A Closer Look at Dom’s Mid-Engine Dodge Charger in Fast 9: Wicked Wednesday Presented by the All-New Nitto Recon Grappler™ A/T

Dodge Charger features a Hellcat engine mounted behind the driver and a million-dollar price tag.

The Fast and Furious movies are always packed with show-stopping vehicle, often based on a Dodge Charger. At first, Dominic Toretto, played by Vin Diesel, drove a supercharged 1970 Dodge Charger with a big supercharger poking up through the hood. A similar muscle car was featured in the fifth installation in the series and for the sixth, it was a custom Charger Daytona. The seventh movie saw the classic Dodge in off-road-ready form and for the eighth movie, the car was modified to drive on ice, with bulletproof panels and an electromagnetic pulse weapon sticking up out of the back.

In this week’s “Wicked Wednesday” presented by Nitto Tire, Dodge Forum explores the lore behind one of the greatest B-Body Chargers around. For the latest version of the series, titled Fast 9, the classic Dodge Charger gets its most interesting build, featuring a Hellcat engine mounted behind the driver. In addition to the relocated engine, this classic Mopar muscle car features unique proportions to reflect the mid-ship layout, creating a truly remarkable machine.

When the first images leaked from the set, showing the mid-engine 1968 Dodge Charger in action, we didn’t have many details, but since then, the full details have been revealed. Better yet, Fast 9 actor John Cena shared a cool video on his Twitter feed that offers a great look at the unique mid-engine muscle car ahead of the big screen debut.

Million Dollar Dodge Charger

According to a report by Insider, the Fast and Furious crew paid more than $1 million to create this mid-engine 1968 Dodge Charger. Well-known Mopar customizers at Speedkore handled the build, combining new and old technology. The goal was to raise the bar set by the Chargers in prior movies and this car does just that.

The key aspect of this Dodge Charger is the modified Hellcat Hemi mounted where you would normally find the rear seat. The build features a unique exhaust system with headers that are routed up towards the top of the engine before the exhaust system heads down under the rear of the car, creating a very cool look through the expanded rear window.

Of course, putting a Hellcat Hemi where the rear seat would normally be required elaborate changes to the interior, starting with a custom composite bulkhead that keeps the heat of the engine away from the driver. There are also plenty of switches around the driver, some of which we imagine are in place for the benefit of movie magic.

Of course, putting an engine behind the driver took extensive chassis work, but it also created unique proportions, with a longer rear end than a stock 1968 Charger. The body has also been widened, which when coupled with slammed stance, leads to one wicked looking Mopar muscle car.

Cena Video

In the video below, John Cena gives us a close-up look at this mid-engine 1968 Dodge Charger during filming of Fast 9. It provides a handful of unique angles, including one of Cena sitting in the interior, offering a quick look at the interior. There are also a few clips of this beast in action, with this Hellcat-powered monster serving as a proper Fast Saga car.

You can watch that video below, or you can catch this Charger in action on the big screen when the movie debuts on June 25.

Photos: Universal Pictures

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Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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