MELBOURNE, Fla.-- A few business partners in Melbourne had this crazy idea .. buy a couple of tanks and let people drive them over old junk cars.
Tank America on Ellis Road was born.
The 105 millimeter gun on the front of the tank doesn't work, but you can't have everything.
Tank America owners say they're plenty of people who will pay to do that.
"With the tanks, there's not another place within a thousand miles to do that," said Troy Lotane with Tank America.
Just to drive the tank around the course .. $350. To crash a car ..$595. As the owners here say, it makes a great Christmas gift.
"Say your wife buys it for you for Christmas or your anniversary. She's really cool if she does that. That gives you an opportunity to come do something you just haven't done before," Lotane said.
Inside Tank America is a tactical laser battle layout modeled on an Afghan village.
For $20 you get a realistic $1,000 laser gun made to look, weigh and feel like the real thing. Then, you hunt people down.
The rules say no cheating, that means no talking while you're dead.
"It's gonna be off the charts. People will come into Melbourne to play this because there's nothing like this," said Scott Benjamin with Tank America.
Neighbors in the area objected to the idea at first. But since the tanks don't make a whole lot of noise, those protests have died away.
