Despite having roughly the same outward appearance for the previous few years, the Tesla Model S continues to draw attention. This particular Model S gets a lot of attention, especially because it sounds like it’s powered by a V8 engine. Actually, this Model S has been upgraded to a V8 sedan that can be driven on the road.
The Drive reported that YouTuber Rich Benoit and his crew trailered the car approximately 3,000 miles to SEMA last month, where it was appropriately gawked over. Benoit has put together a video showing off the subtleties of the build after taking it home and settling in with the project. The Tesla that took SEMA by storm is now officially a road-going vehicle.
The project, dubbed “ICE-T,” incorporates a Camaro-sourced LS3 V8 into the Tesla Model S’s frunk. The engine is connected to a sequentially shifted manual transmission, which is housed inside a custom-fabricated gear tunnel that runs the length of the vehicle.
The Model S appears to be just like any other Tesla from the exterior; in fact, if it weren’t for the burbly exhaust emanating from the well camouflaged side pipes, you’d never guess this erstwhile EV was up to anything. Even the gas filler neck is concealed inside the charge port flap, which fooled a gas station employee.
The ICE-V8 T’s engine came from a Camaro, and the team had to custom create a gear tunnel to connect it to the manual gear stick. The exhaust pipes have also been carefully tucked away, much like the gas tank under the electric vehicle’s charging station.
The Tesla suspension, as well as the driving wheels, have been replaced. Even when highlighting missing components of the electric vehicle, Tesla’s displays continue to function. Oil changes for this car, maybe the world’s first for a Tesla, have returned with the reintroduction of the combustion engine.