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Let’s face it, we love old Mopars with every fiber in our bodies. But if we were honest, we’d admit they are ancient machines that can never really ditch their old school, 20th-century roots. For some, that may be the perfect brew, but for others who have sampled the delights of modern muscle, a stock sixties muscle car is hard to revisit.

What if you could rethink a classic Charger with age-defying nips and tucks, a lightweight carbon fiber body, and the most up-to-date hardware available on the market today? If you’re Ralph Gilles, big cheese Stellantis designer, anything goes, especially if you have a top-notch builder onboard. For those who don’t know Mr. Gilles, he’s best known for bringing us the Chrysler 300, Magnum, Charger, and Challenger and resurrecting Mopar Performace as we know it today. He is currently Chief of Design at Chrysler, I mean Stellantis.

SpeedKore, the supercar shop known for its carbon-fiber vehicles and composite parts, unveiled its most ambitious project to date, the 1968 Dodge Charger “Hellucination,” built for Gilles. This completely custom Charger features a full carbon-fiber body mounted to a SpeedKore perimeter frame for a wider track, and a hunkered-down stance with modern supercar handling.

SpeedKore head honcho Jim Kacmarcik elaborates and tells us more, “With its fully custom carbon-fiber floor, wheel tubs, and body, the ‘Hellucination’ Charger is our most extreme build yet. 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 come to life.”

“Hellucination” is powered by a 1,000-horsepower Dodge Hellephant 7.0L V8 and all that grunt is sent to the rear wheels via a ZF eight-speed transmission. The big HEMI  breathes through custom SpeedKore-fabricated headers and exhaust with MagnaFlow mufflers. The car also employs a dry-sump oiling system and a fuel cell, both with trunk-mounted reservoirs. The oil and fuel lines are tucked into the frame, delivering a low ride height while keeping the arteries safe from manhole covers.

“Hellucination” rides on a SpeedKore frame with perimeter reinforcements, double A-arm front suspension from Detroit Speed, and a custom four-bar diagonal link rear suspension. An Ididit steering column and Woodward take care of tiller duties, while Penske dual-adjustable coilovers keep the handling from getting crazy.

Brembo six-piston calipers up front and dual Brembo four-piston calipers out back, drop the anchor when it’s time to slow down. Custom HRE 19×9-inch front and 20×12-inch rear rims with 265/35ZR19 and 345/30ZR20 Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires help “Helluctionation” hug the tarmac.

In addition to its full carbon-fiber floor and wheel tubs – a first for SpeedKore – “Hellucination” features a front-hinged SpeedKore carbon-fiber hood, custom front, and rear SpeedKore valances and one-off LED 1968 Charger head and taillights from Dapper Lighting.

“Hellucination’s” body panels are rendered entirely in carbon fiber, showcased by a BASF Glasurit clear finish. The carbon fiber extends into the interior with a custom dash, door panels, and rear interior quarter panels. The seats feature carbon-fiber backs and upholstery by Gabe’s Custom Interiors with RaceQuip four-point harnesses to keep driver and passenger in place, while gauges from Classic Instruments relay necessary information to the driver. A custom SpeedKore center console and 2,000-watt Bluetooth-driven audio system from KICKER Audio complete the interior experience.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed the process with SpeedKore over the last two years, working together and thoughtfully debating the countless details of this build,” said Ralph Gilles, Chief Design Officer, Stellantis. Growing up watching a certain orange car doing amazing things on TV as a kid started a love affair with the Dodge Charger and Mopar. The ‘68 embodies so many fascinating details and amplifies the Dodge ethos perfectly. We still use it as a spiritual reference to this day as we design the next generation of performance cars. The car is as visceral to drive as it is to look at. It has deliciously precise steering and an abundance of lateral grip that allows me to truly put it through its paces.”

“In trusting SpeedKore with this build, it was about fusing the best of modern muscle tech as faithfully as possible in an all-carbon-fiber body that honors a legend that still looks great 54 years later,” continued Gilles. “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.”

So, we still dig Chargers but now with every carbon fiber in our bodies. For more info on “Hellucination” and SpeedKore, go here.

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