From the relatively puny 392 powered Scat Packs to the monstrous 1,000-horsepower crate engine dubbed the Hellephant, Mopar has been pushing the limits of their legendary powerhouse, the HEMI. In a not so surprising twist, it seems they may be one of the least destructible engines out there.
While most engines from other makes can be modified to handle a lot of horsepower, it seems that a stock HEMI is miles ahead of the competition. A gap that gets even larger as soon as you start tinkering with the HEMI’s internals. What this means for the powerplant is that it can handle incredible amounts of boost. While there is no replacement for displacement, something the HEMI is not exactly starving for, when you adorn a HEMI with a supercharger the end result is nothing short of fantastic.
AutotopiaLA on YouTube featured one such example of a HEMI powered beast that has taken Mopars push for the most powerful engine to a whole new level. Picking up where Dodge left off, custom car shop, Rides By Kam built a 2,500-horsepower 1970 Dodge Challenger that is absolutely incredible.
The car named Havoc made its debut in the Meguiars booth at SEMA in 2019 where it drew massive amounts of attention. As a solid foundation, a Roadster Shop Chassis with an airbag suspension system lends the car builder a jumping-off point for Havoc. The in-house bodywork that followed sharpened the original body lines of the Challenger to such that it would be unrecognizable without a stock body as reference.
The interior was also all done in house at Rides By Kam as well and the outcome was something truly original. With an exposed drivetrain tunnel running between the elegantly diamond-stitched leather seating and numerous push buttons that control everything from ride height to the interior and exterior lighting, the interior is resemblant of both race car and supercar.
However extreme, the cab and bodywork that share a mass dimple-die theme are not even close to being the most intense awe-inspiring part of the car. That title goes to the 572-cubic-inch all-aluminum HEMI complete with diamond forged pistons and a massive F3R Direct Drive ProCharger that pumps out an astonishing 2,500-horsepower.
While the shoot of the car does give some insight into the fabrication that went into the car and a brief audio presentation of the finished product at idle, it seems viewers will have to wait and hope that it makes its way through the show circuit as planned to see it run. The ultimate plans for the car are for it to be sold to someone with the means to pay house money for a vehicle, as it is expected to eventually sell for half a million dollars.
Elizabeth is hardcore horsepower enthusiast with unmatched intensity for making things faster and louder. She wakes up for power and performance and only sleeps to charge up for the next project that’s heading to the track. From autocross to drag racing, Elizabeth is there with you, so stay tuned for her unique perspective on horsepower news, builds, tech info, and installs — with her, it’ll never be boring!
