An LS V8 In A Chevrolet Sonic Is Brilliant Rally Madness

A rally team has fitted a 430bhp LS V8 to the smallest car Chevrolet makes – and then fully prepared it for rallying.

The 6.2-litre LS3 crate engine, which sells for about $8000 (£6350) in ready-to-run guise, has been slotted into the middle of the tiny Sonic, framed by a full roll cage and a pair of lightweight rally-spec bucket seats.

It’s the bonkers baby of PMR Motorsports, a rally team based in the US. Huge wheel arches cover a vastly widened track at both ends. The suspension is lifted, upgraded to PMR’s spec and fitted with rally-appropriate wheels and off-road tyres.

It has been built to compete in the American Rally Association race series, the US’s flagship domestic rally competition. These mods aren’t just for show; they’re designed to help the Sonic become a winner.

It will sure as hell be quick enough to win. The V8’s 430bhp is backed up by 425lb ft and permanent all-wheel drive, making this the meanest, fastest Sonic ever, unless someone even crazier of whom we’re not aware has gone one step further.

The new gigantic mouth-grille gulps down all the air the cooling system needs while we can turn the ‘Murica up to 11 thanks to a 3D-effect stars and stripes on the roof. There’s also a vast tailgate spoiler that could double as a superb snow shovel if ever you were stuck. This Sonic may be a bit unhinged, but we love every inch of it.