This is the twin-boosted LQ4 in question… All photos courtesy of Speedhunters

Yes, you’ve just read that title correctly. A twin-turbo LS motor has been swapped into an ’80s-era Mercedes-Benz 500 SEC to compete in drifting competitions. Not only is this a basis for our latest Swap Insanity entry, but it may fall under our “WTF? of The Week” category.

Despite the fact that Mercedes-Benz’s are beautiful and expensive cars, typically driven by dictators and rap stars, this example is certainly a pleasant surprise that we found over at the Speedhunters website. Starting with the basis of a 6-liter “LQ block” sourced from a Hummer H2 (most likely an LQ4), the vehicle’s owner added a pair of Holset HR40 turbos just to be sure there was enough power on hand to create the kind of power sliding, drifting smoke show necessary for a drift competition.

In a particularly interesting twist of fate, the Mercedes now relies on a “NASCAR-style” Jerico 4-speed that replaced the TKO6060 they spilled it’s guts during an intense dyno-tuning session. Who would have ever thought that NASCAR, the Silver Arrow and the “Japanese art of drifting” would ever come together to form one of the coolest cars we’ve seen this side of a bend.

While the body of this German engineered car is largely left alone, the interior, chassis, and suspension has been tweaked a bit to ensure the platform is as rigid as possible. Speedhunters reports that the owner and builder of this ‘Benz has gets quite a few stares and awkward glances at the drift events that he’s attended with his German luxury car – everyone of them well earned.