Photo: al.yasid / Instagram
Crossovers, sport utility vehicles, and not-so-commercial-anymore trucks dominate the automotive industry today. Not all markets exclusively favor them, but it's not hard to understand why North America is enamored with CUVs, SUVs, and trucks.
In the United States, the first six months of the year were dominated by high-riding segments, and mid-size cars only came fifth in the rankings. No one expects the proportion to change by the end of the year, which is probably why many automakers are contemplating the retirement of some of their passenger car brands or their transformation into new-style electrified models.
That happened when Ford joined the compact pickup truck revival alongside the Hyundai Santa Cruz as its Maverick nameplate was resurrected not as a compact car from the 1970s but rather as a novel unibody pickup truck with turbo or hybrid powertrain options. And that was just an example of a winning pet set upon a reinvented model dressed into a high-rider.
As a counter-example, Chevrolet doesn't have faith in its iconic Camaro line anymore, and the sixth generation will bow out early next year with nothing new planned on the horizon. Sure, there is talk of an upcoming reinvention into an EV-only nameplate, which will allegedly include an entire family of models, including a crossover SUV – but nothing is official just yet.
Stellantis, on the other hand, has ordained its Chrysler and Dodge brands to come up with creative solutions to the conundrums posed by the EV revolution, and the 300 sedan might get reinvented as a Banshee EV-powered heir of the Dodge Charger. Meanwhile, the latter is getting the coupe seat of the Challenger and will soon become a Fratzonic monster rocking the EV chops of the Charger Daytona SRT concept.
Speaking of the Charger, some folks never tire of its classic looks, instead – even if they usually dwell across the imaginative realm of digital car content creators. London, UK-based virtual artist Al Yasid, better known as al.yasid on social media, is again making purists run amok crying for their Charger outrage – as he throws a shade back to a project first unveiled some years ago.
Now, updated with modern city surroundings, it's even more striking. That's obviously because we are dealing here with a first or second-gen 1960s Dodge Charger restomod that ripped every tip from the aftermarket book and dialed it up to eleven. So, the pixel master's Charger project is not only a two-door Shooting Brake but also slammed (or bagged) beyond belief.
Plus, it rides on staggered (both for width and size) aftermarket wheels and tires that would make any dragster jealous (or in love), while the widebody kit could make any JDM enthusiast die of pleasure every time the POV angle changes. Last but not least, inside, there's a full-cockpit roll cage, the head- and taillights feel like a modern LED affair, and the exposed blower V8 plus stripped-out rear end show this Charger Shooting Brake not only looks the part but also means Fast & Furious-style CGI business!
Oh, and did we mention that the CGI expert – who usually doesn't like mixing with JDM and American formats as he's a passionate European author – couldn't resist putting the Dodge Charger Shooting Brake restomod to a little street race against a Brian O'Connor-inspired Mitsubishi Evo. As such, the wheelie is clearly warranted, right?
That happened when Ford joined the compact pickup truck revival alongside the Hyundai Santa Cruz as its Maverick nameplate was resurrected not as a compact car from the 1970s but rather as a novel unibody pickup truck with turbo or hybrid powertrain options. And that was just an example of a winning pet set upon a reinvented model dressed into a high-rider.
As a counter-example, Chevrolet doesn't have faith in its iconic Camaro line anymore, and the sixth generation will bow out early next year with nothing new planned on the horizon. Sure, there is talk of an upcoming reinvention into an EV-only nameplate, which will allegedly include an entire family of models, including a crossover SUV – but nothing is official just yet.
Stellantis, on the other hand, has ordained its Chrysler and Dodge brands to come up with creative solutions to the conundrums posed by the EV revolution, and the 300 sedan might get reinvented as a Banshee EV-powered heir of the Dodge Charger. Meanwhile, the latter is getting the coupe seat of the Challenger and will soon become a Fratzonic monster rocking the EV chops of the Charger Daytona SRT concept.
Speaking of the Charger, some folks never tire of its classic looks, instead – even if they usually dwell across the imaginative realm of digital car content creators. London, UK-based virtual artist Al Yasid, better known as al.yasid on social media, is again making purists run amok crying for their Charger outrage – as he throws a shade back to a project first unveiled some years ago.
Now, updated with modern city surroundings, it's even more striking. That's obviously because we are dealing here with a first or second-gen 1960s Dodge Charger restomod that ripped every tip from the aftermarket book and dialed it up to eleven. So, the pixel master's Charger project is not only a two-door Shooting Brake but also slammed (or bagged) beyond belief.
Plus, it rides on staggered (both for width and size) aftermarket wheels and tires that would make any dragster jealous (or in love), while the widebody kit could make any JDM enthusiast die of pleasure every time the POV angle changes. Last but not least, inside, there's a full-cockpit roll cage, the head- and taillights feel like a modern LED affair, and the exposed blower V8 plus stripped-out rear end show this Charger Shooting Brake not only looks the part but also means Fast & Furious-style CGI business!
Oh, and did we mention that the CGI expert – who usually doesn't like mixing with JDM and American formats as he's a passionate European author – couldn't resist putting the Dodge Charger Shooting Brake restomod to a little street race against a Brian O'Connor-inspired Mitsubishi Evo. As such, the wheelie is clearly warranted, right?
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