American muscle cars are the most desirable vehicles in the world, even if you're not actually based in the United States - and when it comes to classic cars, like the 1969 Dodge Charger, any diehard gear head would give an arm for one. What makes the Charger immensely attractive is the role it played as General Lee in the Dukes Of Hazzards. Cars like the Dodge produce power outputs that would put a lot of sports cars to shame in the modern era, thanks to those Mopar big-block V8 engines.
Another attractive feature on the Charger is its pair of hideaway headlights, and the fact its mighty engine sent all the power to the rear wheels; the Charger was based on the Chrysler B platform. While the R/T model entered dealerships in 1968, it wasn't until 1969 that Dodge struck stardom with its new baby. When dealers asked for a 'Mustang-killer', the Dodge Charger happened. What you see here, is no regular Charger though, but we'd love to see Al Yasid's render become a reality and tear up the drag strip.
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Dodge Charger Render Goes Wild For Drag Races
The 1969 Dodge Charger has one of the widest fastback roofs and rear windows among muscle cars, and while it does look slab-sided and a bit boxy, there's no denying that it's very appealing even to a youngster from today's generation. The wheel arches aren't perfectly round, and the split in the grille gives it an intimidating look even today. The scalloped doors and those frameless windows gave buyers a sense of investing in something exotic in the 1960s and '70s, and the horizontal tail lights were unmistakably that of the Charger.
The Charger had each quarter panel feature an R/T logo, and a new trim option made its debut in 1969, called 'Special Edition', which was offered on both variants, R/T and Standard. Buyers could also opt for a sunroof.
The 1969 Charger you're looking at is probably the most lethal version of the model, imagined by a digital artist. The first impression of the car in these images, is that it sits much lower to the ground, and almost seems impossible to drive on a bumpy street. It even features scrape protection up-front, like most supercars. While the division in the grille remains untouched, there seem to be LED light bars right behind.
Keeping in the mind the flat sides of the car, the designer has given it flared wheel arches, which have given it a proper wide-body look - and the same fenders house drag radials very typical of a hot rod. Then there's the 426 Hemi V8 that can be seen, fitted with a supercharger. While the stock engine makes 425hp, the addition of a supercharger should take that figure up furthermore. Instead of circular chrome wing mirrors, the render car features sleek, modern ones.
What's evidently missing on this Dodge render is the fastback roof; instead it gets a huge roll cage for protection of the passengers. While the exposed interior isn't perfectly visible, we'd like to imagine the dashboard and center console have a wooden finish, while the steering wheel is covered in white. The leather seats, on the other hand, seem to have been deleted and replaced by racing buckets.
The rear-end remains identical to the original, but the tail sits higher from the ground than the nose, like a drag race car. The chrome bumper is there to stay, but the designer has played around with the exhaust design. In what appears to be a cage, there are a pair of large tail pipes with a mechanical component sitting in between, finished in chrome. We'd like to imagine the radiator outline to be done in carbon fiber, just like the door mirrors.
Dodge Charger V8 Continues To Be Mopar Material
While the original 6.2-liter V8 would fit in nice and easy, a modern 6.2-liter Hemi from the Dodge Challenger Super Stock would be a more reliable alternative. The Super Stock also comes with a 2.7-liter supercharger, but the rendered car clearly has a bigger one. It should produce easily over 800hp and 900 lb-ft of torque through the Super Stock's 8-speed manual transmission.
With a lightweight body, this open-top Charger could accelerate from 0-60mph in just under 2.5 seconds, making it an extremely fast and demanding car to drive. The open-top Dodge could also make do with the Super Stock's performance-tuned asymmetrical limited-slip differential and asymmetrical axles that will help control wheel hop. To handle all the power and weight, the Charger could use high-performance Bilstein suspension as well.
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How Much A 1969 Dodge Charger Is Worth Today
According to classic.com, the average price of a Dodge Charger is $104,480 for a '68 Charger R/T, while the highest price goes all the way up to $352,000. Customers could choose from a 4-speed manual or automatic.
Sources: Al Yasir Via Instagram, classic.com