This old Range Rover has been given a 450bhp Tesla drivetrain

A quarter of a million quid gets you comfortably into a shiny new long wheelbase V8 Range Rover SV with over 500 British horsies and some goodies in the UK.

Or it gets you into a very shiny old electric Rangie with around 450 American horsies.

Welcome then, to British ‘regeneration specialist’ Inverted’s debut product, dubbed #001.

While there’s the option of 4dr and LSE models to choose from in the future, this first car takes the 2dr Rangie as its base.

We’re told it was given a full restoration, stripping both the body and chassis down to bare metal and then building it back up piece by piece.

And a big piece comes courtesy of Tesla – the car uses a reconditioned, low mileage 80kWh battery and Large Drive Unit from the American carmaker.

That means a total of 450bhp and 600Nm of torque.

As such, the electrified Rangie is capable of 0-95km/h in around five seconds – scary pace for a dinosaur, you’ll agree.

There’s lot of fresh hardware on board to keep up, mind: Inverted has fitted a new gearset, oil pump and limited slip diff, while it has also uprated both axles and brakes.

This first car apparently gets the “optional road handling pack” too, which includes adjustable dampers, anti-roll bars and stiffer springs. Still 4WD, of course.

The company claims a max range of around 320km and the ability to handle up to 100kW charging, allowing for a 20 to 80 per cent charge in 34 minutes at a rapid charging point.

Minutes you could use to reflect on the fully refreshed interior. This car gets fancy leather and contrast tweed, while concessions to the modern world come via Apple CarPlay/Android Auto functionality, a big phat stereo, air-con, better soundproofing, USB ports and heated seats. Future cars of course, will be fully customisable.

Indeed, Inverted plans on building a maximum of six cars every year (partly to ensure the project’s rarity), with each one taking between 12-18 months to finish.

“With a passion for the classic Range Rover and a desire to future-proof this iconic model and reduce environmental impact, I founded Inverted,” said Inverted founder Harry Millington.

“As part of this ethos, I made the conscious decision to recycle and re-use existing Tesla batteries, rather than increasing footprint with carbon intensive new modules.

“With no road tax, congestion or ULEZ charges and zero emissions, our electrified Range Rover Classic offers effortless, comfortable and reliable motoring in town or country,” he added. That’s right, a reliable old Range Rover.

You’ll pay for such boons, mind. Each car starts from £270,000 in the UK.

STORY Vijay Pattni