When you hear the word limousine, you tend to form a definite mental picture. These days, limos have evolved far beyond the white or black stretch versions.

The conventional limousine is usually a black or white car that is a bit longer than normal and with a distinct driver's compartment and passenger area. It is driven by a chauffer usually in a conservative uniform that includes a rather distinct cap on his head. Although the passenger compartment is large and comfortable, it still very much looks like the back seat of an automobile. While this is still the most common version of a limo by far, there are other exotic versions popping up across the nation.

The real definition of a limousine is a bit vague. It is really defined as a luxury car often chauffer driven and many times available for hire. This really leaves the door wide open for just about anything and people have been quick to jump through the door and let their imaginations and taste for opulence run rampant. Length is one area that has received much attention in the development of limousines. The stretch limousine became popular in the 1970's and it seems that there is literally no end in sight as to how long they might be stretched.

Many limousines have been stretched to make more room for passengers or to allow for more passengers, but there have been other reasons as well. Limousines have included all kinds of modifications to provide amusements and amenities for the passengers. Many of these have required engineering on the basic automobile itself. An example is the improvement in the weight bearing capacity of the rear axles to support the weight of a hot tub in the back of the limo! Other limousines have been designed with everything from putting greens to dance floors to movie theaters right inside that ever longer passenger compartment.

Another area where limousines have become unconventional is in the make of the automobile. The staid black or white limo is giving way to a wide variety of colors and shapes. The Hummer limousine is one example of a totally different look. The ability to modify or stretch out just about any vehicle has allowed even smaller cars or two passenger cars to be converted into unconventional limousines. There are cases of Corvettes and Volkswagen bugs being stretched to accommodate as many as 10 passengers.

Just like there seems to be no exact definition for limousine, there are no rules carved in stone as to what one should look like or how its interior should be designed. The sky is the limit. It is a combination of imagination and money to spend and this combination has always brought forth new and innovative ideas. The wild and crazy new ideas in limousines have become so common that, in the future, a formal looking black luxury car might be what is considered unconventional.

Aazdak Alisimo writes about limo service subjects for LimoServiceCompanies.com.