Winning a gold medal in the Olympics is the ultimate goal for many athletes. Scoring big in the lottery is the ultimate fantasy for everyone.
   But these are only dreams for most. One ultimate experience that anyone can partake in is the ultimate ride in the Ultimate Taxi-and a few lucky individuals can experience the same in the Ultimate Limousine.
    Jon Barnes turned an old yellow taxi cab into the wildest ride in the Aspen, CO-area. “I created this as kind of a legal hallucination for people who don’t want to do drugs anymore,” he explains.
   Barnes’ taxi is equipped with everything from neon lights, a laser show, mirrored ball, expensive sound system, to fog that creeps up from the floor. He not only drives, but also operates the light show, acts as master of ceremonies, and plays keyboards.
   On one trip, a music industry executive realized the potential of Barnes’ undertaking and asked him to create the same environment in a limousine. Several months and $40,000 later, the Ultimate Limousine was ready.
   This older model maroon Lincoln stretch was equipped with many of the same accouterments as the taxi, including a fog machine, a mirrored ball, a laser light show, fiber optics, two video screens, and “a sound system to die for,” says Monda Chisum, Ultimate Limousine chauffeur. “The limousine looks very low key until you see the fog and light show,” she adds.
   Chisum and the limousine work for Bass Tickets in San Francisco, CA. Currently, the company mainly uses the vehicle for charity work. “The Bass Foundation recently had me take some homeless kids who live in a shelter to a McDonald’s drive through and then to Crirque du Soleil . We use the limousine to bring art to people who don’t normally get to see it,” she adds.
   Chisum, who considers herself and Barnes to be kindred spirits, doesn’t actually play any musical instruments while driving-“not on those hilly roads.” But, “I am working on making some videos so I can be in the front and the back of the vehicle at the same time,” she admits.
   While the future plans of the Ultimate Limousine are not set in stone as of yet, Chisum is working to get the vehicle more visibility.
   So be on the look out-that limousine with smoke pouring out of the sunroof probably isn’t on fire. The passengers are just having a “hot” time.