This Black Velvet Dodge Challenger Is A ‘Retromod’ Masterpiece
A modern carbon body and Hellcat horsepower converge with 1968 Charger style.
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You’ve undoubtedly heard of a restomod— a classic car that’s been restored with modern parts to give gearheads the best of two eras: timeless looks and modern performance.
But Greenville, Pennsylvania’s ExoMod is one of a few companies pioneering the “retromod,” a term coined by none other than MotorTrend. Think of it as the restomod’s inverse: Each project starts with a modern muscle car that’s modified to look like an old-school hot rod while retaining contemporary architecture, chassis and powertrains.
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The results, at least in the case of ExoMod’s Black Velvet, are nothing short of striking. Starting with a Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, the firm goes to work on a comprehensive carbon fiber makeover that sheds 450 pounds. The body kit includes 1968 Charger-style reveal hood and rocker moldings, a silvery Bumblebee stripe, gloss graphite grille and taillight trim, Forgeline Roadster rims, and a gorgeous gloss black paint coat.
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Only the red Brembo brakes and the hefty rear diffuser will tip onlookers off to the Black Velvet’s retromod status at a glance—more eagle-eyed passersby might notice that the body is four inches wider than an original’s.
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The contemporary underpinnings become more obvious from inside the cabin, which is outfitted with heated seats clad in Italian leather, a rear back-up camera, parking-assist system, an 8.4-inch infotainment screen with GPS, and an 18-speaker Harman Kardon system with its own subwoofer and amplifier.
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Then there’s the powertrain. The Black Velvet iteration pictured here channels 717 horsepower from a supercharged 6.2-liter Hemi V8 through an eight-speed automatic transmission, but ExoMod also offers an 807-horsepower retromod Challenger courtesy of Dodge’s Redeye tune or a truly hellacious 1,000-horsepower version from, you guessed it, Hennessey Performance.
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Priced from $329,000, the Black Velvet Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat is available to order from ExoMod—inquire here.
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