Backdated cars are very hard to get right. Even in the case of a Dodge Challenger, whose design is heavily indebted to the mid-century model of the same name, the designers wisely stayed away from strict imitation, to allow for modern proportions. But this 2021 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat C68 Carbon does a surprisingly good job of combining a retro-styled body over a modern chassis.
Built for the 2022 SEMA show, this car was built by eXoMod Concepts. The company stripped a 2021 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat down to its bare bones and rebodied in carbon fiber.
That allowed the company to add swooping body panels and new design lines to make it look more like a 1968 Dodge Charger. Moreover, the replacement of all that steel with carbon fiber made the car lighter by no less than 400 lbs (181 kg).
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Finished in a historically-inspired shade of purple called Plum Crazy Pearl with a bumblebee tail stripe, other retro modifications include the slatted grille, the machined headlight doors, and the argent silver surrounds. Even the exposed carbon-fiber dual-scoop hood marries the old and the new.
Perhaps it’s the proliferation of restomods that have made us more accustomed to seeing classic cars stripped of their rain gutters, their chrome, and equipped with huge, anachronistic wheels, that makes this look so classical despite its modern underpinnings.
However, there are some angles from which the illusion breaks down. From the rear, in particular, the compromises made to shoehorn classic body panels over a modern shell are apparent.
Everything under the new-old skin comes from a Hellcat: a 717 hp supercharged 6.2-liter Hemi V8, Brembo brakes, Bilstein adaptive dampers, and an 18-speaker Harmon Kardon speaker system with a modern infotainment system. These are combined with a set of 20-inch Forgeline Rodster wheels, and a retrimmed interior with Katzkin Italian Amaretto leather.
Offered for sale in Carrollton, Texas, the 2021 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat C68 Carbon has been listed on Bring a Trailer. The auction ends on Monday, May 29, at 2:00 p.m.
“It’s always nice to see one of our original builds garner so much excitement,” says Rick Katzeff, CEO of eXoMod Concepts. “We can’t wait to see what the car ultimately sells for and we wish the seller the best of luck.”
