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1966 Oldsmobile Toronado Doesn’t Have a V8, You Can Plug It In

Rome wasn't built in a day. So it's only natural that the electrification of the automotive industry is going to take a while. There are still manufacturers that haven't rolled out a fully-electric model yet. But as it seems, most if not all of them have a plan regarding this topic. Meanwhile, we're seeing an outburst of EV restomods all around the world.
1966 Oldsmobile Toronado Doesn’t Have a V8, You Can Plug It In 11 photos
Photo: Abimelec Design
1966 Oldsmobile Toronado Doesn’t Have a V8, You Can Plug It In1966 Oldsmobile Toronado Doesn’t Have a V8, You Can Plug It In1966 Oldsmobile Toronado Doesn’t Have a V8, You Can Plug It In1966 Oldsmobile Toronado Doesn’t Have a V8, You Can Plug It In1966 Oldsmobile Toronado Doesn’t Have a V8, You Can Plug It In1966 Oldsmobile Toronado Doesn’t Have a V8, You Can Plug It In1966 Oldsmobile Toronado Doesn’t Have a V8, You Can Plug It In1966 Oldsmobile Toronado Doesn’t Have a V8, You Can Plug It In1966 Oldsmobile Toronado Doesn’t Have a V8, You Can Plug It In1966 Oldsmobile Toronado Doesn’t Have a V8, You Can Plug It In
Just the other day, Ford unveiled its new electric crate engine, originating from the Mustang Mach-E GT. Perhaps performing an engine swap in the future is going to be a lot easier than it is today. We might order the engine off the Internet like you'd order a new battery for your laptop today. If getting rid of all the cars running on internal combustion engines right now isn't an option, then we'll have to convert them.

Manufacturers will probably start offering electric crate engines for people to buy, but there's bound to be a rise in new tech companies fighting for a share of the market. Competition should help lower the prices for EVs and thus improve accessibility, especially for those that can't afford $40,000 for a brand new car. Meanwhile, people are torn between resisting the change and embracing it.

Converting old school cars that had a certain appeal to enthusiasts back in the day to EVs is probably going to stir things up a little. But we should always look at the half-full part of the glass. This 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado was a somewhat strange appearance back in the day. It was offered with a choice of two engines: a 425 ci (7.0-liter) V8 or a 455 ci (7.5-liter) V8. With just under 400 horsepower on tap, this was an FWD vehicle that weighed 4,496 lbs (2,039 kg)

Can you imagine how it must feel to drive a car with those specs? Taking it around corners must be quite interesting. In the hands of a 3D artist that goes by the name of Abimelec Design, this Toronado looks like it's ready for SEMA. The old V8 has been dumped in favor of an electric motor setup. Also, the artist envisioned the idea that now, this car would send power to all four wheels, thus improving its driveability.

This Toronado is now slammed on Rotiform KPS wheels but looks quite clean otherwise. Opinions are split between fans, but you have to wonder if we aren't being a bit silly by rejecting these changes. Everything is simplified with an EV swap, and you can just enjoy the boat-load of torque and newly-found grip. If the lack of an exhaust note is what's bothering you, that can be solved quite easily. So the question is, should we fully embrace the electric revolution?



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About the author: Dragos Chitulescu
Dragos Chitulescu profile photo

The things Dragos enjoys the most in life are, in no particular order: cars, motorcycles, diecast cars, and drifting. He's seen (and driven) many vehicles since he started his writing career back in 2009, but his garage currently houses a 1991 Mazda RX-7 FC3S Turbo II and a 1999 Suzuki SV650-S.
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