What started out as a simple game between a father and son turned into a Christmas surprise of a lifetime from Italian supercar maker Lamborghini for a family from Erie, Colorado. Sterling Backus, 54, and his 12-year-old son Xander were playing the racing simulation video game "Forza Horizon 3" one day when Xander asked his father if they could build their favorite car: a Lamborghini Aventador.

Backus, who is a physicist at Thorlabs, told CNN that he "has always been a Lamborghini guy" and that he did not hesitate when his son asked. The two started planning out their ambitious project in February 2018, and it resulted in a surprise call two months ago from Katia Bassi, who is the chief marketing officer of Automobili Lamborghini.