- California’s Oilstainlab has revealed the HF-11 supercar with swappable gas and electric powertrains
- Performance targets include a 650- to 850-hp power range and a 2,000-pound curb weight
- Pricing starts at $1.85 million
California’s Oilstainlab made a name for itself in recent years with a wild Porsche 911-based project car known as the Half-11.
The car literally started out as half a 911, specifically the front half, to which Oilstainlab added a rear subframe and installed an LS V-8 engine. According to twins Nikita and Iliya Bridan, professional car designers who founded Oilstainlab in 2019, the goal was to build the type of race car that Porsche might have built if the only model it ever had was the 911.
The Half-11 has managed to attract potential buyers, especially after Oilstainlab showcased it during this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed in the U.K. Now the company has revealed a more polished design destined to be built in a limited run of just 25 cars.
Oilstainlab calls the new design the HF-11, and said it will be offered with both gas and electric powertrains which can be swapped relatively easily in a home garage. Oilstainlab calls the swapping system Thunder-Volt, and describes it as a subframe swap rather than a powertrain swap. Inspiration for the idea came from a 24 Hours of Le Mans race where Audi swapped the rear subframe on one of its cars in just four minutes.
Oilstainlab Half-11
The “Thunder” in the name refers to a planned gas engine, a bespoke 4.5-liter flat-6 that will be tuned to deliver about 650 hp and rev to 12,000 rpm. The “Volt” refers to the electric powertrain, in this case a single electric motor rated at about 850 hp. Details on the battery and how it would be stored in the chassis weren’t mentioned, though Oilstainlab said both powertrains can be paired with either a 6-speed manual transmission or 7-speed sequential unit.
The design looks like a mix of a modern 911 RSR race car and a classic 917 (the original Half-11 featured a design inspired by a 911 front on a Porsche IndyCar rear). Carbon fiber is used for the construction, including for the bespoke central tub that Oilstainlab said took two years to develop. One of the goals was to ensure the car would only weigh about 2,000 pounds—while still being street-legal.
Oilstainlab is currently accepting orders and has confirmed a starting price of $1.85 million. That’s with the gas powertrain only. Order the electric powertrain on top and the price rises by $500,000.
The company expects deliveries to start in 2026, though that date may be pushed back. Oilstainlab still has a lot of development work ahead of it. To speed up things, the company is crowdsourcing talent from around the globe.