Police reportedly said the modifications were illegal and not road-legal
July 15, 2025 at 08:14
- The owner of a Li Auto L9 created a makeshift aquarium out of the SUV.
- The man reportedly forgot a bucket while fishing and used his vehicle instead.
- These fish were likely taking their final breaths as locals filmed them.
We’ve seen some questionable car modifications over the years, but this might be the most unsettling, and arguably the most disturbing one yet. The Li Auto L9 SUV’s hood has been converted into a functioning aquarium, complete with live fish swimming beneath a sealed plastic layer.
At first glance, you might assume it’s some kind of AI-generated stunt, but the footage appears to be very real, as evidenced by the widespread coverage and the emergence of multiple videos.
Videos of the modified car began spreading across social media after the range-extender SUV was spotted parked on the side of a busy road in China’s Liaoning province. A sheet of plastic film covers the hood, sealed up against the integrated LED light bar. The enclosed space has been filled with water, and several large fish have been placed inside.
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A Makeshift Tank on Wheels
Although the setup looks surprisingly intact, water can be seen slowly leaking from the enclosure. According to a report from News Flare, the explanation offered is just as unexpected as the modification itself: the owner of the L9 reportedly went fishing one day, forgot to bring a container, and decided the hood would serve as an impromptu holding tank, leading to what you see here.
Whether it was a joke or a genuine attempt to solve a problem, the result has drawn a mix of disgust and criticism online.
While the owner appears rather proud of his creation, the result is undeniably cruel. The fish were likely caught with the intention of being killed and perhaps eaten by the fisherman, but instead, they’ve been left to live out their final moments in a shallow, improvised tank, on full display for the world to see, as if they’re props or circus animals.
There’s no word on how long the fish were trapped on the vehicle’s hood, but traffic police were reportedly called to the scene and determined that the modification turning the SUV into an aquarium was illegal, and the car couldn’t be driven on the road in this state.