Today, the pony and muscle car world is about to (almost) run out of ICE because the Dodge Charger and Challenger will be no longer with Hemi V8s after the 2023 model year, and the 2024 Chevy Camaro will also end its run with a Collector’s Edition.
Stellantis has decided that it needs to embrace the EV revolution and its many brands will start thinking just like Tesla has been dreaming about a battery world for more than a decade. Dodge, for example, will switch to a Banshee EV lifestyle with no less than nine power levels when it is time to put the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept into production – which is after people will have their fills of ‘Last Call’ special ICE editions, of course.
General Motors, meanwhile, is focusing on stuff like the GMC Sierra EV and Chevy Silverado EV, Equinox EV, and Blazer (SS) EV – so it was not so surprising that it does not have the time and appetence to cook up a Chevy Camaro successor. Besides, the dismal sales of the sixth generation were a clear indicator that something needed to be done. For the time being, although they say this is not the end of the nameplate’s story, that would be to cease production in January 2024 after the arrival of the teased Collector’s Edition.
Alone, the 2024 Ford Mustang will soldier on with EcoBoost and Coyote V8 mills to keep the ICE banner up, which could mean that it is going to get a massive boost in sales from disgruntled GM and Mopar fans. Even if the base model starts at almost $31k and the Dark Horse is close to $60k – so we can only imagine the MSRPs of potentially upcoming Shelbys. Anyway, that does not mean one cannot have the perfect muscle car anymore, especially if you love both classic and modern cars.
In that case, and if money is of no concern, then a feisty restomod is just around the corner. If you also do not mind the astonished looks of both Mopar and Blue Oval fans, plus the potential runaways trying to scream their outrage to the world, you could also do well with a model mashup. But before embarking on such an intriguing endeavor, maybe it’s best to gauge interest with a digital presentation. And no worries, if you were thinking about mixing a 1967 Ford Mustang Fastback with a 1969 Dodge Charger R/T, then someone is already ahead of you – virtually, that is.
Photo: mikedog / Instagram
Meet Mike Dog, the author of “bloody renders,” aka _mikedog_ on social media, who we recently discovered across the alternate universe of car CGIs because he has “redesigned the contours of (two) appealing cars” to please our minds and souls – aka a ’67 Fastback and a ’69 Charger R/T. His project is nicknamed ‘Griffin,’ for undisclosed reasons, and was initially an ensemble effort undertaken alongside a fellow socialite friend (aka yaryi45). Originally, this CGI mashup was dressed in Bullitt-style green and featured an assortment of racing parts because it was solely meant for the track.
These two legends have then become sort of a recurring theme for the author after he started wondering if “the Charger ate the Mustang or did the Mustang eat the Charger?” While we ruminate on that thought, one should also pay a visit to the gallery above because the project was redressed in various attire, including the crimson ‘DareDevil’ or the silver take with a ’68 Charger grille and official BBS wheels. However, no matter how you feel about the idea of mashing up a couple of diehard competitors, even if it were only their long-out-of-production vintage versions, there is one last CGI hero to marvel at.
As always, beauty is solely in the eye of the beholder, but I bet that – if ever real – some of the diehard Mopar or Blue Oval fans would not want to have anything to do with this ’67 Mustang x ’69 Charger digital project would easily get persuaded to experience a proverbial change of heart. That is, because, in the end, there is something better than that. Aka, a ‘Griffin’ with Forgiato Estendere-PO forged aftermarket wheels, an extreme widebody kit, a thoroughly slammed attitude, a cool orange paintjob, and “of course, what every American muscle car needs, a supercharger.” Still, there was one question left to answer: “what engine is in it?”
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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