They call it a Challenger, but it is actually a Charger. Or is it the other way around? Yes, it does sound confusing, but let us explain. What you are looking at is a 1968 Dodge Challenger built over a 2022 Charger. There you have it. Simpler than we thought.
A few years ago, the Pensylvannia-based firm eXoMod Concepts started retrofitting modern Hellcats by slapping classic body designs in carbon fiber over them. Last fall, we reported about a 1968 Dodge Charger lookalike, which was based on a 2023 Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye (check out the photo gallery to see that project!).
And now, here is one of their creations, looking black and mean and everything in between, as if Darth Vader himself ordered it.
Its creator calls it a 1968 Dodge Charger EXOMOD Full Carbon Body Hellcat Redeye. As difficult as that name may seem to remember, things aren't that complicated. The script is simple: classic muscle meets innovative tech.
The project started with a blank check instead of a preset budget. The team worked on a 2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, which rolled off the production line in 2022, refitting it with their C68 "exoskeleton," which is nothing but a carbon fiber body built as a tribute to the legendary second-generation 1968 Dodge Charger R/T.
Photo: eBay
It is a time-traveling machine from the golden era of muscle cars, capitalizing on the best of classic and modern. It is a combination that comes to blend the vintage design with the contemporary engineering.
This is exactly why the vehicle is now more powerful, more reliable, and definitely safer than the Charger from over half a century ago used to be. However, the team tried to keep its classic muscle DNA. At the end of the day, the Charger turned out to be 4 inches wider than the original 1968 second-generation model from 1968.
The retrofitted Dodge is set in motion by a supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI V8 engine, which pumps out 807 horsepower (818 metric horsepower) to the rear wheels with the help of a six-speed manual transmission, which sends the oomph to the rear wheels. That's the Jailbreak effect, baby!
Ventilated disc brakes provide the stopping power. The car is equipped with ABS, brake assist, and hill hold control. An adaptive suspension with automatic ride sport-tuned control is part of the plan.
That supercharged HEMI V8 pumps out 807 horsepower (818 metric horsepower) and 707 pound-feet (959 Newton meters) of torque, figures that throw straight into supercar territory. It should be capable of flashing from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.4 seconds on its way to a top speed of 203 mph (327 kph). How could Darth Vader look away from all these numbers?
The model is obviously a driver's car, specifically designed for someone who understands what fun on board a muscle car actually means. Or meant, because Dodge is now offering muscle that needs to be plugged in, in the shape of the Charger Daytona.
A dual-snorkel hood made from carbon fiber showed up front, together with a new front splitter, both left unpainted. The body panels were sprayed with a custom Pearl finish. The Hellcat badges adorn both fenders.
Meanwhile, the Bumblebee Scat stripes provide little contrast. The front fascia displays a blacked-out radiator grille with Gunmetal trim, flanked by see-through headlamp covers, while Satin Black covers the tail panel with Gunmetal taillight bezels and smoked lenses. LED brake lights showed up at the back.
Photo: eBay
The window trim has also gone black, and there are door handles and mirror cases in the body color. The car rides on billet Gunmetal wheels with Nitto NT555 G2 tires, 285/35ZR20 at the front and 315/35ZR20 at the rear.
All we see is black and exposed carbon fiber. There is zero contrast with the interior as well, as everything in there is wrapped in Pearl Italian black leather, and there are aluminum inserts all around the cabin. Everything from the 2023 Dodge Charger SRT is functional on board.
An 8.4-inch touchscreen provides control for most of the car's features, while the digital instrument cluster can display retro-styled analog dials. A heated steering wheel and four-way adjustment power seats are part of the plan. For ease of use, the glove box and cupholder are illuminated. A rearview camera and parking sensors make this retro-looking Dodge safer.
What you are looking at is a limited edition custom build. The model was on display at the 2022 SEMA show. Now, it is for sale on eBay, with just 5 miles on the odometer, and it looks like the seller wants to recover the investment. It costs $379,900. The price includes extended warranty.
Whoever wants to drive it home but see it with their own eyes first, can board the first plane to Dallas and take a cab to the Dallas Fort Worth's Premier Lotus, Luxury, Exotic and Classic Cars Dealership. They can drive the car Darth Vader must have dreamed of on their way back home.
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