Calfornia-based custom shop, ExoMod Carbon teams up with Texas performance builder, Hennessey Performance for the ultimate, high-horsepower homage to the 1968 Dodge Charger. While you can’t go wrong with a classic MOPAR, there’s no denying that compared to their modern-day equivalents, the 1960s, and 1970s V-8 bruisers are not as capable in some areas. While restomodding is not new, two big names in the automotive business team up to create an epic hybrid between modern and classic.

John Hennessey is best-known for tuning a wide variety of American Muscle and sports cars. Vipers, Mustangs, and Corvettes are only a part of his portfolio, and then there are the record-breaking Hennessey Venom GT and F5 models. ExoMod’s moto is 21-century automobiles, cloaked in a classic body, but there’s more to it. The craftsmanship of these two outfits culminates in a joint project that spawned the ultimate 1968 Dodge Charger tribute.

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Modern Tech In Custom Classic Attire

ExoMod 1968 Dodge Charger
ExoMod
rear 3/4 view of a white ExoMod 1968 Dodge Charger

ExoMod’s builds are based on the Challenger Hellcat models. This is the closest-resembling modern Muscle car to the 1968 Dodge Charger, as the modern-day equivalent features a four-door sedan body style. The California-based custom builder spends 1,500 hours on each of the custom builds, in order to give it a period-correct, body made of aircraft-grade, PREPREG carbon-fiber. In addition to stunning, classic looks, the carbon-fiber body results in the ExoMod Charger being 450 pounds (204 kg) lighter than the Challenger Hellcat base car.

Given a modern-day Challenger Hellcat boasts a curb weight of 4,415 pounds (2,002 kg), we are looking at a neo-retro Muscle car that tips the scales at 3,965 pounds (1,798 kg). This also happens to be slightly lighter than an original, 1968 Dodge Charger R/T, which tips the scales at 3,979 pounds (1,805 kg). The ExoMod Chargers also feature a wider body that accommodates for the much beefier wheel and tire combination, making the car 4.0 inches wider than the original ’68 Charger.

As with other ExoMod builds, this limtited-edition, tuned by Hennessey features classic black stripes on the rear quarter-panels and trunk lid as well as a dual-ram-air intake front hood, partially finished in black. ExoMod Chargers come with a variety of wheels, usually supplied by Forgeline, but this particular version comes with 20-inch wheels, similar to the Challenger Hellcat OEM pieces. The overall aesthetics are finished with custom, LED lighting with both the front and rear lights staying true to the 1968 Charger.

RELATED: This Mid-Engined, Hellcat-Powered 1968 Dodge Charger Is a Perfect Replica of Dom's Charger in Fast and Furious 9

Hellcat Power With Some Hennessey Magic

1970 custom Challenger Hellcat engine
ScottieDTV/YouTube
Hellcat engine under the hood of 1970 Dodge Challenger convertible

When it comes to the 6.2-liter supercharged, Hellcat V-8, there’s no shortage of power. Even the “base” Hellcat puts out 717 horsepower and 655 pound-feet (889 Nm), which can easily obliterate the rear wheels. Apparently, this wasn’t enough so Hennessey stepped in to breathe some fire into the already insane pushrod V-8. The engine, which sits in a bespoke engine bay, received some massaging in the form of a very extensive list of upgrades including lower and upper pulley upgrades, ported supercharger snout, stainless steel long-tube headers, high-flow catalytic converters, mid-pipes, fuel injectors, air-induction system, and HPE calibration.

The car was also fine-tuned on a chassis dyno, and the end result is 1,000 horsepower at 6,500 RPM and 948 pound-feet (1,285 Nm) at 4,200 RPM. Power still goes to the rear wheels through the Torqueflite eight-speed automatic, and ExoMod says the car is capable of over 200 mph (322 km/h).

Exquisite New Interior

ExoMod 1968 Dodge Charger interior
ExoMod
left side view of an ExoMod 1968 Dodge Charger interior from the outside

The interior of the ExoMod Charger is one place where the changes aren’t as dramatic. Having said that, you still get the Challenger’s dashboard and seats, but ExoMod has added custom trim and new, high-grade Italian leather upholstery for the seats, inner door panels, and other contact points like the steering wheel and center armrest, making it that much more pleasant to sit inside. The car still retains a full interior, including the rear seats, so none of the donor car’s practicality has been sacrificed.

RELATED: This Dodge Challenger Hellcat Redeye Is The Perfect Blend Between Old And New

A Very Exclusive MOPAR That’s Worth The Price

Exclusivity comes at a price price and this is true for custom builds like the ExoMod Dodge Charger. This limited-edition homage to the 1968 Charger, tweaked by Hennessey, will be limited to just 10 examples, meaning this custom Muscle car is rarer than most exotic cars. At the same time, the level of craftsmanship is apparent throughout the whole car while the tried-and-tested, go-fast bits have been tweaked to perfection. Yes, the $379,000 sticker price is steep, but considering all we just said, it’s great bang for the buck.

Consider for a moment that a concourse-level, 1968 Dodge Charger R/T today, costs more than $320,000, and while it packs a lot of history, ExoMod and Hennessey’s joint project delivers more on every front. Moreover, after Hennessey’s tweaks, the Hellcat-powered ExoMod packs more than twice the power of the original 426 Hemi, and is able to run with some of the best supercars while rocking classic lines. At the same time, the modern drivetrain provides much better drivability while retaining the raw character of a classic American Muscle. When we think of a hybrid, this is what we like to think of.