Wicked Wednesday: Charger Hellucination Is a 1,000 HP, Carbon Fiber Dream Built for the Head of Design at Stellantis
The ‘Hellucination’ might be a supercharged V8-powered monster, but it also offers a hint of what we can expect from EV muscle cars.
There are Wicked Wednesdays and there are WICKED Wednesdays. What we have here is the all caps version. And the reason is this. By itself this custom 1968 Dodge Charger called Hellucination easily qualifies as a wicked Dodge. It puts out over 1,000 horsepower to the wheels, it has a carbon fiber body, and so on. But it happens to be owned by Ralph Gilles. Gilles is the Head of Design at Stellantis and is basically responsible for every kick ass Dodge that we have seen over the last dozen years or so.
This week’s “Wicked Wednesday” is all about this 1968 Dodge Charger known as Hellucination. It is also about the future. A video was recently posted on the Extra Throttle House YouTube channel featuring this car. And while we get to see it drive on the road and hear all about the details, the video is special for another reason. Gilles speaks a little bit about the future of muscle cars and what it may hold as the world shifts towards EVs. It is an interesting take from a very respected man in the industry.
Hellucination
This car has Hellephant engine number one under the hood. Comedian Kevin Hart has engine number two, but Gilles snagged the first one and sat on it for a while trying to decide exactly what to do with it. What he did was build a carbon fiber bodied 1968 Charger that is a throwback to the old school muscle car days. And it is old school for more than just the looks. It has a thin-rimmed steering wheel just like what you would expect from something in 1968. It is not an Alcantara rim the size of a fire hose that you would find in many modern performance cars. You will also notice that there is no air bag in that steering wheel. There is no anti-lock brake system either. We die like real men thank you very much.
The car has those old school touches but a very modern powerplant. A 7.0L V8 with a 3.0L supercharger sitting on top that makes 1,200 horsepower at the crank. This car demands respect. And so does the man behind it.
Ralph Gilles
Gilles talks about the Hellucination and all the bits that make it special, and he knows a thing or two about special cars. He has been with the company since 1992 starting in the design office. He eventually became the President and CEO of the Dodge brand. Then the President and CEO of the SRT brand. He is now the Head of Design at Stellantis. He gave us designs such as the fifth generation Viper, and third generation Charger and Challenger. This is not a stuffed shirt executive; this is a car guy. He drives go karts, he drives on racetracks, and watches Formula One. He has participated in numerous rallies and race series. This man loves cars and that passion shows through in the product.
EV Muscle Cars
The Hellephant in the room is of course that traditional muscle cars as going away. Can an EV that sounds like a golf cart really replace it? Sure, an EV can be fast, but a muscle car is much more than just being fast. Gilles understands this. He says that the same people that came up with this Hellucination car are the ones working on the EV cars like the SRT Banshee.
They are aware of the limitations that an EV platform has. There is no sound, and nothing to look at under the hood at a cars and coffee in any of the EVs on the market today. Gilles is working to change that. He wants the next generation of EVs to be just as exciting and engaging as Hellucination. Can it be done? If anyone can do it, it would be Gilles.
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