After dropping out of last year’s SEMA Show, Mopar is back with a bang, but instead of the sound of a rumbling V8 under the hood of its latest creation, this year, all you’ll hear is the whining of electrons. That’s because Mopar’s SEMA 2024 muscle car display is an electromodded 1967 Plymouth GTX. That may sound sacrilegious, but we need to remember that Mopar is the parts arm of Stellantis, catering to accessories as much as it does crate motors. Crate motors will also soon include electric drivetrain conversion kits, and the Plymouth GTX Electromod previews what will likely become a Mopar e-Crate conversion kit available to DIYers and workshops around the country, taking hardware from the Dodge Charger Daytona and packaging it in something you can install in your own emissions-free muscle car.
Mopar
Mopar is the official name for Stellantis’ genuine parts and accessories, born in 1937, originally as a line of anti-freeze products. It’s name is derived from the words MOtor Parts. It became synonymous with the muscle car scene in the 1960s when performance parts aided both speed and handling of road and race cars, before later expanding to include technical service and customer support.
Can Electrons Really Replace A V8?
We suspect most GTX fans will take one look at this and be livid that Mopar would do such a thing, replacing the original V8 (either the Super Commando 440 or the optional 426ci Hemi) with an electric powertrain, but Mopar wants to offer buyers choice, and if you buy a shell without an engine, it isn’t half as sacrilegious as hauling out the original V8.
Mopar Plymouth GTX Electromod Concept At A Glance |
|
---|---|
Engine |
250 kW front-mounted electronic drive module |
Power Output |
335 horsepower |
Drivetrain |
Rear-wheel drive |
Transmission |
Single-speed reduction gearbox + 8 ¾ rear axle |
Battery Capacity |
73 KWh |
Driving Range |
250 miles |
With that in mind, the Plymouth GTX Electromod Concept is powered by a 250 kW/335 horsepower electronic drive module (EDM) housed under the carbon fiber hood. The EDM was designed to be a self-contained unit that can be dropped into multiple applications, installed here with custom-designed isolated motor mounts water-jet cut from 6061 aluminum alloy. Power is sent to the rear wheels through a 3:1 gear reducer and the original 8 ¾ rear axle. Mopar could’ve added more power, but instead focused on how the concept drives, and as such, hasn’t published 0-60 times, top speeds, or even curb weights, although the latter will be offset significantly by extensive use of carbon fiber. More on that in a moment.
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As for batteries and range, a four-battery setup (three in the trunk in a cartridge-style frame, one under the hood) combines to provide up to 73 kWh of power, enabling a driving range for this setup of 250 miles on a charge. Each battery weighs about 230 lbs, resulting in a total of 920 lbs of extra weight. So how has Mopar offset this?
Looks So Cool It Has Frostbite
Beneath that Frostbite Blue exterior, Mopar has been generous with the carbon fiber to offset the weight of the batteries. The bodywork is almost all custom, with the biggest change compared to the original donor car being the rear wheel cutouts that have been opened completely. Custom front and rear bumpers finished in body color give the GTX a modern aesthetic, while the Satin Black detailing (the grille, window trim, side mirrors, and tail panel) is another element you wouldn’t have found on the original.
The hood is another unique element to this build, a custom carbon fiber hood with dual functional air extractors and satin black stripes, with the carbon theme continued with a front splitter and rear spoiler fashioned from the lightweight composite. Open the hood and there’s yet more composite material seen on the fender aprons, firewall, and radiator plenum, while the integrated dual charging module atop the EDM has been styled to look like the supercharger from a Challenger Hellcat.
At each corner, 18×9-inch BTG Vintage Bronze wheels are fashioned from forged magnesium and shod in Pirelli P-Zero tires, housing upgraded Wilwood brakes to match the concept’s electrifying performance.
Bespoke Interior Combines Modern And Vintage
Mopar used the words ‘custom’ and ‘bespoke’ liberally during the media preview for its SEMA concepts, with the interior being an area where custom work was applied to just about every detail. It starts with the dash, which features custom gauges for battery state of charge, drive motor current, battery and motor coolant temperatures, and a 160-mph speedometer, housed within a custom cluster bezel. In front of this sits a new IndiGo Blue leather-adorned steering wheel with a flat bottom and Vintage Bronze detailing and orange stitching, plus a special nod to the original floating Plymouth steering hub in a floating bronze Omega M on the horn pad.
The blue leather and bronze accents are continued throughout the cabin, including on the door cards, where you’ll find a single feature at odds with the modernization of this GTX: manual window cranks to preserve the original feel of the cabin. Elsewhere, you’ll notice stainless steel pedal covers and unique front seats, a pair of them modified from a Jeep Wrangler but designed to be able to fold forward for easy access to the rear of the cabin. These are upholstered in the same shade of IndiGo Blue, but feature Gunmetal suede inner bolsters, with bronze accents and orange stitching being a nod to the high-voltage cables under the hood.
A custom-designed center console comprises a mix of new design elements for the GTX, like a rotary drive selector from the Dodge Durango, cupholders from the Jeep Grand Cherokee, and a functional armrest. But following the sightline of this center console reveals another detail – the middle rear seat is missing, leaving this concept as a 2+2 seater.
Of course, Mopar has no ambitions to put this into production; it’s merely a showcase of what the future might hold for the brand, with such a powertrain being perfect for giving new life to old cars.
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- Mopar’s 1967 Plymouth GTX Restomod Is A SEMA Special With A Silent Secret
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