2008 Dodge Challenger on 2040-cars

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Watching a 2010 Dodge Challenger become a Plymouth GTX is a restomod education

We cover a lot of restomods, many of them one-off SEMA show cars and low-volume builds from professional shops that sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Autoevolution tells the story of Steve Mirabelli, who creates Mopar restomods as a hobby when home from his day job as a NASCAR Sprint Cup car builder for Hendrick Motorsports. Working on his own, the stuff we've seen from Mirabelli so far deserves to sit at the same table as Kore and Ring Brothers. First he spent four years turning a 2006 Dodge Charger SRT8 into a 1968 Dodge Charger, the cardinal feat being the proportions; many builds leave the modern Charger's thick sides uniting a nosecone and high Daytona wing. Mirabelli didn't let himself off so easy, finding a '68 Charger abandoned in a field to lay over the '06 chassis, then working the proportions — such as adding 11 inches to the wheelbase — so that the 20-inch wheels look like they could have been stock fitment in '68.    His current build is recasting a 2010 Dodge Challenger R/T into a thid-gen Plymouth GTX, May 6 representing two years since the first video documenting the process. These videos are another highlight. For anyone who's ever wanted to see every step in how the professionals turn classic cars into modern monsters, Mirabelli's criminally under-watched YouTube channel is the place to go. There are 43 videos so far on the GTX transformation, with Mirabelli taking time to explain and demonstrate his thought process and methods every step of the way. It's an online course in restomodding, maybe the perfect final binge before returning to our outdoor lives.  Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.    

All hail the Hellephant, Mopar's 1,000-horsepower crate engine

It's shocking to say this, but the all-powerful Dodge Demon looks weak now that Mopar has unleashed the Hellephant. This crate motor makes 1,000 horsepower and 950 pound-feet of torque, and its name is a combination of the nickname for the old 426-cubic-inch Hemi V8 and, obviously, the Hellcat. This monster is a 426-cubic-inch version of the current third-generation Hemi V8 topped by a supercharger similar to what the Hellcat line packs. Everything is cranked up to — or perhaps, past — 11. The engine block is made of aluminum and weighs 100 pounds less than the equivalent iron block. All of the internals are forged. The stroke and bore have been increased. The supercharger produces 15 pounds of boost and displaces 3 liters; more than the 2.7-liter blower on the Demon and the 2.4-liter blower on the Hellcat. And as big and powerful as it is, it will still rev to 7,000 rpm. It's a thoroughly monstrous motor, but shockingly, it won't be that difficult to live with. For one thing, Mopar will offer a complete kit to get the engine up and running, including an engine computer, wiring harness and drive-by-wire throttle. It also runs on 93-octane pump gas. That's especially amazing considering the Demon engine "only" makes 840 horsepower, and that's on race gas with 100+ octane fuel. It also has us wondering what the Hellephant could make on racing fuel. The Mopar folks did say that there's room to add more power. Pricing wasn't announced for the Hellephant engine. The Hellcat crate engine retails at $19,350 directly from Mopar, so it's safe to assume that the Hellephant will go for more. The installation kit with the computer and harness will be an extra charge of likely over $2,000, based on the Hellcat kit. The engine and the kit will be available in the first quarter of 2019. Related Video: Featured Gallery Hellephant Crate Engine SEMA Show Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM Performance dodge demon hellephant

2015 Dodge Challenger looks fresh, still plenty retro [w/video]

It was the Ford Mustang that kicked off the retro-styled muscle car renaissance back in 2005, but it was the Dodge Challenger that served as the movement's poster child, with its unabashedly retro looks. Over the years, though, as the Mustang and the Chevrolet Camaro were freshened and upgraded, the look of the big Dodge has remained largely consistent since its 2008 debut. For 2015, the Challenger has received a big freshening, boasting strongly revised front and rear ends and (finally, finally, finally) a redesigned interior.
Let's talk about that new cabin first. It's basically been plucked directly from the redesigned Charger, and boasts the same seven-inch IP display. The center stack's miserable, last-gen display has been replaced by an expansive, 8.4-inch UConnect system. Material quality should see a solid boost with the new cabin, as well.
The exterior, meanwhile, sees a revised front fascia with LED halo lights, as well as new grille inserts. A functional shaker hood scoop is a must-have extra on the V8 models, while the back of the car is highlighted by a new set of LED taillights that don't use the "Racetrack" design of Dodge's other models.