YouTuber SuperfastMatt has a big project in the works. He plans on taking a 70-year-old Jaguar Mark V and outfitting it with the electric drivetrain from a Tesla Model 3. With this project come a few obstacles, and he details his plan to overcome them, as well as his goals for the rest of the build in the video below.
First up is the motor. The stock 3.5L inline-6 engine in this Jaguar originally made just 125 hp (127 PS / 93 kW). The motor from the Model 3, despite being from the Standard Range Plus model and the least powerful Tesla ever made, still puts out over double the power at 283 hp (287 PS / 211 kW). SuperfastMatt was able to find himself an entire assembled Model 3 subframe, so retrofitting the drivetrain onto the Jaguar shouldn’t be too much of an issue – well, at least for someone who knows what he’s doing.
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Next up is the battery. The unit is from a Mid Range Plus model, and is rated at 54 kWh. SuperfastMatt chose to go with the smaller battery with the aim of saving weight (and cost), as he was looking to keep it at, or below the Jaguar’s original weight of 3,675 lbs (1,667 kg). One of the biggest obstacles with the battery will be its placement. Since there will no longer be an engine up front, the positioning of the battery will need to take proper weight distribution into account.
For the rear suspension, as mentioned before, SuperfastMatt plans to take the Model 3’s entire rear subframe and using coilovers, making it easier to work out the geometry while also greatly improving over the stock suspension. For the front, he actually plans on using an aftermarket Mustang II front end, explaining that it was discovered to be very versatile in a variety of applications, so he figures it should work for the Jaguar too.
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Last on the list of mechanical changes is the motor controller. As far as available options went, there was only one company SuperfastMatt was able to find that offered a controller for the Model 3’s motor—Ingenext—so that’s what he went with.
We’d argue a luxury cruiser such as this one is a good candidate for an electric drivetrain swap, as it can reap all the benefits of the extra power without the driver feeling like the overall experience has been compromised. SuperfastMatt seems to think so too, and you can check out his plan for yourself in the video below.