Maserati V8-Swapped Mini Moke Has 454 HP and Weighs 1,874 Pounds
That’s a greater power-to-weight ratio than a new Ferrari F8 Tributo.
Back in 2017, French car customization and prototyping firm Lazareth figured out a way to turn a Mini Moke into an amphibious car—one that drives on land and water alike. Yet monsieur Ludovic Lazareth and company, it seems, were far from out of ideas for berserk modifications for this classic British utility vehicle, as they have produced a one-off Moke equipped with a Ferrari-derived, Maserati V8.
The Mini V8 M, as Lazareth calls it, hides under its hood a 4.7-liter V8 sourced from a Maserati—and given its 454 horsepower and 384 pound-feet of torque—it was likely taken from a 2012-onward GranTurismo or GranCabrio, both of which are powered by 4.7-liter variants of the Ferrari F136 V8. Because the original Moke was so light, this engine and its associated transmission inflate the Mini V8 M's curb weight to just 1,874 pounds, giving it a greater power-to-weight ratio than a real Ferrari. In fact, its 484 horsepower per ton even towers over that of the Ferrari F8 Tributo's 449 horse-per-ton.
While the Mini won't have the chassis dynamics, electronic driver aids, or sheer tire needed to accelerate like an F8 Tributo, one can't help imagining that its open roof, British chassis, and wheelbase the length of a shopping cart make it more fun than many modern supercars. Some lucky sod out there will surely find out because Lazareth is selling this vehicle tarif est disponible sur simple demande (that's French for "price on request," and One-Percentese for "if you have to ask, you can't afford it").
We plebes, however, can still enjoy the Mini V8 M in Lazareth's parody of the classic French short film C'était un rendez-vous; a depiction of a Ferrari 275 GTB blitzing through the streets of Paris, its driver en route to a date. Like the original film, its creation likely broke a traffic law or two, as the Mini V8 M isn't street legal, though unlike the original, the sound of the Ferrari in Lazareth's film is authentic—not a track spliced in over footage of a Mercedes-Benz 450 SEL 6.9.
h/t: Engine Swap Depot
Got a tip? Send us a note: tips@thedrive.com
