PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. – T-Rexes still roam western Broward County.
Durend Burnside customizes the hybrid vehicles that ride like a motorcycle but drive like a car. Campagna, a Canadian company, builds them.
"I give it more curb appeal," said Burnside, 40, who adds performance parts, luxury wheels, diamond stitched leather seats, custom spoilers, and LED ground lights.
"And, I installed a more elaborate sound system in here, put in an amplifier, an auxiliary battery, and iPod connect," he said.
Burnside, a computer engineer, customizes the vehicles inside the garage of his townhome, channeling his high-tech background into a business.
"This thing is a crowd stopper," he said. "I mean, traffic pretty much boxes you in because everybody wants to see the vehicle."
The T-Rex is powered by a BMW motorcycle engine but has foot pedals and a manual transmission. It gets about 30 miles to the gallon.
"It's super fast," said Burnside.
It costs about $60,000 from the factory and another $20,000 to customer it.
"It's a toy for those that have some extra change to play with," said Burnside.