This Ls-swapped Audi A5 Baja Build Might Be The Funniest Car I've Seen In Beverly Hills

Daniel Golson / Jalopnik

I was doing my emblematic carspotting way done West Hollywood and Beverly Hills connected Sunday, and it was a bully one. While I missed seeing a Bugatti Chiron by conscionable a mates minutes, I spotted multiple Mercedes SLS and SLRs, a Polestar 1, the first delivered Cadillac Celestiq, a Spyker C8 Spyder, and a fabulous 1950s Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint. But by acold nan spot of nan time — and possibly my funniest Beverly Hills spot ever — was this Audi LS5 Baja build that had conscionable been astatine SEMA.

Yes, you publication that right, I called it an Audi LS5. The Audi was pulling retired of a parking spot arsenic I drove by, and erstwhile I rolled down my model to opportunity "I emotion your Audi A5," nan driver loudly said backmost "it's an LS5!" That eight-cylinder American powertrain was instantly evident arsenic nan postulation up started moving and he blasted ahead. This is nan benignant of silly build nan world needs much of.

Daniel Golson / Jalopnik

The LS5 was created by MLZ Garage, who are nary strangers to chaotic builds — they've created a Nissan 350Z powered by two Honda K24 motors, and someway towed this Audi pinch it. The LS5 was a Baja build task they already had, and they put retired a awesome video showing disconnected nan build successful advancement past month. Originally, nan car had Audi's people aspirated 3.2-liter V6, but it wasn't powerful aliases beardown enough. Initially they were going to put successful a supercharged 3.2-liter V6 from an Audi SQ5, arsenic it seemed for illustration a bolt-in swap, but it didn't work. They ended up swapping successful a 6.2-liter LS V8, which ended up being overmuch easier. While there's nary much Quattro all-wheel drive, it's up astir 200 horsepower and 200 pound-feet of torque. 

While to maine it was intelligibly A5-based, MLZ Garage did alteration a hellhole of a lot, and nan feline down nan instrumentality said I was nan first personification to correctly place what it was. The LS5 has 12 inches of suspension travel, awesome civilization tubular bumpers pinch off-road lights, a spare instrumentality and tyre sticking retired of nan trunk, suspension popping retired of nan hood, and a rooftop shelter connected top, arsenic they camped successful it connected nan measurement to and from SEMA. Can I get a "hell yeah, brother" successful nan chat?