The Panoz Esperante - minus the welded-on wings - is a $100,000 American-built sports car. As with other Monster Garage cars sold at Barrett-Jackson's 2008 Scottsdale auction, turning a car into something other than a car didn't do much for its value.
This particular car wasn't actually worth all that much to start with, though. It was a demonstrator vehicle that had been lent to automotive journalists for test drives for its first 5,000 miles. After a life like that, it was probably ready to sprout a pair of wings.
The Esperante's interior was ripped out to make room for a roll cage , 36-foot wings. A 15-foot tail was added and an aircraft engine was mounted in what used to be the trunk.
The car was transported to Kitty Hawk, N.C., where the Wright Brothers made their historic flight, where it flew for 280 feet before landing safely.
