The Plymouth Superbird is way too valuable to restomod, so have digitally imagined what that might look like.
Every once in a while, we reminisce on a lot of fallen titans of industry. This can apply to any industry, really, but the automotive industry is full of a bunch of fallen, but never forgotten names that people still talk about to this day. Dozens and dozens spring to mind, but one stand-out American automaker that got a whole lot of things right, most notably the muscle car formula, is Plymouth.
Updated March 2023: The Plymouth Superbird is not only an iconic vehicle, it’s also extremely rare and valuable. We all want a brand new Plymouth Superbird, but if we can’t have one, we want to at least see what it’s like as a modern restomod. Our digital render artist, Rostislav Prokop created this concept to see what it would be like, and it’s quite the game-changer.
Plymouth originally kicked off as an offshoot of Chrysler, with the intent to create cars that would compete with the more affordable part of the market at the time. While the brand started off fairly well, with the advent of muscle cars, Chrysler allowed Plymouth full access to its platforms and other crucial elements of the parts bin to create their own spin on the muscle car. Perhaps the most iconic one is the award-winning, rule-breaking Superbird. While the Superbird is way too valuable and rare for people to mess around with for restomod purposes, HotCars has imagined what such a vehicle might look like, with the help of digital artist Rostislav Prokop and another one of our car renders.
LED Lighting And Restyled Bumpers Modernize The Plymouth Superbird
The Plymouth Superbird is perhaps one of, if not the most distinctive muscle car in all of history. The Superbird used the Plymouth Road Runner as a starting point, which HotCars has also re-imagined, but this was no ordinary Road Runner. The sloped, aerodynamic front end, combined with the giant rear spoiler, increased aerodynamics significantly, which allowed the Superbird to absolutely dominate the NASCAR circuit. While Dodge had a very similar vehicle, the irresistible Charger Daytona, the Superbird was the only one to be so powerful and so fast, it was simply too good to keep on the racetrack. HotCars and Prokop’s restomod vision leans a lot on the pro-touring side of things, something that Plymouth never intended the original to do.
The whole car sits a lot lower to the ground, but it retains its signature touches like the sloping front end and the rear spoiler. The front end receives a subtle splitter, as well as LED auxiliary lights on either side of the bumper. The hood now features a massive scoop for improved cooling. On the sides, there’s a new set of fenders, which subtly square off, giving the Superbird a slightly JDM sort of look, with a vent on the rear flare for good measure. The rear features a modernized bumper with two large rectangular exhausts on either side. A captivating shade of blue and a set of three-piece Rotiform KPS wheels complete the aesthetic, and we think it looks pretty good.
A 6.2-Liter Supercharged V8 Would Allow The Plymouth Superbird To Deliver 840 HP3 Images
Like with any restomod, the sky is the absolute limit here. However, there are some specific powertrains that would just make so much sense on a vehicle like this. One would be a simple Hellcat swap. Just as a small reminder, Dodge’s Hellcat powertrain is a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 developing anywhere from 707 hp to 807 hp, depending on what flavor of Challenger or Charger you choose. When it was doing duty under the hood of the venerable Demon, the 840 hp output combined with appropriate rubber around the wheels allowed it to reach a 9.65 1/4 mile time. Combined with the aerodynamic properties of the Superbird, the Hellcat powertrain will allow this car to achieve speeds it has never seen before.
Another option would be the Hellephant crate motor. The Hellephant, as the name makes clear, uses the Hellcat motor as a starting point, but turns up the wick on the horsepower for a total of 1,000. If that isn’t quite enough grunt for you, Dodge revealed a new iteration of the Hellephant at SEMA 2022, the A170. This version has 1,100 hp, and it runs on E85. Given that restomodders are already using the Hellephant for a variety of Dodge builds, this would make a lot of sense. Finally, for the EV swap fans, the powertrain from the new Charger SRT Daytona, which we can’t stop talking about, would make a lot of sense here. It would likely increase the weight a fair bit, and we don’t have performance figures for that setup or that car just yet, but an electric Superbird would be an absolute rocketship. The aerodynamics, in theory, should improve the range figure as well. Judging by the exhaust pipes on this particular Superbird render, it’s using good old-fashioned gasoline power. It’s safe to assume that a 1,000 hp Plymouth Superbird would be absolutely terrifying to drive, as the original car managed to crack 200 mph with just 425 hp from its 426 HEMI.
The Plymouth Superbird Restomod Is An Enthusiast’s Modern Dream
It’s a little difficult to answer. A restomod of one of the original Superbirds from the time most likely won’t. There is a very small number of those left on the road, and owners are keeping whichever ones remain in storage, or preserving them to sell them at an auction at some point. However, we’ve seen replica Superbird restomods dozens of times before, so if that’s the assumed direction for such a restomod, then why not? We’d love to see this restomod come to life, that’s for sure.
