The Real Life Guys Youtube channel brings together young German engineers in crazy projects. But it is especially their latest video that caught our attention. Indeed, they are neither more nor less than transforming a Tesla Model 3 into a tracked tank. And the strongest thing is that not only does it work and allows the car to never get bogged down even in wading pools of slush – but as a bonus the transformation is 100% reversible.
To carry out their project, the Youtubers first had to get their hands on large tank tracks – each weighing 1.3 tonnes. Then create the whole structure allowing the tracks to work, with the forces of large chains, shock absorbers, and other elements which add more than two tons to the whole. Everything has been designed (it must be said with great skill) so that the Model 3 (renamed the Model T for the occasion) can connect its engines directly to the tracks without irreversible transformation.
And if your next Tesla was a “tank”?
In the end, the “Tesla Model T” raises the Model 3 to 80 cm from the ground. The vehicle weighs more than 6 tons in total – and it took more than a month of work to achieve this result. After individually testing the tracks behind a 4×4, it’s time for the Tesla Model 3. Initially the Youtubers wanted to surprise a friend. So they ordered a new Model 3 which they completely repainted in order to make him believe that it was his car.
Mounting the tracks on the Model 3 was not easy. The engineers first tried to build a platform at the right height using pallets. Platform on which they then placed the car. But attaching the tracks to the hub of the wheels proved impossible. The most complex being to correctly align the mounting screws.
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As a result, they decided to use another tool the next day, a kind of jack that could raise the car quite high (more precisely). Once the hubs were properly aligned and screwed down, the vehicle was ready. You can see the full video at the end of this article. The Youtubers promise to post another video soon showing the “Tesla Model T” driving through mud and various rough terrain…
