Dodge Demon Transformed into Modern ‘Hemi Under Glass’ Throwback

Sadly, this Challenger is just a rendering by a skilled artist, but this Demon does the ‘Hemi Under Glass’ name proud.

There has been some talk recently about a rebirth of the original “Hemi Under Glass” program that will be based on a newer Dodge Challenger, but just to be clear, this is not associated with those rumors. The rear-engine Mopar muscle car shown here is the remarkable creation of Abimelec Arellano, a graphic artist based on Sonora, Mexico, who shared his work to his Abimelec Design Facebook page.

While these pictures depict a car that doesn’t actually exist, there is no question that the machine shown here would make a fitting modern version of the Hemi Under Glass. Really, the only negative thing about this idea is that someone would have to cut up one of the 3,300 Demons built for 2018 to make it a reality, but this would be the perfect use for one of the wrecked cars being offered for sale online.

The Inspiration

When the artist shared these amazing pictures to his Facebook account (they are also available on his Instagram account, along with many more examples of his work), he offered the following insight into his design.

“One of my favorite modified cars of all time is the Hurst “Hemi Under Glass” Plymouth Barracuda, A car built exclusively for showing off, making noise and amaze the crowds. In my opinion, cars don’t get much cooler than that. Anyhow, it’s been a while since the original Hurst ‘Cuda so I thought I would bring it back to life, with a Demon engine and Challenger body. Yes that’s a rear hatch, too! Originally I was just going to replace the rear seats with an engine, but then you wouldn’t be able to see the chromed supercharger, wouldn’t you? and remember, it’s all about the show!”

Abimelec Design Hemi Under Glass

As you can see in the images here, Arellano started with a 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon, but he has relocated the supercharged Hemi to the rear end. If he had kept the stock rear glass and trunk lid, you would barely be able to see the engine, so this artwork features a custom glass hatch that extends to the rear of the vehicle. This allows a clear look at the 840-horsepower engine with a custom chromed supercharger lid, but it does so without significantly changing the overall shape of the car.

Arellano then added the classic Hemi Under Glass gold-and-black livery, complete with classic sponsorship decals from Hurst, Pennzoil and some other key brands. Best of all, he even made a few shots of the car launching with the wheels high in the air, just how the original Hemi Under Glass Barracuda stormed down the track.

Really, we aren’t sure what else you could want in a modern Hemi Under Glass, as like the original, this rendering is based on the baddest Mopar on sale at the time. Back in the 1960s, it was the Hemi super stock Barracuda and today, it is the Challenger Demon.

Again, this car does not really exist, but it is amazing artwork is exactly what many of us would love to see from a Hemi Under Glass based on the modern Dodge Challenger SRT Demon.

Join the Dodge Forums now!

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

Facebook   Twitter