When software mogul Tom Gonzalez sold his company and bought a luxurious estate on Lake Tahoe, he needed a place to keep his massive collection of cars, trucks, and motorcycles. So, he sunk part of his fortune into building a garage larger than most homes, complete with a huge underground bay capable of holding up to 40 cars.
While the collection of never-ridden motorcycles and high-end exotic sports cars he's assembled is impressive, they're overshadowed by the most impressive feature of the garage: a gigantic elevator used to access the subterranean area. Powered by hydraulics, the elevator is large enough to fit three cars end to end, and strong enough to lift them with an RV parked on top. It uses 800 gallons of hydraulic fluid and costs Gonzalez $25 in electricity each time it's raised and lowered.
In the accompanying video from HGTV's Million Dollar Room, Gonzalez likens the elevator to one found on a modern aircraft carrier. His is heated, however, and the garage features a ventilation system so that cars can be driven onto the elevator and left running while it operates. When it's closed, fake boulders and a pine tree on its roof keep you from even knowing it's there.
[via Born Rich]
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