Looks like an ordinary 3.5L Lamborghini Jalpa

We’ve seen it all… or at least we thought we did. If it has wheels, most likely has had an LS engine swapped into it at one point or another.  The LS power plant has even found its way to some machines without wheels. The engine series is almost like a magnet to anyone who is looking for some easy power. Most of the culprits are common, late model vehicles. This time however, we travel to Australia to find a quite unique change of pace with some Chevy power under the hood, err… engine cover.

In this video, an LS1 finds its way into a Lamborghini Jalpa, a combination that we have yet to see. In stock form, the Jalpa, less-expensive stablemate to the Countach, was powered by a mid-mounted 3.5L DOHC V8 rated at 255 horsepower. That makes even a bone-stock LS1 a decent 100-horse upgrade, not to mention the fact that it’s a lot easier to find an oil filter at the local AutoZone.

Under the engine cover hides an LS1 V8

Because of the original nature of the build, having the knowledge to choose just the right parts is key. The LS1 was originally paired with a Toyota MR2 gearbox, which carried the Jalpa to an 11.8-second quarter mile (including a missed shift!) with only a bit of head work, an LS6 intake, small cam, and a few other minor odds and ends.

That isn’t too shabby and seemed to be about on par with what you’d expect. After having issues with the MR2 transmission, the owner decided it would be wise to go with an automatic trans from a Toyota Camry. This seems like a recipe for disaster, but amazingly, the simple switch managed to shave over a second off of the elapsed time to dial in the Lamb-maro at an enticing 10.7 second quarter mile pass. Hate it or love it, one can’t deny that this is a truly unique ride.