Naughty Mercedes R129 SL500 Hides A Dirty JDM Secret Under Its Hood [w/Video]

The classic Mercedes R129 was always considered an effortless cruiser but this specific car adds way more spice to the mix.

Built by Power Vehicles in Japan, this clean-looking SL500 has transformed from a luxurious soft roadster to something way more intriguing thanks to its new powertrain. Gone is the silky smooth German powerplant and in its place now lives something very unusual.

Once you open the hood you witness Toyota’s 2JZ engine mated to a Getrag six-speed manual gearbox. The engine is good for around 600hp, with the car featuring Bilstein shocks with a set of Lorinser lowering springs. The front brakes are from a Ferrari F50, with the leather reclining bucket seats also coming from a Ferrari F355.

The cabin now features numerous gauges, with the central ones now coming from TRD in order to communicate with the turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six Toyota engine. Even the shift knob looks like it was lifted from a Honda Type-R but surprisingly, and for a Franken-car like this, nothing looks extremely out of place.

The car was featured on Speedhunters, with the video posted below showing us a quick tour around the car and the starting sequence of the gorgeous 2JZ engine.

If you, like me, want this JDM-swapped, one-of-a-kind R129 badly, you could make it yours as Power Vehicles is currently selling it for 2,650,000 JPY (around $22,000 in current exchange rates). Check the ad and a full gallery of the car here.