Ringbrothers Unveils 1969 Dodge Charger With 1,000-HP Hellephant Engine

Oct. 31, 2023 2:45 PM ET by年代ebastian Cenizo 年代EMA /7 Comments

This 1,000-hp build took 5,000 hours to complete.

The specialists at Ringbrothers are not averse to a specialDodge Chargerbuild or two, but their latest creation - dubbed "Tusk" - may be the best so far.

Tusk is based on a 1969 Dodge Charger but has been completely reengineered with a modern chassis, uprated suspension, and Mopar's notoriously overpowered 1,000-horsepowerHellephant crate motorrevealed in 2018. Sure, a Hellcat engine could have been tuned to as much or more horsepower, but using the limited-production Hellephant gives an indication of just how special the build is.

In fact, Ringbrothers says it took some 5,000 hours to produce this monster. For context, note that theAndy Warhol Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing restorationby Brabus only required 4,500 manhours, and that was hardly a rush job.

The 7.0-liter supercharged V8 sends its thousand ponies and 950 lb-ft of torque to the rear axle through a Bowler Tremec T-56 Magnum six-speed manual connected to a "pistol grip" shifter in the cabin. On the other end of this transmission, a QA1 REV Series custom carbon fiber driveshaft meets a Ford nine-inch rear end from Strange Engineering. All par for the course so far, but Ringbrothers didn't want to just shove a monstrous power plant under the hood and call it a day.

仔细观察下面两件套碳纤维od with its billet machined hood vents, and you may notice that the Hemi motor sits 2.5 inches further back against the custom firewall to improve weight distribution. This improved handling is most welcome; with 950 lb-ft on tap, almost any application of the throttle will result in some serious sideways action.

Other highlights include a custom Fast Track chassis from Roadster Shop, Fox RS SV coilovers, Baer Brakes Extreme 6S six-piston calipers (cooled, in part, by machined billet side vents in the front fenders), and Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires on "Tusk" Edition HRE wheels.

All of this had to appear in a pretty package, and Tusk does not disappoint. At the front, a one-piece grille surround made of exposed carbon fiber is accentuated with a single piece of billet machined chrome trim. The front valance and chin spoiler are also one-offs made by Ringbrothers, and both front and rear bumpers have been tucked and narrowed, enhancing the 'Coke bottle' body.

For an even purer aesthetic, the windshield cowl vents were removed, the rear-quarter end caps were reshaped and lengthened, the rocker panels were extended and lowered, and the lower rear valance was custom-made. Also new are the door skins, the one-off belly pan, and the custom driveline tunnel and floors.

Inside, leather upholstery tailored by Upholstery Unlimited dominates the cabin, while a carbon fiber center console and the aforementioned carbon fiber pistol grip shifter are complemented by Dakota Digital gauges, a Vintage Air Gen IV climate system, and a Gentex digital rearview mirror.

Bringing everything together is a paint hue called "Black to the Future," which is combined with golden accents that look remarkably stylish. We love the attention to detail, the simplicity of the exterior upgrades, and the quality of the cabin, but as a showcase of what Ringbrothers can do when given a blank check and total creative freedom, this is just scratching the surface.

Ringbrothers also used the SEMA Show (31 October-3 November) to display Paramount, a classy reinterpretation of a classic Rolls-Royce, and we still have one more reveal from Ringbrothers before the day is out. Stay tuned.