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Some people swear they can tell an LS engine by its sound. We’re not sure about that, but one thing is for sure. When you listen to the turbo-enhanced LS1 roar, while watching the video [2] above, as the V8 powers the Modified Class Formula Off Road race car of Pal Blesvik up and down, and then eventually to the very top of the massive sand cliff used for the hill climb event at Skien, Norway, you will agree that very few things sound as sweet.
[3]For those unfamiliar with the sport of Formula Off Road [4], it first appeared in Iceland. The local rescue teams began showing off the performance capabilities of their 4x4s on the Icelandic hills as a way to raise money for emergency rescue services.
These displays of awesome power soon evolved into competitions, and before too long, teams where building special vehicles and a new motorsport–Formula Off Road–was born. Today, it is popular throughout Scandinavia, and the Skien, Norway Hill Climb is one of the premier events.
There is a Modified Class in which the shape of the body must resemble a mass-produced vehicle. The hood, side body panels, front and rear fenders must be installed and resemble the original vehicle. An Unlimited Class is also available for competitors.
The high-powered 4x4s are allowed to use paddle tires to dig into the ground for better traction, which obviously provides better action, as you can plainly see in this video [2] of Blesvik’s turbocharged LS1-powered Modified kicking sand all over the place and nearly rolling (but for a great save by Blesvik) on the almost vertical hill climb at Skien!
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