We at Mopar Connection Magazine have been keeping a close eye on Finale Speed’s insane 1970 Dodge Charger 500 since we first toured their facility almost two years ago (see video below). The Charger is the first of Final Speed’s full carbon-fiber bodies for the second-generation Chargers sold under license from Dodge through Direct Connection. This ’70 Charger began as a very rotten 500 trim model and still retains its factory inner steel panels and VIN plate.
The Charger sits on a Salvaggio Auto Design perimeter chassis riding on power-assisted Wilwood cross-drilled and slotted disc brakes, JRI adjustable coil-over shocks, a Detroit Speed & Engineering Quadralink rear suspension, power-assisted rack and pinion steering, staggered-width multipiece 18” three-piece American Racing wheels measuring 18×8.5” up front and 18×12” at the rear with bronze-finished centers and black rims and wear three-eared spinners. Toyo Proxes R888 tires measure 245/40ZR18 front and 335/30ZR18 rear.
The body itself is composed of 17 autoclave-cured pre-impregnated clearcoated exposed carbon-fiber panels supplied by Brothers Carbon in Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin. To fit the carbon-and-murdered-out theme, the grille and hideaway headlights were blacked-out, as were the hood pins, dual side mirrors, and black flip-up fuel-filler cap. The turn signals, side, running and tail lights have been converted to LEDs, the driprails were shaved and the dual oval exhaust outlets that pass through the rear valance.
Below the flat hood is a supercharged Hellcrate 6.2-liter Hemi V8 mated factory rated at 707 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque. featuring a Mopar accessory-drive system and a Wizard Cooling radiator. Behind the Hellcat plant is a Tremec T56 Magnum six-speed manual transmission processing all of that power to a 9” limited-slip rear end with a 3.89:1 gear ratio.
Inside, the interior is a blend of vintage and modern with high-backed Recaro seats trimmed in black leather and cloth, color-matched Alcantara accents the door panels and center console. The leather-wrapped steering wheel sits on a tilting column facing a Dakota Digital VHX instrument cluster with an 8,000rpm tachometer, a 160-mph speedometer, and gauges monitoring fuel level, coolant temperature, oil pressure, and battery voltage. At your feet is color-keyed carpeting with a matching Alcantara headliner above.
The aforementioned center console includes a carbon-fiber pistol-grip shifter handle high above a pair of cup holders. Old Air Products air conditioning and a custom sound system incorporating a Kenwood head unit, Mosconi One amplifiers, and Focal speakers with external crossovers adds some creature comforts.
Recently listed on Bring-a-Trailer, the Finale Speed ’70 Charger fetched an impressive $350,000 after a week of bidding. Hopefully, the new owner will rack up more than the meager 10 miles that the previous owner drove. While certainly a work of art, this Charger was meant to be driven hard.