The irony of a Tesla Model 3 with a Ford Coyote V8 in the frunk gets past no one. The sheer chutzpah of desecrating the Tesla shrine, not to mention how much engineering and work it would take to pull off, get much respect. Would you just separate the body from the pan and slide a Ford Crown Vic chassis underneath? Or maybe slice up the Mustang unibody and place the Tesla body over it?

Especially with a Coyote motor, they’re very wide. So you would need something that could accommodate it and maintain the Model 3 suspension. At least if you were looking for a backward sleeper. 

Is this Tesla Model 3 Coyote motor swap fake?

When the image of the EV V8 swap hit social media last month, it elicited a chorus of positive and negative responses. Being social media, you can imagine the responses, which ran the gamut. Some even questioned whether it was real or not. C’mon, really? Just look at it. Everything in its place looks- like it was made that way. 

Everything looks like Mustang production components, suggesting that was the basis for the build. Even the shock towers look like they came from Ford’s muscle car. In fact, everything looks like it is Mustang. So is it?

Once people started questioning its authenticity, the person who posted it said it was a hybrid and all-wheel-drive. The story got more unbelievable with that response. Especially since there has never been a Mustang produced with all-wheel-drive. Tying everything from the Tesla into the Mustang drivetrain, and then adding all-wheel-drive, makes it seem unbelievable. So, is it?

“We’re just having fun”

Yep, everything under the hood is straight out of a Mustang. Actually, the entire engine compartment image is from a Mustang. In other words, it’s fake. Late Model Racecraft’s Justin told the Drive, “We’re just having fun.”

Everything from those Mustang shock towers to the radiator made it into the image. Forget that with the closed Tesla front end it would be hard to get air to the radiator. Not impossible, but not easy. 

A quick video of it running has since been deleted. The video showed it “running”, offering a glimpse of the interior. But there were no additions or modifications to indicate a tire-smoking V8 is under the hood. No additional gauges or shifter for the transmission, be it manual or automatic. And never mind that in reality, this would be a slower Model 3 than any others on the road. That kind of debases a swap like this. It would have to be for “fun” because there is no upside to doing it. 

Are V8-powered Teslas real?

There have been Tesla V8 swaps, for sure. And other like-minded enthusiasts will do more. Using earlier components would make it a challenging, but doable project. Once you start getting into late-model electronics, all bets are off.