Hellephant-powered 1970 Dodge Charger Built for Kevin Hart

Custom Dodge Charger named Hellraiser was built by Speedkore, packing 1,000 horsepower.

According to our team at Motor Authority, the stunning 1970 Dodge Charger shown here was built by the folks at Speedkore. It features a custom carbon fiber body, a custom interior, an elaborate chassis build and the 1,000-horsepower Mopar Hellephant crate engine. This gorgeous piece of rolling automotive art was built for comedian Kevin Hart. That’s right – the same Kevin Hart who had a fairly famous Speedkore-built 1970 Plymouth Barracuda that was totaled by a friend, leading to reported legal action against both Hart and Speedkore.

You would imagine that Speedkore might think twice about working with someone whose poor decisions led to a possible legal headache, but money talks, and we bet that there is a whole lot of money talking in this 1970 Dodge Charger.

Hart’s Fallen Cuda

The last time the Mopar community was talking about Kevin Hart was back in 2019. Hart let a friend of his named Jared Black drive a Hellcat-powered 1970 Plymouth Barracuda. Black learned that he lacked the driving skill to control such a vehicle by crashing the car with Hart and another passenger holding on for dear life. In proving his incompetence behind the wheel, Black destroyed the custom Mopar muscle car and injured himself, Hart and the other passenger.

After the crash, there were many reports of legal actions. Some claimed that Black was suing Hart and Speedkore. Other reports stated that Hart was suing Speedkore. We don’t know how those lawsuits ended up, but hopefully, Jared Black didn’t get paid a cent for being a crappy driver. We also hope that Hart learned a lesson not to let random crappy drivers behind the wheel of his high performance vehicles, as this new Mopar monster should be even fiercer than that Cuda.

Hellraiser Dodge Charger

The heart of this 1970 Dodge Charger named Hellraiser is the 426-cubic inch Hellephant Hemi crate engine from Mopar, delivering 1,000 horsepower and 950 lb-ft of torque. That engine is mated to a ZF 8HP90 8-speed automatic transmission, similar to that which comes in the 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon. A Ford 9-inch rearend sends the power to the HRE wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires.

The front suspension is from a C6 Corvette and the rear suspension is a custom 4-bar design from Speedkore, providing the slammed stance. Braking performance is provided by Brembo, with 6-piston calipers up front and 4-piston units out back, all of which clamp down on huge, drilled rotors. This Charger is guaranteed to be a rocket in a straight line, but with the unique suspension and high performance braking components, this classic Dodge probably rides and handles nicely, too.

Speedkore is best known for their carbon fiber work, so it comes as no surprise that Hart’s new 1970 Dodge Charger has a full carbon fiber body. It is based on the original panels from Dodge, but there have been some modifications. For example, the roof ditch molding areas have been shaved, creating a cleaner look over the top.

There is also a custom taillight panel and a unique lower valance with integrated exhaust tips. The grille is custom, but it is not carbon fiber, instead being machined from solid aluminum. The hood, which is made from exposed-weave carbon fiber, has a hole cut in the hood, allowing the custom carbon fiber supercharger lid to show.

Finally, 1970 Dodge Charger has Recaro GT Sportster seats in red and black, and unlike the Barracuda, it has a proper rear seat and a 14-point roll cage. The dashboard features custom gauges with the Speedkore logo, a custom HVAC switch panel on the center console and a rotary shift knob that appears to have some from the modern Ram 1500.

This 1970 Dodge Charger from Speedkore is absolutely awesome. Hopefully Hart makes better decisions this time with who is and isn’t allowed to use the keys.

Photos: SpeedKore

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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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