Ralph Gilles’ New Carbon-Fiber 1968 Dodge ‘Hellucination’ Charger By SpeedKore!

SpeedKore Performance Group is known for its carbon-fiber composite Mopar, Chevrolet, and Ford builds. Built for Head of Stellantis Design, Ralph Gilles, this 1968 Dodge Charger R/T is SpeedKore’s most carbon-fiber-intensive build to date. This bespoke Charger build features a full carbon-fiber body, floor, and wheel tubs mounted to a custom perimeter frame by SpeedKore with a wider track, giving the car a more menacing stance and improved handling characteristics than the original car.

 

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“With its fully custom carbon-fiber floor, wheel tubs, and body, the ‘Hellucination’ Charger is our most extreme build yet,” said Jim Kacmarcik, President and owner of SpeedKore Performance Group. “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.”

 

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“Hellucination” gets its name from an all-aluminum 7.0-liter (426 cubic-inch) HEMI “HELLEPHANT” V8 crate engine with a mammoth 3.0-liter IHI supercharger on top. The results are 1,000 horsepower and 950 lb.-ft. of torque at the crank, right from the OEM. To help put that power down to the ground is a ZF-sourced 8-speed automatic transmission. The HELLEPHANT breathes through custom SpeedKore-fabricated headers and an exhaust system with MagnaFlow mufflers. The car uses a dry-sump oiling system and a fuel cell, both with trunk-mounted reservoirs. The oil and fuel lines are run inside the SpeedKore custom frame, delivering a low and clean look while keeping the lines out of harm’s way.

 

 

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The custom SpeedKore frame with perimeter reinforcements and roll cage delivers a low stance and wider track for improved handling dynamics. It rides on a double A-arm front suspension from Detroit Speed and a custom four-bar diagonal link rear suspension by SpeedKore. An Ididit steering column and Woodward steering rack improve agility, while Penske dual-adjustable coil-overs add composure.

 

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Brembo 6-piston calipers up front and dual Brembo 4-piston calipers out back help “Hellucination” come to a quick halt. To help put all that power down to the road are custom HRE “Hellucination” 19-inch x 9-inch front and 20-inch x 12-inch rear wheels wrapped in 265/35ZR19 and 345/30ZR20 Michelin Pilot Sport 4S rubber.

 

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The car also features a front-hinged SpeedKore carbon-fiber “Demon” styled hood, custom front and rear SpeedKore valances, and one-off LED 1968 model year Charger headlamps and taillights from Dapper Lighting. The car’s body panels are rendered entirely in carbon-fiber, showcased by a clear finish using BASF Glasurit.

 

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The carbon-fiber extends into the interior with a custom carbon-fiber 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.

 

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“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 Gilles. “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.”

 

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“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.”

 

Source: SpeedKore

 

 

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