Photo: wb.artist20 / Instagram
December 2023 was a harsh month for the world of American muscle car automotive enthusiasts – Chevrolet ended production of the sixth generation Camaro, and Dodge also abandoned the L-bodied Charger and Challenger to the plains of Valhalla.
With General Motors and Stellantis sending these nameplates into retirement, Ford is the last to defend the honor of old-school V8s with help from their 5.0-liter Coyote-equipped S650 Ford Mustang GT and Dark Horse models. Luckily, they have promised to honor and cherish the sacred V8 timeline even if they are the last ones producing such an engine setup.
Well, it remains to be seen if they will keep their promise and we will forgive those who don't trust them entirely. After all, some diehard fans don't abandon their credo just because the automaker refused to give their favorite model one last chance of survival. For example, Stellantis has decided that Dodge's Charger will continue with a different lifestyle based on the STLA Large platform – a modern chassis allowing it both an entry into the EV era and maybe some Hurricane inline-six turbo greatness, too.
However, no one knows what will become of the Challenger nameplate as the Charger is reverting later this year to its traditional two-door fastback coupe body style. Anyway, that won't stop intrepid owners from getting a fresh take on their precious Challenger models, especially if they are part of the imaginative realm of digital car content creators and also have some DIY skills honed in the family's garage.
One such example is Oscar Vargas, the virtual artist better known as wb.artist20 on social media, who continues to dream of automotive stuff that can also be made in the garage or the back of the driveway. For some time, in between designing and playing with his daughter, the pixel master has started applying the CGI theory to practice on Project Rampage, a DIY Smith Performance transformation kit for morphing a Dodge Charger into a two-door Ute.
While still "under construction" as per the decal attached to the windscreen, his work is progressing just fine on Project Rampage – the CGI expert recently asked his fans to help him choose the final color of the Ute. As such, it is no wonder that he is now setting his eyes and CGI brush on the next at-home DIY design project, this time involving his other Mopar vehicle – a Dodge Challenger.
This one is a little subtler, though – as the author and DIY fabricator wants next to attempt a facelift for the Challenger with an entirely new set of headlights. "I always felt the Challenger needed one more headlight change before they ended the platform! I think this style ties in with the taillights and also the Charger styling," says the virtual artist. Hopefully, he will also implement the other changes, such as the slammed attitude and the humongous white aftermarket wheels!
Well, it remains to be seen if they will keep their promise and we will forgive those who don't trust them entirely. After all, some diehard fans don't abandon their credo just because the automaker refused to give their favorite model one last chance of survival. For example, Stellantis has decided that Dodge's Charger will continue with a different lifestyle based on the STLA Large platform – a modern chassis allowing it both an entry into the EV era and maybe some Hurricane inline-six turbo greatness, too.
However, no one knows what will become of the Challenger nameplate as the Charger is reverting later this year to its traditional two-door fastback coupe body style. Anyway, that won't stop intrepid owners from getting a fresh take on their precious Challenger models, especially if they are part of the imaginative realm of digital car content creators and also have some DIY skills honed in the family's garage.
One such example is Oscar Vargas, the virtual artist better known as wb.artist20 on social media, who continues to dream of automotive stuff that can also be made in the garage or the back of the driveway. For some time, in between designing and playing with his daughter, the pixel master has started applying the CGI theory to practice on Project Rampage, a DIY Smith Performance transformation kit for morphing a Dodge Charger into a two-door Ute.
While still "under construction" as per the decal attached to the windscreen, his work is progressing just fine on Project Rampage – the CGI expert recently asked his fans to help him choose the final color of the Ute. As such, it is no wonder that he is now setting his eyes and CGI brush on the next at-home DIY design project, this time involving his other Mopar vehicle – a Dodge Challenger.
This one is a little subtler, though – as the author and DIY fabricator wants next to attempt a facelift for the Challenger with an entirely new set of headlights. "I always felt the Challenger needed one more headlight change before they ended the platform! I think this style ties in with the taillights and also the Charger styling," says the virtual artist. Hopefully, he will also implement the other changes, such as the slammed attitude and the humongous white aftermarket wheels!
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