Legendary designer Ralph Gilles recently joined Rob Dahm for a new episode of Top Gear’s American Tuned. In it, the pair peruse Gilles’ car collection before taking out one of the designer’s favorite rides: a very custom 1968 Dodge Charger with a 1,000 hp (745 kW) Hellephant V8 under the hood.
Gilles is no stranger to the power of Mopar products. After all, he’s the head of design at Stellantis and was largely responsible for the fifth-gen Dodge Viper. He co-developed this Charger with the folks from SpeedKore and the result is nothing short of epic.
Under the clamshell hood (which itself is a nod to the Viper) lies a 1,000 hp Hellephant V8 mated to an eight-speed ZF transmission. The body is built completely out of carbon fiber and the suspension and braking systems are modernized to manage the power.
More: Speedkore Built This 1,000-HP 1968 Dodge Charger ‘Hellucination’ For Stellantis’ Ralph Gilles
We’ve actually reported on the vehicle before when it was first unveiled. This is the first time that we’ve had the chance to see Gilles himself get behind the wheel and tear up the track though. Before that, he personally explains why it’s called Hellucination.
Sure, the Hellephant engine plays a role but ultimately he loves how the car almost feels like a hallucination. Obviously, this car looks like a classic Charger but it performs far better than a stock classic example.
It’s the little touches that matter too though. For example, the steering wheel is the same size as the original but modernized. “That’s the whole point of it… you’re vibrating back and forth between the past and the future,” says Gilles.
“A car is so many different systems working in harmony… your dream is to end up with something like this,” says Dahm as he gets a chance behind the wheel on the track. What’s most satisfying though is seeing Gilles take a literal spin on the skidpad.
This much power in something like a stock Charger would be more than enough to break the tires loose and do a few donuts. In the Hellucination, which is lighter and stiffer, it’s almost a prerequisite. And from the video below it looks like Gilles is very familiar with getting it to go sideways.