Hellcat Challenger Widebody – One of One
When Dodge offered the Challenger and Charger SRT Hellcat package in 2015, it was a shot heard round the performance world. With its supercharged 6.2 liter, 707hp V8 and 650 lb·ft of torque, all car guys (not just Mopar enthusiasts) took notice of the most powerful American production car ever assembled. With just 7,168 Hellcat Challengers being offered, wait lists stacked up nationwide, but Carl Lepara (@carltheeoriginal) was lucky. After a visit to Parkway Chrysler in the Charter Township of Clinton, MI he managed to wrangle the first one to roll off their lot.
Once the mighty cat was parked in his garage he got busy modding. Why anyone would take the most powerful American production car in history and mod it is a question only hot rodders, not collectors, could answer. “I had a vision in my head of what I wanted the car to be,” he said. “I wanted a widebody kit, a black satin wrap, and red wheels, stanced out on the ground, looking lean and mean. I wanted to make it a ‘one of one’ Hellcat Challenger widebody.” As you can see from Jeremy Cliff’s pictures, shot as promotional images for B-Forged, he executed his plan to perfection.
With the wider body lines, colors and stance atop the priority list, his first call was to Liberty Walk for their body kit and ducktail trunk spoiler. Similar widebody kits are everywhere these days and the 2018 Demon features a factory widebody kit but in 2015, they were a rare sighting only adding to the Hellcat’s curb appeal. Everywhere Carl went, rubber neckers would offer sustained gazes. With Challenger Hellcats brand new on the scene, it was exhilarating to see one off the lot, let alone a stanced, evil looking feline, claws fully drawn. After the widebody kit was mounted and finished, the satin black wrap was adhered offering just plain nasty aesthetics. Then came the wheel choice. Carl was introduced to B-Forged through his contact at Meisterschaft exhaust and once he saw the multitude of finish options available for wheel number 393 – part of their new concave series, he had found exactly what he pictured in his mind. A set of 21’s (21×9” front and 21×13” rear) were ordered up in brushed red matte shod with Pirelli P Zero Corsa 285/30ZR21 and 355/25ZR21. He then took the Brembo calipers and painted them in hi-temperature gold. You be the judge of how good the rolling stock looks!
When it came to stance, there was only one way to go – drag rocker at all costs. To get there, Carl went with Air Lift Performance’s Challenger system offering an insane 4.9-inch drop when fully aired out. With that widebody draped over those red 21-inch B-Forged rollers, it simply doesn’t get any more pleasing to the eye. Sinister to say the least!
But Carl wasn’t done. He wanted his ‘Cat to have the claws ready at all times, especially when getting revved on by Mustang guys at red lights. Under the hood, he added an AFE cold air intake and 1000cc fuel injectors for a corn-fed E85 tune. When combined with a smaller 2.75-inch pulley, this beast offers primordial screams to the tune of 900hp.
And so here it is – Carl’s one of one Hellcat Challenger widebody SRT, the first of its kind on the block. With this modern masterpiece approaching its two year anniversary, it begs the question “What’s next?” We recommend similar treatment to its successor – a dastardly Demon. How about it Carl?
