--- title: "Bet You Can’t Guess What the Tesla Cybertruck Designer Has in His Garage" date: "2026-08-11" modified: "2026-08-11" authors: - name: "Caleb Jacobs" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/caleb-jacobs" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/bet-you-cant-guess-what-the-tesla-cybertruck-designer-has-in-his-garage" categories: - "News" - "Watch This" --- # Bet You Can’t Guess What the Tesla Cybertruck Designer Has in His Garage ![Tesla design chief Franz von Holzhausen with Jay Leno]() *\Jay Leno's Garage via YouTube\* I'm not sure the average gearhead has ever heard of Franz von Holzhausen, but they certainly know his work. Billions of people around the world do—seriously—because he's the senior design executive at [Tesla](). That means he led the styling efforts for the Model S, Model X, Model Y, and yup, even [the Cybertruck](). But his garage isn't just filled with EVs. Mr. von Holzhausen swung by [Jay Leno's Garage]() recently to show off his pride and joy: A 400-horsepower Pontiac Solstice with LS2 V8 power. I don't think you could have guessed that was in his garage if I gave you a hundred chances, but it makes a little more sense when you learn he designed that, too. The story of how it came about is actually super interesting, as it was a secret assignment handed down from [Bob Lutz](). Lutz put out an internal challenge to General Motors' designers, asking them to create something that might reinvigorate the Pontiac brand. Around the mid-2000s, it desperately needed some help. Von Holzhausen's sketch was the one chosen out of the bunch, and he says it was inspired by historic race cars he saw running around [Laguna Seca](). ![Pontiac Solstice in Jay Leno's Garge]() **Jay Leno's Garage via YouTube** Now, the Solstice was only ever built with four-cylinder engines: a naturally aspirated 2.4-liter was the base option, while later GXP models were offered with a 260-hp turbo 2.0-liter. This car had its four-banger plucked out from underneath the hood, and in its place sits an aluminum 6.0-liter that sounds friggin' sick. Mallet Performance Cars did the engine swap, and as you can tell, the North Carolina shop does a stellar job. GM is Mallet's specialty, so it's done a ton of these conversions. The LS2 is largely left alone, except for some exhaust work that is undoubtedly welcome. Von Holzhausen has made relatively few modifications to the car otherwise. He installed a staggered set of wheels, with 19s in the front and 20s in the back, to more closely match his original Solstice design. The five-speed manual transmission remains stock, though I've seen them hold up to a lot more power than this in other builds. I'm not saying this rights any wrongs [the Cybertruck]() has committed, but it makes me feel at least a little better knowing the guy who designed it has good taste in cars otherwise. My friend [Peter]() is [crazy about the Pontiac Solstice / Saturn Sky platform](), and for seemingly good reason. I've never owned one, but they look like fun—especially with the heart of a Corvette. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fN4ApeGfxDg *Got a tip or question for the author? Contact them directly: caleb@thedrive.com* ## Author Caleb Jacobs is The Drive’s senior editor. When he’s not searching for stories or poring over copy, he’s usually driving his dump truck or wishing it was running so he could drive it. He was born and raised in the Missouri Ozarks, and he lives there today with his family. ### Author social links [LinkedIn]() [Instagram]() [Twitter]()