The word "Mopar" started off as a term for Chrysler’s parts brand. The name was a portmanteau of ‘motor parts.’ Despite the origins of this term, it's grown to be used by car enthusiasts to refer to any vehicle made by the Chrysler, Dodge, Plymouth or Jeep brands. Whether it’s the companies' modern cars or classics, there are many Mopars worth talking about. Featuring large V8 motors, sexy designs, and solid chassis engineering, its cars really are something special. The company still makes some of the most incredible cars from the factory to this day, such as the physics-bending Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk and the Dodge Challenger Demon, the quickest production car ever made.

While the Chrysler brands have generally been the lowest selling of the big three, they have nonetheless garnered a huge following. Chrysler has created many automotive innovations over the years that deserve to be celebrated. The Hemi V8, the shaker hood intake, and the pistol grip shifter are all iconic hallmarks of classic Mopar muscle. The rarity of classic Mopars has allowed such cars to appreciate more than many other cars of different brands. They’ve become popular due to their unique looks and their status as movie stars. Truly, Mopars can be the basis of some of the coolest car builds. So, let’s celebrate these 20 modified muscle cars and trucks of all generations from one incredible company.

20 G-Force ‘Cuda

Via g-forcecuda.com

The 1971 Plymouth Barracuda may be one of the coolest muscle-car designs in the world. Its finned grille and quad-headlight design make it a unique looker. Johnson’s Hot Rod Shop decided to transform this epic ride into an even more badass vehicle. The G-Force ‘Cuda is lowered and chopped to the perfect proportions for such a show car.

The body has had its bumpers completely redesigned to fit snugly against the body, making this old car look modern.

The billboard Hemi logo on the side is subtle but adds depth to the car’s profile. And the black on the hood and the top of the fenders isn’t paint—that’s carbon fiber. The G-Force ‘Cuda is powered by an 870 horsepower Hemi and a six-speed manual. That’ll spin those huge rims for days.

19 Dodge Ram SRT 10 ‘6,000 Pound Bullet’

Via Hot Rod

The Dodge Ram SRT 10 is one of the quickest trucks ever released from the factory. Its 500-horsepower V10 motor allowed the regular cab variant of the truck to achieve a top speed of 154 miles per hour. However, for some, that just wasn’t enough.

Mike Brady built his Dodge Ram SRT 10 crew cab to produce double the factory power using methanol, a supercharger, and a lot of other go-fast parts.

All these upgrades resulted in a huge pickup that can do the quarter mile in 10 seconds. That’s a heavy pickup that can beat supercars. Hot Rod Magazine referred to this Ram as a 6,000-pound bullet, and it’s no wonder why. It’s especially impressive given that the Ram relies on only the rear wheels to move all that mass.

18 1973 Plymouth ‘Cuda’

Via Fuel Tank

Can a car be so cool that it can stand out even when it looks unfinished? Well, Aaron Beck found a way to do that. While the car started out as a 1973 Barracuda, it’s been through many changes. Beck built the car himself with the intent to make it as fun to drive as possible. The car has gone through significant changes since he first bought it. Since then, the car has been completely redone, now with 1971 ‘Cuda front fenders and valance, but no grille or headlights, instead using LED strips for blinkers and removable headlights. Despite this, the Cuda still looks badass in such a simplistic way. The Cuda really looks like a blend of a drift missile and a rat rod combined into one incredible machine.

17 Hennessey Venom Dodge Viper

Via Hennessey

If there’s one thing that you don’t expect to hear, it’s someone saying that the Viper is too slow. For those brave (or stupid) individuals, Hennessey created the Venom kit to hopefully satiate that thirst for too much power.

Not to be confused with the Lotus-based Hennessey Venom GT, the Venom package for the Viper gives the car two turbochargers that allow the motor to generate a total of 1,120 horsepower.

That’s more than enough to get a Viper around a track. Hennessey claims the car will do zero to 60 in under three seconds and run the quarter mile in nine seconds, making it faster than every supercar ever made while retaining a manual transmission. If you feel that 640 horsepower isn’t enough for the Viper, Hennessey will fix that problem.

16 Dodge Little Red Wagon

Via RM Sotheby's

While Dodge has made a number of hot-rod pickups, the A100 isn’t the usual affair. It didn’t start life as a pickup but rather as a van. It may look weird, but it made for a practical truck at the time. While the Dodge A100 was an early example of a factory V8-powered van, it wasn’t fast. This unique truck didn’t come from the factory with a lot of muscle, but that didn’t stop Jim Schaeffer and John Collier from building an A100 into a powerful machine. The Little Red Wagon had its original motor replaced with a 426 Hemi that was relocated to the bed of the truck. This pickup was designed for drag racing, but the Little Red Wagon proved to be a solid wheelie car as well. The Little Red Wagon became famous over the years and is now a Mopar icon.

15 World’s Fastest Hellcat

Via Gear Heads

The Dodge Challenger Hellcat already comes from the factory as one of the fastest muscle cars ever made, so it takes a lot to make the Hellcat quicker. Epling Garage, however, found a way to make their Hellcat a noteworthy entry in the model’s history.

Faster than a Demon, Epling’s Hellcat runs eight-second quarter miles at over 150 miles per hour, making it both the quickest and fastest Hellcat through the quarter mile.

To make this car even more impressive, the Hellcat has stock motor internals, including the supercharger. With that said, this car is still far from stock, with giant slicks, custom suspension, and various external mods to the motor, such as a smaller supercharger pulley for more boost. It’ll take a lot of work to beat this record holder.

14 1966 Imperial ‘Tyrant’

Via Speed Tech

Chrysler’s Imperial brand was a Mopar alternative to Cadillac and Lincoln back in the 20th century. The Imperial brand made luxury vehicles that featured many firsts for cars, such as standard four-wheel disc brakes. However, despite being powered by big block V8 motors, these luxury yachts weren't performance machines, but that didn’t stop people from trying to change that. Instead of using the Imperial’s capable V8 from the factory, HPI Customs wanted a little more oomph in the form of a supercharged Viper V10. This Imperial, called ‘Tyrant,’ had its old, elegant, chrome lines redone and paired with new, large rims to create an aggressive new look for the car. With its hood pins and five-point harnesses, you won’t find much luxury left in this car. This old boat is no longer the highway cruiser it once was.

13 Mr. Norm’s Red Xpress

Via Mr. Norms

Many know about muscle trucks, pickups with large motors that are designed to out-accelerate sports cars. This particular trend really gathered traction in the ‘90s with the GMC Syclone and Ford F-150 Lightning, resulting in several amazingly fast pickups in the 2000s. However, there was a performance truck made more than a decade prior to the Syclone, a Dodge called the ‘Lil Red Express.

This pickup featured a powerful V8, exhaust stacks, and a wild paint job.

While such a such a truck would never be made today, Mopar legend Mr. Norm created a modern interpretation of the legendary pickup using the modern Ram 1500, this time called the "Red Xpress." This pickup mirrored many of the original truck’s features, including the exhaust stacks, the wood-trimmed bed, and that crazy paint job. If you want a truck that'll gather a lot of attention, the Red Xpress will do just that.

12 Hotchkis E-Max Challenger

Via Auto Blog

Dodges aren’t usually well regarded for their cornering ability, something that still carries on with their modern cars. However, this doesn’t mean that these cars are incapable of cornering like a champ with small modifications. Hotchkis decided to build a 1970 Challenger into a cornering machine called the E-Max. It’s powered by a largely unmodified Six-Pak 340 V8 that the car came with. Of course, the power isn’t necessary for great handling. Hotchkis is obviously not a new player in the suspension game, so the brand knows how to build a solid track car. The E-Max’s handling impressed many automotive journalists, with Autoblog saying that it felt like a go-kart. Surprisingly, Hotchkiss claimed the modifications are light in comparison to many purpose-built autocross machines. And its classic T/A looks are just icing on the cake.

11 Convertible Hellcat

Via Car Scoops

The Challenger is a potent muscle car for those looking for a modern muscle car with retro styling. However, if there’s one option the Challenger has lacked, it’s a convertible variant. There are several companies that offer a conversion for the standard Challenger, but it’s something entirely different to remove the roof of a Hellcat. A Hellcat convertible is an insane choice for open-top driving. Its 707 horsepower will easily make a mess of your hair in seconds. The first example, a white Hellcat, was built by a dealership in South Dakota, under the approval of Ralph Gilles, Fiat Chrysler’s Head of Design. As wild as this conversion is, it’s only a matter of time before someone else decides to build a convertible Demon to top this car.

10 Mad Matt Chrysler 300

Via Hot Rod

The Chrysler 300 is a car that can be perceived in many ways. To some, it’s a car with a lot of bling, while to others, it’s a businessman’s hotrod or perhaps a garish faux luxury car. However, when it comes to ‘Mad’ Matt Leischer’s 300, you know exactly what it’s supposed to be the second that supercharger comes into view. And of course, the builder’s name gives the car’s motif away as well. Despite the Chrysler’s usually classier appearance, that giant supercharger very much fits this car’s appearance. If the car looks filthy to you, that’s because Matt drives this car daily. It required a new motor after the factory Hemi dropped a valve at nearly 200,000 miles—not bad for a modified motor. While it may not be the fastest car on this list, it absolutely earns its place as one cool car.

9 General Mayhem

Via Roadkill

Roadkill is a hugely popular web series starring Hot Rod Magazine’s Mike Finnegan and David Freiburger as they rebuild rotten classic cars so they can take perilous journeys in them. One of their more popular creations was a ratty 1968 Dodge Charger powered by an RV motor. Known as the "General Mayhem," an homage to General Lee from Dukes of Hazzard, this General was raced on a rally course, autocross, and was heavily modified to race against the well-known Gas Monkey Garage.

While it started life as a junker, this Charger has been rebuilt with a Hellcat powertrain and was redesigned for drag racing.

Regardless of what it’s used for, the General mayhem is an excellent example of how an amazing car can come from nothing.

8 Superbird Challenger

Via Motor1

In 1969, Dodge released the Charger Daytona, a Charger with a special nose cone and a huge rear wing designed for NASCAR. The next year, the car was redesigned as the Plymouth Superbird, now based on the Road Runner but still retaining a nose cone and a humongous spoiler. These cars have become one of the most valuable muscle cars in the world due to their rarity and unique styling. While Dodge has made modern Dodge Charger Daytonas, those cars were merely sticker packages. Several companies, however, have decided to go the extra mile and create body kits to convert contemporary Challengers into true modern Superbirds and Daytonas. These cars may look ridiculous to some, but the originals did, too. The body kits even seem to be functional, as one owner has gotten their heavily modified Superbird Challenger up to 194 miles per hour in the standing mile.

7 Cannonball Run Bluesmobile

Via Arne's Antics

One of the most well-known Mopars in movie history isn’t a Charger or a Challenger (though there are still plenty of those in movies, too) but instead a rusty Dodge Monaco. The Bluesmobile is truly an iconic car and has led to many to try to recreate the classic movie car. However, this particular Bluesmobile has a special claim to fame.

This old Dodge was specially modified for one purpose: coast-to-coast racing.

It was given a long-range gas tank, comfortable seats, and a more dependable Chevy LS V8 (sorry Mopar guys). This car not only competed in the 2016 C2C Express but actually won the race and set the record for the fastest classic car in the Cannonball Run. Now that’ll get you to Chicago in time to save the orphanage.

6 Fastest Dodge Magnum

Via Allpar

The Dodge Magnum is the cult classic of modern Mopar muscle. It was a car perfect for those who wanted a lot of horsepower and a practical wagon. Available in many different flavors, the most potent model featured a 425-horsepower 6.1-liter Hemi that was good for a low 13-second quarter mile time. But some people wanted more than that. Robert Lamb was one of those people.

His car may be the fastest Magnum ever made, able to fly through the quarter mile in eight seconds.

The factory Hemi was ditched for a 408-cubic inch V8 with a couple of turbochargers thrown on it for even more power. However, regardless of how amazing the powertrain is, the car’s most impressive party trick is how it retains its full interior. Even Dodge couldn’t get the Demon into the 9s without throwing the seats out.

5 Blown 1973 Chrysler Valiant Ute

Via Street Machine

While the Chrysler corporation is American, it doesn’t sell the same cars everywhere. In Australia, the company sold models that differed from their American cars, including a completely unique Charger with a six-cylinder Hemi. However, out of all the Australian Mopars, the most intriguing model has to be the Chrysler Valiant Ute. Unlike the U.S. market, Chrysler decided to make an El Camino competitor for those in the southern hemisphere. One owner from down under decided to transform their car into a tire-shredding machine. Painted purple for extra Mopar goodness, this Ute has a 440 Chrysler V8 fitted under the hood—although the supercharger doesn’t quite fit under there. While there are many examples of insane drag cars and burnout machines from Australia, it’s unique to find a Chrysler among the crowd.

4 1969 Dodge Charger Defector

Via Ringbrothers

The Ringbrothers are world-famous car builders, transforming many cars, both bland and exciting, into incredible works of art. While their cars can have styling wild enough to resemble a Hot Wheels car more than a real one, their 1969 Dodge Charger is a wonderful example of "less is more." Called "Defector," this Charger has a largely stock-looking exterior, painted in a beautiful but subtle dark green color. They even went for an understated approach for the rims. Despite the wheels being 19 inches, considerably larger than the original ones, the design is meant to be reminiscent of the dog-dish wheels from the factory and are painted in the body color. But don’t think that's a factory car underneath. It has a custom 6.4-liter Hemi under the hood and a modified suspension and brakes to handle the new grunt.

3 Petty’s Garage 2016 Challenger Scat Pack

Via Hot Rod

Petty’s Garage, associated with the famous NASCAR driver Richard Petty, has produced many amazing cars with crazy amounts of horsepower. The company even produced a few of the Challenger Superbird cars. However, its coolest Mopar of late is their 2016 Challenger Scat Pack.

With a supercharged 6.4-liter Hemi that produces 700 horsepower, this car is plenty fast.

While this car does produce the same amount of horsepower as a Hellcat, this model is better for a number of reasons. The power wasn’t the point of this particular model. No, instead, Petty’s Garage focused on improving the handling of the large Challenger. With a heavily modified suspension and grippy tires, this Challenger obtained the lofty goal of neutral handling, an impressive feat for a two-ton coupe. Plus, that Petty race-car paint job looks incredible.

2 Plymouth ‘Pissed Off’ Valiant

Via Greening Auto Company

The Plymouth Valiant wasn't a special car back in the day. It was the lower-end version of the Dodge Dart, which, with the exception of extremely rare muscle-car variants, was an ordinary daily driver. However, its strong character lines have aged particularly well in comparison to other daily drivers from the ‘60s and the ‘70s. As a result, they’ve become popular as a budget muscle-car alternative. It’s obvious that this ‘Pissed Off’ Valiant is something special the second you see the worn pea-green paint. It has a modern 550-horsepower Hemi and a six-speed manual transmission. What really makes the worn appearance work are the velocity stacks poking through the hood and the intricate knock-off wheels. This is one Plymouth that you don’t want to mess with.

1 1970 Dodge Coronet ‘Mutant Bee’

Via Plum Floored Creations

The 1970 Dodge Coronet was a unique-looking beast from the factory, featuring its bee-wing grille and wraparound bumpers. This was likely an unpopular style when it was new, as it only lasted one model year. However, today this Coronet and its Super Bee variant are popular cars in the muscle-car scene, mostly due to those unique looks. Arizona’s Plum Floored Creations has some experience with this particular model; the garage named itself after a Super Bee they built. However, the Mutant Bee is likely the best-looking Super Bee ever made. It’s a bright-green monster that sits low on black rims with evil-looking halo headlights. This car is also fitted with updated hardware, including a modern SRT Hemi to make it drive as good as it looks.

Sources: g-forcecuda.com, Speed Tech, autoevolution, Wikipedia