American muscle car. That really says it all. The most popular classic muscle cars now cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. The price is justified by the technology and notoriety associated with these cars. Some modern muscle cars will soon cost a fortune. Though they are modern, they were built to be instant classics.
Dodge released some of the most impressive muscle cars in the last two decades. The company released the sort of cars that are by definition instant classics. While Dodge hit the nail right on the head, the Challenger was not made out of thin air. The monstrous Hellcat was preceded by a real beast.
10 Murdered Out
The Challenger is known for being one of the meanest cars ever made by Dodge. Back in the late 1950s, the name "Challenger" was applied to the Coronet. The Challenger Coronet was a cheap version of the actual Coronet. Fast-forward 10 years and the Challenger is one of Dodge's best sports cars.
The Challenger is far from the sort of classic muscle car gearheads would avoid like the plague. It can be one of the best bases for a resto-mod project. This $250,000, scary Challenger is fitted with the supercharged 6.2L V8 found in the Hellcat Series and sure packs a mean punch.
9 Drag Pak
Mopar is well-known for producing some of the most ludicrous Dodge and Chrysler sports vehicles. One very recent insane project is the 1,000 hp Hellephant crate engine fitted on a '69 Dodge Charger. Mopar simply could not stop there and decided to give the newer Challenger enough power to pop wheelies.
The Mopar-made Challenger is among the most powerful modern muscle cars. The 2020 Drag Pak hits 7.5 seconds on the quarter-mile. Thanks to a 3.0L Whipple supercharged 354ci Hemi V8 that produces a NHRA-rated 650 hp, this Challenger is the monster Mopar ought to come up with.
8 Bamboozled
It has often been said that the Charger is the best classic Dodge ever made. Others argue that the Challenger is equally iconic. While both cars are truly impressive, it is quite difficult to choose one or the other. For decades, gearheads have looked for ways to turn both cars into one with mitigated success.
Any genuine muscle car fan will think "ok, this is a restomodded Charger." The only thing about this car that is a Charger is the carbon fiber body. The car itself is a Challenger Hellcat. The car's interior is the exact same one found in the Dodge Challenger Hellcat.
7 Magic Classic
There are times when the heavy restomod look is just too much. It is not that car fans are tired of looking at insanely modified classics, it is just that a lightly restomodded oldie can oftentimes be far more attractive than the Hot Wheels looking ones. This Challenger sure is not stock, but some people cannot tell the difference.
The car is not stock. That is quite obvious. Yet, classic car fans are likely to look at this Challenger in awe. This tastefully restomodded Challenger is fitted with a 6.1L Hemi V8 that cranks out 450 hp. The power is transferred to the tires thanks to a Tremec TKO 600 five-speed manual transmission.
6 Carbon Galore
When Dodge released the Hellcat, everybody thought this was the best any American carmaker could ever come up with. Well, Dodge decided to live up to its renewed reputation and produce the Demon. It is one hell of a Hellcat, and sure can destroy most high-end Mustangs and Camaros.
The all-carbon-fiber 2018 Demon by Speedkore is one of the most insane modified Challengers out there. Dubbed "Lucifer," the Challenger shed 200 lbs and saw its power increased to 808 hp and 717 lb-ft of torque. The Demon is already a masterpiece, but Speedkore's Lucifer truly is a car worth $160,000.
5 Australian Madness
When people think of muscle cars, they automatically think about the star-spangled banner and a fierce looking bald eagle. Though it is true that most insane muscle cars come from the US, there is a huge muscle car scene in both Australia and New-Zealand.
This New-Zealand based Challenger is a beautifully restomodded American muscle. The car is equipped with a twin-turbocharged 500ci Mopar Wedge V8 and a Hughes 727 transmission. Thanks to numerous modifications, the '73 Challenger develops 1,192 hp to the tires at 20 psi of boost.
4 Red Devil
It is quite common to stumble across heavily modified Hellcats. Given the car outstanding potential, it is possible to reach the 800 hp threshold, which is something quite spectacular. Most supercars do not produce that amount of power. With a sizable budget and dedication, it is possible to turn the Challenger Hellcat into a Ferrari killer.
This 900hp Dodge Challenger Hellcat looks like it was made by a medium-size domestic tuner. The pony car was actually built by a Prior Design, a German company. Despite being based out of Europe, the car was able to be customized to churn out 900 hp by a German shop. That is very impressive.
3 Simplicity
A classic Challenger is like a gift that keeps on giving. While several muscle cars aged poorly, the Challenger seems to have become even more attractive as time went on. Despite being completely torn apart in the 1980s (when it was essentially a re-badged Mitsubishi), the Challenger's reputation was not tainted at all.
This Charger obviously received a fresh coat of paint. A set of humongous rims matches the spotless, shiny, black paint job. It is unclear whether this Challenger received a supercharged big-block Hemi V8. What is sure is that this Challenger must produce a decent amount of power.
2 Cerberus
It is quite uncommon to see American cars being modified by European tuners. Since it is quite difficult to get some of the parts needed to turn a regular muscle car into a true tire-burning beast, tuners from the old continent tend to focus on cars made within the continent. That being said, some Euro-built muscle cars are very impressive.
This is the second European-made Challenger in this list. Sadly, American muscle cars can be hard to find and outrageously pricey in Europe. With that being said, professional tuners such as GeigerCars have built insane sports cars. Named "Cerberus," this modified Challenger produces 890 hp and 751 lb-ft of torque.
1 HPE1000
To most people, it does not make sense to tune a car to over 500 hp when the speed limit in most states is around 55 mph. "What is the point?" is what most people might say. Gearheads with a real need for speed know that tracks are plentiful. They are fully aware that the full potential of a powerful car can be utilized.
Hennessey Performance Engineering needs absolutely zero introduction. Neither does this HPE1200 Demon. It is by far the most complete and clean professionally modified Demon on the market.