This Hellephant-Powered Dodge Charger Has a Manual

There are few names in the world of modified muscle cars that carry the same weight as Ringbrothers. The Battle of the Builders champions are back with a handful of creations for this year’s SEMA Show, including their third take on the 1969 Dodge Charger. Known as Tusk, this Hellephant-powered muscle car might prove that the third time’s the charm after all.

While the team might be better known for their work with early Ford Mustangs and Chevrolet Camaros, Ringbrothers are no strangers to the Dodge Charger. The shop built its first take on the car for SEMA back in 2017; a 392-powered car known as Defector. That build has since gone on and received a Hellephant V-8 swap. In 2022, the shop pulled the cover off of Captiv, a Hellcat-powered Charger in bright yellow. This year’s build combines some of the best bits from both of the previous builds, including the aforementioned Hellephant V-8 powertrain.

The build starts with a Roadster Shop Fast Track Chassis, which comes backed by Fox RS SV coilovers at all four corners. Behind the 1000-hp V-8 engine sits a six-speed T56 Magnum manual gearbox from Bowler, which feeds power to a Ford 9-inch rear end built by Strange Engineering via a carbon driveshaft. A set of Baer brakes with six-piston calipers sit behind a set of bespoke HRE wheels, which come wrapped in sticky Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires.

Of course, no Ringbrothers project would be complete without a styling overhaul, with Tusk packing some unique adjustments to the Mopar icon. The front surround is constructed from a single piece of carbon fiber, which is accented by a single piece of billet machined chrome. That meets up with the bespoke front valance, which was designed and machined in-house. The bumpers front and rear have also been tucked, which helps to accentuate the character of the original design. The hood is a custom unit, mounted 2.5 inches further back for better weight distribution. The front wheels have also been pushed forward to improve handling and the ascetics, while the rear-quarter end caps have been extended and reshaped. Other highlights include lowered rockers, a custom lower rear valance, and new door skins. Inside you’ll find an interior upfitted with some modern amenities by Upholstery Unlimited, including a carbon fiber pistol grip shifter and Dakota Digital gauges.

The black and gold design of Tusk is easy on the eyes, and that Hellephant V-8 will surely provide plenty of thunderous music. The fact that the engine comes mated to a manual might be enough to make this Ringbrothers’ coolest Mopar yet, even if that process only took a fraction of the 5000 hours that went into this muscle car.

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