The ‘Hellucination’ Is A Custom, All-Carbon Dodge Charger That Stays Faithful To The Original

Overview

Cars like the old Charger are part of the very fabric of popular muscle car culture. Epitomized by shows like the Dukes of Hazzard back in the 70s, young Ralph developed an affinity for Mopar. The primary goal was to create a modern and bang-up to date interpretation of the all-American classic. After two long years of arduous work, the build is finally complete, and the results are nothing short of breathtaking.

“This was the first time we’ve had the client directly involved with a vehicle’s design process, and it was a lot of fun to help Ralph’s dream build come to life.” –
Jim Kacmarcik, president and owner of SpeedKore

Most Intensive All-Carbon-fiber build to date

The coupe is styled after the 1968 Dodge Charger, but with modern design elements like LED lighting, both front and rear made especially for this project. The build features a custom chassis with an all-carbon-fiber bodywork that comes alive with a Glasurit finish. It follows the same SpeedKore principles of ’Reduce Weight’ and ’Increase Power.’

The build features

• Custom SpeedKore frame with perimeter reinforcements and roll cage
• Full SpeedKore carbon fiber floor pan and wheel tubs
• SpeedKore carbon fiber front-hinged hood
• Custom SpeedKore valences front and rear
• Custom SpeedKore front spoiler

With a wide and low stance, the Hellucination sits considerably lower than a regular Charger.
Overall, this ride looks the business. Ralph goes on to add that the ’68 Charger has so many fascinating details that it continues to inspire the design team at Dodge to this day, as they go about designing the next generation of performance.

“In restoring this 68’, it was our mission to carefully and tastefully modernize countless details, adjust the proportions but to keep them faithful, reduce the weight yet keep it comfortable enough to drive cross country, and finally create a one-of-a-kind piece that the forefathers of the brand could only have dreamed of.” – Ralph Gilles

What’s the cabin like

The carbon though isn’t confined to just the bodywork. Step inside and that same theme continues, be it on the dash, the doors, or the rear quarter-panels. Gabe’s custom interiors along with RaceQuip have once again worked their magic in fitting custom seats that feature carbon-fiber seatbacks.

Classic instruments have created some fantastic analog gauges while a cracking 2000-watt Kicker audio system will keep you entertained if you ever get bored of the monster that lurks under the hood.

Pop the hood

Speaking of the engine, the Hellucination is powered by one of Mopar’s finest. A 7.0-liter Supercharged V8 ’Hellephant’ HEMI 426 crate engine that generates 1,000 horsepower. The engine breathes through custom carbon headers. You’ve also got a dry-sump lubrication system with a reservoir that sits in the trunk.

Both the oil and fuel lines run along with the custom frame, keeping things under the hood tidy. The V-8 is coupled to an eight-speed ZF transmission and you can listen to its growl thanks to that Magna-flow muffler.

SpeedKore has also vastly improved the dynamics of the car by fitting it with fully independent front and rear suspension, Penske coil-overs, a Woodward steering rack, and proper Brembo brakes for stopping power. Custom HRE rims, 19’s upfront, and 20’s at the rear wrapped in Michelin Pilot 4S tires complete the package.

Other SpeedKore Chargers

Famed for radical muscle car restoration projects, this isn’t the first time that SpeedKore Performance has worked with a Charger. They take the basic old-school formula and turn it up to eleven. Over the years, they have created a series of all-carbon old-school Chargers in-house. They include builds like the

Conclusion

Given its iconic shape and cult status, it’s hard not to see why the Dodge Charger continues to remain desirable nearly five decades on. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a clean example which is why the folks up in Grafton, Wisconsin have taken things into their own hands.

Catch the Hellucination in action in the video below