We’ve seen literally all kinds of engine swaps and many of them have had the legendary 2JZ as the star of the show. We’ve never seen the Toyota engine under the hood of a Lamborghini, though, and that’s why this new video caught our attention. This is an absolute monster with (half of) the body of a Lambo Gallardo and the inline-six engine sitting behind the seats.
The 10-minute video comes from the Supercar Suspects channel on YouTube and takes us to the Street Aero tuning shop. The brain behind this crazy project explains all the little details and how he needed to extend the Lambo’s frame to make it fit the engine. A completely custom exhaust was also required and – as you can see – there’s a massive turbocharger feeding the mill.
If you look at the car from the outside, you’ll probably get mixed feelings. The vehicle looks almost as if it is unfinished but many commenters on YouTube find this crazy look quite attractive. It’s like a Mad Max car designed to terrorize every other car on the track. The interior follows a similar approach with a visible tubular roll cage and a custom steel dashboard.
What was the goal of this stripped-out design, however? Low weight, of course. The creator of the Gallardo couldn’t provide exact numbers about the weight but was confident his vehicle is significantly lighter than a stock Gallardo – “it feels like a go-kart,” he even said. The weight diet also includes a full carbon fiber front bumper and other body components made from the same material.
Was it difficult? Absolutely. The owner of the car says it took eight times the budget he had in mind initially and he and his team had to rebuild the engine three times before even putting it inside the Gallardo. The entire project took two years from A to Z and it premiered for the first time in front of the SEMA audience last year. The last time the car was dynoed, it showed 1,100 horsepower.
Headlights from a Jeep Wrangler, suspension components that are visible from the dashboard, and other awesome (or awful?) ideas can be seen in the video.
