Abimelec Arellano, an automotive concept and design artist, has created a fresh new car render of a modified 1966 Dodge Charger. As Arellano includes in the post, the '66 Charger is not among the most celebrated years of the classic muscle car but a few design changes give the car a more iconic, memorable look.
Take a look at the design render and decide for yourself if the changes in this render make the 1966 Dodge Charger a tougher-looking more memorable classic.
1966 Dodge Charger Render
One of the things that Arellano adds to his renderings that set them apart from other digital artists is design elements that make the car appear used with minor imperfections including "pitting, scratches, orange peel, etc."
Arellano feels this is particularly essential for renderings of older cars. The subtle addition adds to the realistic look of the render and in this post, the photos do look as though they could be of an actual classic Dodge.
Arellano chose a 1966 Charger to experiment on because, as described in the post, that model year is "a mostly forgotten body style thanks to the absolute home run the 1968 to 1970 Charger was. Still, it is a gorgeous car and just as cool in my book, when done right."
To make the changes to the car, Arellano added a custom grille, inspired by the design of the 1968 Dodge Charger. Making this change gave the '66 more of a "bad boy" face that the Charger has become synonymous with.
A Private Detective Vibe
The deeper, blacked-out grille solves the problem of adding toughness to the front of the car, giving a "Private detective" vibe. The goal is to make the car both taken care of and also well-used, as if it's prepared for duty.
The engine for this render is a 6.4-liter HEMI V8 and the Charger rides on Goodyear Billboard tires for a period-correct look. Along with the tires, a set of Mopar Dog Dish hubcaps and matched steelies complete the look of this render.
The changes to the car illustrate the difference that a subtle rendering can make of a production vehicle. The post includes several images of various angles of the car, all of which appear realistic and natural, exactly the goal that Arellano was aiming for.
The Dodge Charger is one of the most iconic and widely known muscle cars with a history of over fifty years. While classic Chargers will always be popular among enthusiasts of classic cars and muscle cars alike, the modern Dodge Charger remains one of the fastest and most powerful cars available on sale today.
It is a proper follow-up to its predecessors that came before it, including the 1966 Charger which paved the way for the most iconic model years that would follow it.