--- title: "Why Buy an F-150 When You Can Build a V12 Hybrid 6×6 BMW Truck With Tesla Motor" date: "2025-05-15" modified: "2025-05-16" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/bmw-guys-will-literally-build-a-twin-turbo-hybrid-v12-6x6-pickup-before-buying-an-f-150" categories: - "BMW News" - "Builds" - "Culture" - "News" - "News by Brand" tags: - "7 Series" - "BMW" - "pickup" - "sedan" --- # Why Buy an F-150 When You Can Build a V12 Hybrid 6×6 BMW Truck With Tesla Motor ![BMW]() *\Brian Lutton\* What do you do if you need a truck but absolutely love '90s BMWs? You make one out of an E38-generation [BMW]() [7 Series](), of course. That's exactly what [Brian Lutton]() of Florida did when he turned an old 750i into a ute—except, it wasn't enough. He needed lots of towing capacity, so he's building another one, this time with a fully functioning 6x6 setup running a Frankenstein hybrid twin-turbo V12 powertrain. Lutton, who chatted with *The Drive* about the build, lives in Florida but went to college in Michigan, so he wanted something to [tow project cars back and forth](). He chopped an [E38 7 Series]() from the B-pillar back, gave it a pickup bed, and his BMW ute was born. It had a stock BMW engine, a stock five-speed automatic transmission, and was originally rear-wheel drive. The "only" modifications were chassis bracing to handle towing, air suspension, and a transmission cooler. The engine had 270,000 miles on it and was still capable of towing another 7 Series on a trailer. According to Lutton, it handled towing comparably to a half-ton pickup. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() However, it couldn't handle towing two cars at once, so he needed to make a more extreme tow vehicle while retaining a similar formula to his original 7 Series ute. He bought another clean 7 Series as the basis of the project, chopped off its trunk, and then cut the bed off the first ute, which came with its rear axle. He welded those together and created a four-door luxury sedan with dual rear axles. That was a [process in itself,]() but it was really just the beginning of this mad scientist's creation. The fun started once everything was welded together. Under the hood is a BMW M73 5.4-liter V12, which he slapped two turbochargers onto. He threw out the stock five-speed ZF automatic and replaced it with the eight-speed ZF auto and xDrive system from a 2018 BMW X5 diesel, making it four-wheel drive. The front subframe and differential are from a 2003 BMW X5, but modified to fit. The rear differential is a limited-slip unit from an E60-generation BMW M5, which is mounted to a stock E38 subframe. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() The build is currently a 4x6 7 Series pickup, as the rearmost axle isn't powered. However, it will be soon. Lutton has already fitted the final axle with a rear electric motor taken from a [Tesla Model 3,]() and is working on getting a BMW i3 battery pack to power it. A CANTCU controller handles the transmission and rear differential, and Lutton has a rotary dial that can control the all-wheel drive system's lockup from zero to 100%. Under normal circumstances, the Tesla motor will just work with whichever gear the transmission is in: so if it's in drive or reverse, the electric motor will be, too. Lutton also says the EV motor can be put in either park, reverse, neutral, or drive independently of the transmission, meaning the car can work as a pure EV, too. Supposedly, he can set it to a regen mode, letting it drag while the car is in 4x6 mode and put energy back into the battery. Regenerative braking should reduce the braking load on the discs while towing a trailer, too. The project isn't done, according to Lutton, as there's much battery and motor calibration yet to be completed, as well as body work. It looks pretty gnarly at the moment, but that's to be expected given the extreme nature of the build. Still, it's mostly functional, and Lutton already has one of the wildest, most fascinating project cars I've seen in ages. When it's finally complete, it will probably be safe to say that he has the only V12, hybrid, four-door, 6x6, BMW-ish ute in the world. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPbFuRlnDpo *Got tips? Send 'em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()