Fastest Limo

The world's fastest limousine - a 170mph stretch Ferrari - is facing the chop after the supercar maker threatened legal action - for infringing its trademark.

The car, which is rented out for £700 an hour, was created by owner Dan Cawley and former McLaren carbon fibre expert Chris Wright.

It took over a year to convert the £130,000 black 360 Modena, which was bought second hand for £55,000. The project was completed in September 2007. It claimed the Guinness World Record for fastest limousine - at 166mph - six months ago.

Surprisingly, the car returns an average of 15mpg on the motorway and costs only £1,800 a year to comprehensively insure for passenger-carrying duties.

Stunned owner Dan Cawley has been ordered to remove all badges from the 20ft-long, 400bhp limo and told never to modify a Ferrari again.

Lawyers claim that since he cut the 360 Modena in half and stretched it with a 9.5ft section of hand-built carbon fibre, it is no longer a Ferrari. But Dan claims he approached Ferrari UK before he began the £200,000 conversion and was told he could "do what he liked" as the car was his own property.

It is now 20ft long and seats eight people - but has lost little of its performance because it weighs just 160kg more than the original 1390kg car.

The 3.6 litre V8 engine launches the car from 0 to 60mph in under six seconds and has a top speed of around 166mph - just 17mph less than the standard 183mph car.

Dan who is from Manchester, has been given 14 days to remove all prancing horse badges, Ferrari names and 360 Modena symbols. He has also been told never to refer to the car as a Ferrari again, and never to modify another of their cars.

Dan is now taking legal advice to fight the supercar giant. He said: "What kind of precedent does it set when you can't do what you like with your own property?

"We built this as a supercar for the masses, so ordinary people could get the chance to have a ride in something they'd normally only dream of. Now that opportunity could be snatched away from them.

"I'm not being bullied into this. We have to fight on behalf of all limo builders and car tuners out there." The car, which is rented out for £700 an hour, was created by Dan and former McLaren carbon fibre expert Chris Wright.

It took over a year to convert the £130,000 black 360 Modena, which was bought second hand for £55,000. The project was completed in September 2007. It claimed the Guinness World Record for fastest limousine - at 166mph - six months ago.

Surprisingly, the car returns an average of 15mpg on the motorway and costs only £1,800 a year to comprehensively insure for passenger-carrying duties.