Vin Diesel’s Fast saga character, Dominic Toretto, has a thing for classic Dodge Chargers (and family—it’s a whole thing). So, it’s no surprise a 1968 Charger appears in the latest Fast film, F9. What is surprising, however, is the fact this classic muscle machine houses its engine behind the cabin. You’ll recall that an original ’68 Charger situates its engine in the nose.
Yep, Dom drives a mid-engined 1968 Charger in F9. And it is not only the engine’s placement that wows, either. Credit to the visionaries at SpeedKore who fitted this Charger with a modern 707-hp supercharged 6.2-liter “Hellcat” V-8. Then, to really put a cherry on top of this crazy cake, SpeedKore mated this big bent-eight to a Graziano transaxle from a Lamborghini Gallardo.
Dubbed “Hellacious,” this stick-shift Charger is a true street-ready high-performance vehicle that brings the magic of the big screen to the tarmac. Hellacious is no stunt car with budget pieces to compensate for its inevitable destruction, either. No, this is the real deal.
As such, SpeedKore also had to battle real-world issues to make Hellacious the road-going machine it is today. While the car’s custom intake and exhaust components help the Hellcat engine produce prodigious power, neither keeps the supercharged behemoth properly cooled. To prevent overheating, SpeedKore mounted a Saldana-sourced radiator to the front of Hellacious. It also fitted a number of rear-mounted intercoolers to the car’s rear end, which ensures the engine’s 2.4-liter supercharger gulps down cold air.
Handling improvements come courtesy of a Detroit Speed-sourced double-A arm front suspension and a double-wishbone rear suspension from Race Car Replicas. QA1-supplied shock absorbers and a new steering rack bring additional agility to this mighty Mopar. Additionally, a set of six-piston front and dual four-piston calipers from Brembo help bring Hellacious to a halt.
Although the inherent performance of Hellacious is eye-widening, it arguably comes second to the more than five-decade-old Charger’s looks. HRE-sourced 18-inch wheels, carbon fiber body panels, flared fenders, and a big glass rear window that exposes the engine’s massive supercharger, all complement the car’s classic Charger styling, including a set of hidden headlights, quad taillights, and steel bumpers.
Over-the-top, exciting, and surely expensive to create. Is Hellacious the automotive analog of the Fast saga? Now, if we can just figure out a way to get behind the wheel of this beast.