After a brief respite, the escalating muscle car wars dominating Detroit headlines are beginning to heat up once again with Dodge's new Challenger Super Stock. In some ways, Detroit's Big Three appear to have shifted their gaze to increasingly powerful off-roaders like the newly revived Ford Bronco and the forthcoming Ram TRX. And yet, even amid all the Hellcat engines, long-travel suspension systems, and retro styling, there's still something about the old classics that today's crop can't touch. Enter the world of restomods, which seemed to explode in popularity during 2020 as creative customizers married old-school style with new-age performance. But even the most hardcore restomods would struggle to keep up with this 1959 Chevrolet Impala built as a Pro Touring stunner with a claimed 900 supercharged horsepower on tap that's set for auction at Mecum's Kissimmee 2021 event beginning this weekend.
Looking Clean And Mean
The build has clearly prioritized modification over restoration, though with an estimated $275,000 of work put in, the exterior still shines in fresh black paint over "laser straight body panels." All the brightwork has been professionally restored, the door handles have been shaved, and new tinted glass installed all around.
Under The Hood
Of course, the heart of the build lurks under the hood, coming in the form of a 502ci V8 that benefits from a BDS (Blower Drive Service) supercharger and electronic fuel injection setup to produce the claimed 900-horsepower figure. The engine is routed to a six-speed automatic gearbox with overdrive and routes power to the absurd 15-inch wide rear wheels through a Mark Williams rear end.
The Best Of The Rest
Other mechanical enhancements include close-ratio power steering, Wilwood disc brakes all around, Ridetech suspension, and tubular control arms. On the interior, a suite of Dakota Digital gauges greets the driver, while other amenities include a 2,000-watt stereo system and climate control from Vintage Air—all while retaining the classic vibes of the wider steering wheel, chromed dash, and leather bench seat. The car's performance and presence don't seem to be in question, all that remains to be seen is how high bidding will climb in Florida.
Sources: mecum.com and blowerdriveservice.com.