This carbon fiber-bodied Restomod was developed in collaboration with SpeedKore, resulting in an epic outcome.
Legendary designer Ralph Gilles recently joined Rob Dahm in a new episode of Top Gear’s American Tuned. In it, the duo takes a look at Gilles’ car collection before embarking on something truly special – a modified 1968 Dodge Charger with a Hellephant V8 engine producing 1013 horsepower (745 kW).
Gilles is no stranger to the power of Mopar products. After all, he is the head of design at Stellantis and was heavily involved in the development of the fifth generation Dodge Viper. He developed this Charger with the team at SpeedKore, and the end result is truly epic.
Under the hood lies the 1013 horsepower Hellephant V8 engine paired with an eight-speed ZF transmission. The body is fully made of carbon fiber, and the suspension and braking systems have been modernized to handle the power. We reported on the vehicle when it was first introduced, but now we can see Gilles take the wheel and tear up the track. Before that, he personally explains the reason behind naming it “Hellucination”.
However, the small details are also important. For example, the steering wheel is the same size as the original, but modernized. “That’s the whole point… you’re vibrating back and forth between the past and the future,” Gilles says. “The car is so many different systems working in harmony… your dream is to end up with something like this.”
This much power in something like a standard Charger would be more than enough to make a few donuts. In the Hellucination, which is lighter and stiffer, it’s almost a requirement. And from the video below, it looks like Gilles is well-acquainted with the ways to get it to slide.
