Ridiculous Ride: Tricked-Out Escalade Includes Exercise Bike!

Howard Becker of Becker Automotive Design creates custom vehicles for a select clientele -- and they're not just the nouveau riche, athletes or rappers.

"We service the biggest and most important names in business, heads of state, ambassadors, and five royal families in the Middle East," Howard tells toofab.

Their requests can range from the practical (fully wired offices to work on the road) to the very specific (one prince wanted to have Saudi televison routed to his car in Manhattan -- a process that involved a lot of ingenuity because NYC buildings block out satellite).

But one of the more outrageous features is the built-in exercise bike for those health conscious clients who want to squeeze a workout in. Check out the photos below!

It's the clients who come up with the ideas. "People that we deal with are privvy to the latest technology," Howard explains. "They're very creative."

Howard's three criteria for taking on a job are safety, functionality and feasibility. The bike was designed to fit within the confined space, ensure the passenger's legs didn't rub up against the cushion, and most importantly, fit within federal safety parameters. He warns against those custom car shows because they don't necessarily meet those standards.

"There's very little that our customers ask us to do that we can't do," Howard claims, but one request for armor piercing protection had to be turned down because the materials would be too thick. "We can't make these things tanks," he admits, but quickly added that they can protect against small arms fire.

Of course, with any custom work, costs can skyrocket. Howard estimates his most expensive Escalade cost $385,000 with all the features. Delivery to the Middle East can cost $25-30,000.

Don't expect to see Howard cruising in one of his custom Cadillacs. While he tests all of them, he prefers his Turbo Porsche!

For more information, check out the Becker Automotive Design website.