Top Gear recently got to spend some time with Head of Stellantis Design, Ralph Gilles to not only check out his own personal car collection but to check out his carbon-fiber-bodied 1968 Dodge Charger R/T dubbed ‘Hellucination’.
Starting its current stage in life as a rusty barn find, Gilles took his ideas for the ultimate 1968 Dodge Charger R/T to Wisconsin-based SpeedKore Performance Group. The result is a Charger with 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.
Hellucination gets its name from its all-aluminum 7.0-liter (426 cubic-inch) HEMI “HELLEPHANT” V8 crate engine featuring a mammoth 3.0-liter IHI supercharger on top. That means it’s good for 1,000 horsepower and 950 lb.-ft. of torque right out of the crate. Of course, this one features a set of 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.
Power is put to the ground, thanks to a ZF-sourced 8-speed automatic transmission.
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.
Check out Top Gear’s Rob Dahm, take a tour of Ralph’s garage, and take some laps at M1 Concourse in Pontiac, Michigan behind the wheel of this beautiful 1,000-horsepower carbon-fiber B-body.
