowler from memory and realized they wanted to keep the fiberglass connected.
I think yours is what they were going for, but it just doesn’t land for me. Maybe just because of the mismatch with the rest of the car.
I really hope the owner loves it, though. It’s unique, and there’s something to be said for having a car that literally no one else has.