Phantom Menace

Supposedly, at least according to our moms, patience is a virtue. Apparently, Stacks isn't much of a mama's boy. For the Miami resident, waiting for the Bentley Drophead Coupe to hit showrooms would have been a waste of time—so he made one.

Rather than further cram his garage, though, the newbie artist improvised. Pulling out nearly $200,000 from the bank, Stacks brought his Rolls to Mark Gerish's Genaddi Design crew for a most extreme makeover. The result: the world's first-ever drop-top Phantom, an automotive masterpiece already inspiring similar investments from Shaquille O'Neal and others. Says Gerish: "What person with this kind of money wants their passenger to duck their heads and climb in the back like they're some 16-year-old kid?” Point taken. Uncomfortable, crush-resistant backseats are quite the cock-block.

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First, the client can either buy a Roller or commission Genaddi to go cop one (say goodbye to your first $300,000). Gerish and company then spend a few days joy-riding 100 miles' worth on your behalf. "We want to make sure the car doesn't have any preexisting conditions prior to cutting it,” Gerish says. "We want to see if it's got leaking issues or electronics issues.”

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The Phantom relocates to a build bench, an enormous vise that takes the mammoth motor air-bound. "The Phantom's all-aluminum construction means it only weighs as much as a Bentley GT,” informs Gerish. Then, the bulimic whip receives an Atkins-like deflation as the crew removes the entire interior—minus the dash.

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Talk about a bad day. After severe weight loss, the Rolls is decapitated with a commercial Sawzall. Next, the Phantom's rear three-quarter panels and trunk are severed and cast aside. At this point, this once-bulky ride has become skeletal. "That's when you see just how well-built the Rolls is,” Gerish reveals. "I've got to tell you: It's as good as it gets.”