Out of all the American carmakers that ever existed, some played their cards right and were able to remain in business despite having gone through difficult times. Dodge is one of them. The company faced some severe challenges between the late 1970s and early 2000s, but ultimately got back on its feet.
Dodge's Charger and Challenger are the best muscle cars ever made by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. They are among the best muscle cars people can pick to modify. Thanks to their very robust engines and muscly designs, Chargers and Challengers became some of the best cars to turn into absolute beasts.
10 Charger: Hellephant
Over the last couple of years, restomod projects seem to have been far more popular than modified modern cars. Since classics have a feel that newer cars are simply missing, adding modern technology to a classic is basically having the best of both worlds. As tuners have shown what they were capable of doing, car company-accredited tuners jumped on the bandwagon.
This 1969 Charger should be among the sickest restomodded muscle cars. First, the charcoal paint is simply gorgeous. The humongous rims were tastefully chosen and fit perfectly with the fender flares. However, the real deal is lodged under the hood. A $30,000 426ci V8 Mopar with a 3.0L supercharger that produces a rather hysterical 1,000hp is found resting there, waiting to launch it down the quarter-mile.
9 Challenger: Havoc
The Dodge Challenger was a real game-changer when it was first released in the 1970s. Though the car had to compete with some legendary muscle cars such as the Mustang or the Corvette, the Challenger rapidly became an iconic vehicle that genuine muscle heads would appreciate.
This Challenger is nothing like it was back in 1970. Though the looks of the car have not been drastically changed, the car underwent some of the most insane modifications even. Featured at SEMA, the Havoc is fitted with a 572ci Hemi V8 complimented with a ProCharger F3R supercharger. This bagged Challenger produces a staggering 2,500hp.
8 Charger: Defector
The Dodge Charger was made popular again thanks to the Fast And Furious movie franchise where Vin Diesel popped a wheelie when racing Paul Walker and his Supra. Fast-forward twenty years and the restomod fad is well and alive. It is quite logical that tuners tried to replicate a car that is as aggressive and fast as the one depicted in Fast And Furious.
This is the type of Dodge Chargers muscle car fans would love to own. First, it was made by Ringbrothers and required 4,700 hours of work. Second, the Defector was featured at SEMA which is telltale sign that the car is absolutely mind-blowing. Equipped with a 6.4L Hemi V8, the Defector is not the most powerful restomod out there, but still is a very impressive vehicle.
7 Challenger: Shakedown
Dodge's accredited tuner, Mopar, has been around for so long that when Dodge was unable to produce amazing vehicles between the late 1970s and early 2000s, it was sad to not have the usual Mopar monsters featured at the most popular car shows. Thankfully, Dodge got its act together and is now once again giving Mopar something to work with.
This beautifully modified 1969 Challenger was on Mopar's booth at SEMA. The car received some extensive bodywork. The interior was also completely transformed and even equipped with a roll cage. The only somewhat negative point is the fact that the engine under the hood is a stock 6.4L Hemi V8. It still develops 485hp, but it would be nice to see a 2.7L supercharger on the engine. A car of that standing deserves to create a supercharger whine.
6 Charger: Lightweight
There has been debates between muscle and import car fans for decades now. One of the main arguments is that muscle cars are extremely heavy. In fact, classic muscle cars with their original engine crates can be a bit sluggish. However, that does not apply to classic muscle cars across the board. Tuners out there have worked on decreasing muscle cars' weight for a while now. This Charger is the perfect example.
Purists will say this Charger is an abomination, while restomod fans will agree that this Charger is nearing perfection. The body of the car is fully made of carbon fiber thus making this classic a whole lot lighter. Under the hood is a supercharged 6.2L Hemi V8. The same V8 found in the Dodge Demon. Thanks to additional modifications, this beast produces 966hp at the wheel.
5 Challenger: Rough And Tough
The muscle car scene is not exclusive to America. Muscle cars have been around in the land down under for over fifty years. Though they are produced by American conglomerates such as Ford Motors and General Motors, they have something very unique and very Australian.
Though the Australian muscle car scene is highly overlooked, it is just as big as its American counterpart. This Challenger really shows that Australians know how to build monsters. Equipped with a supercharged 500ci V8, this highly modified engine crate produces 1,192hp at the wheels.
4 Charger: Dream Giveaway
It is fair to say that Dodge is dominating the domestic sports sedan market. Its Charger SRT-8 was by far one of the best fast sedans until recently. Upon the release of the Charger Hellcat, Dodge reshaped the market. There is nothing that looks as aggressive and performs as well on the track than the Charger Hellcat.
This Hellcat was modified by Forza Tuning and allegedly produces over 1,000hp. That is pretty normal so far. The best thing about this car is that it is a prize. That is correct. A prize. It is possible to win this Charger Hellcat and a $20,000 cash prize on top. The winner of this Hellcat will be one lucky muscle car fan.
3 Challenger: Cerberus
The Challenger. There is nothing else like it in Dodge's portfolio. It is the only two-door coupe the carmaker ever released that was able to recover from the dark ages of the muscle car. Granted, it was once a Mitsubishi, it is fair to say that the Challenger raised from its ashes and became once again an iconic car.
An overabundance of stickers can be a huge turn-off. This Challenger could do with fewer stickers, but it will get a pass as it is not American-made. This German Hellcat Cerberus was tuned to produce 890hp. That is quite impressive for a foreign-tuned domestic car. GeigerCars estimated the car at around $145,000.
2 Charger: Bamboozled
Die-hard Dodge fans tend to have their favorite cars. Some prefer the Challenger, others have fallen for the Charger. As a result, these diverging preferences have created heated debates among Dodge fans. This particular Dodge is the car that will reconcile both sides.
This Charger is in fact a Challenger Hellcat fitted with a 1970 Charger body. It is fair to say that this is one of the nicest restomod projects out there. The interior is also from the Challenger Hellcat. The engine remained stock, which really is not an issue given how much power the Hellcat engine produces.
1 Challenger: Featherweight
Dodge really reshaped the market with its Charger Hellcat. There is no denying that. However, it was not Dodge's last trick. In order to remind Chevrolet and Ford that they were not the only ones producing super-fast muscle cars, Dodge designed the Demon. This absolute beast can easily be dubbed "The Roush/Lingenfelter Killer."
Speedkore is well-known for its restomod lightweight Charger. The company applied the same principle to the Demon. Thanks to a full carbon fiber body, the Demon shed around 200lbs. Unfortunately, unlike the Demon showcased at SEMA, Speedkore did not get rid of the supercharger and replace it with two turbochargers. Instead of the 1,400hp monster previously shown, this Demon remained at 840hp. Fair enough.