This 1968 Dodge Charger Was Built for the Bonneville Salt Flats, It's as Fast as a Daytona

But while street-legal cars didn't get there until the 1980s, Dodge hit the magical 200-mph mark with the Charger Daytona at Talladega Superspeedway in 1970.

I am, of course, talking about a NASCAR-spec Daytona. While the production model was pretty much identical to its race-ready counterpart on the outside, it wasn't as fast. But thanks to modern technology, you can now build a regular Dodge Charger that will reach 200 mph. The 1968 Charger you see here is one of those cars.

Showcased by YouTube's "AutotopiaLA," this Charger started life as a mundane production vehicle with a 318-cubic-inch (5.2-liter) V8. Rated at 230 horsepower, the 318 struggled to push the heavy Charger toward the 120-mph (193-kph) mark.

But the muscle car was rebuilt for a TV series and got a much larger V8 under the hood. It was driven to 180 mph (290 kph) at the Bonneville Salt Flats and then it disappeared for about 15 years.

Recovered by the same guy who prepped it back in the day, the 1968 Charger was revived with a 426-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) Hemi block and a host of high-performance parts. The beefed-up mill has been dynoed at 510 horsepower and 566 pound-feet (767 Nm) of twist and the owner claims it's enough to propel the Charger to 200 mph.

And the Mopar looks like it's ready to hit the Bonneville Salt Flats any day of the week. It rocks aerodynamic wheel covers, a parachute mount, and a no-nonsense interior with bucket seats and an aluminum dashboard.

Sadly, the video below doesn't include footage of a top-speed run, but you'll see and hear it roar like crazy on public roads. Is it really capable of hitting 200 mph? Well, we won't know until Jimmy Shine takes it to Bonneville. But it doesn't even matter. This Mopar looks the part and sounds amazing. Hit play to check it out.