Icon 4x4's electric 1949 Mercury coupe is a look at the future of hot-rodding

Icon's electric reinterpretation of the 1949 Mercury Coupe is an answer to a question that many car enthusiasts are afraid to ask.

That question being how can we justify the continued existence of our dirty classic cars in the face of ever-increasingly dire climate predictions?

Can an electric car based on classic car guts provide the same visceral experience that enthusiasts want?

Can the expense of the technology and the way it changes so radically in such a short amount of time be made financially viable?

The Icon Merc has been in development for quite a while now, largely to work out all of its squeaks and rattles.

The issue of NVH didn't really occur to Ford/Mercury engineers at the time, especially without the noise and vibration from an engine to mask it.

The car is powered by two electric motors and the 85kWh battery pack from a Tesla Model S.