Be afraid, be very afraid
by Tudor Rus, onIt has been a while since we last heard about SpeedKore and in a way, the whole waiting paid off. The Wisconsin-based custom shop that used to delight our eyes at SEMA has been brewing something over the past months and now it is finally out. Meet the SpeedKore Dodge Charger Hellraiser built specifically for comedian and actor Kevin Hart.
Few custom shops can churn out projects like SpeedKore. Those guys have achieved a balance between craftsmanship, engineering, and the lost art of car artisanship which now gives us one of the sickest muscle car restomods in the world. The Hellraiser makes no exception. That said, let us start with the Hellephant in the room.
SpeedKore Dodge Charger Hellraiser – Engine and drivetrain
The larger-than-life hood hides a monstrosity of an engine, namely a Dodge 426 Hemi Hellephant crate engine. The 7-liter V-8 cranks out 1,000 horsepower and 950 pound-feet of torque courtesy of a 3-liter supercharger and connects to a custom exhaust made in-house by SpeedKore with fabricated headers and dual Magnaflow mufflers.
Also custom are the billet aluminum supercharger cover and the fuel tank.
Power goes to the wheels through a Dodge Demon-borrowed ZF 8HP90 eight-speed transmission.
| Engine | 7-liter V-8 + 3-liter supercharger |
|---|---|
| Horsepower | 1,000 HP |
| Torque | 950 LB-FT |
| Transmission | ZF 8HP90 eight-speed |
As far as stopping power is concerned, it comes from a Brembo braking system with six-piston calipers in the front and four-piston calipers in the rear. Also, the front suspension setup is borrowed from a C6 Corvette and imbued with Detroit Speed and Woodward parts, while the rear setup is a custom SpeedKore build with Penske double-adjustable shocks.
SpeedKore Dodge Charger Hellraiser - Exterior
Just like SpeedKore’s Evolution Charger, the Hellraiser wears a carbon-fiber body that has been designed and built by SpeedKore. It also integrates a 14-point roll cage. SpeedKore essentially scanned an original 1970 Dodge Charger and then created the molds and plugs needed to fabricate the body panels using a five-axis CNC machine.
SpeedKore’s Hellraiser rides on 19-inch three-piece HRE S201 wheels in the front and 20 inchers in the rear, shod in Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires.
SpeedKore Dodge Charger Hellraiser - Interior
For the Hellraiser’s cabin, SpeedKore worked with Gabe’s Custom Interiors, which brought in the Recaro GT Sportster seats, a fully new center console, steering wheel, and dashboard. It looks retro but it does feature a touch of modern courtesy of a Focal audio system and climate control, which according to SpeedKore, provide “grand tourer comfort.”
Final Word
We cannot tell you how much the build costs, mostly because this detail will remain private between SpeedKore and Kevin Hart. We can assume, however, that the sticker on the Hellraiser goes well into six-figure territory.
Needless to say, it’s good too see that Kevin Hart got over the crash he was involved in back in 2019 while being driven by Jared Black, who lost control of Hart’s 720-horsepower 1970 Plymouth Barracuda – also built by SpeedKore. Hart needed back surgery; however, it is safe to say that recovery went well since he’s back at owning beastly custom-made muscle cars.
