As the Rolls-Royce philosophy dictates, a 1978 Silver Shadow is as quiet as a whisper, despite having a 6.75-liter V8 under the bonnet, with the motor delivering the brand’s traditional low-end torque (it only made around 190 hp, though, but such were the standards back then). Of course, those seeking a livelier experience could always fit a custom exhaust or even a blower to the legendary British engine, but why stop there when you can swap the whole thing for a Hellcat V8?
The crew over at Hoonigan—you might be familiar to the team thanks to its boss, a dancer named Ken Block—decided to stay true to its name and perform the said engine transplant using a 1978 Silver Shadow II and, well, Mopar’s supercharged 6.2-liter vee-eight.
The project, which is clearly labeled as a “party car”, even attended last month’s SEMA show in Las Vegas but back then it was quieter than the factory model, since it didn’t run. Well, the boys have recently brought that brute of an engine to life—as you’ll notice in the clip below, the Hellcat doesn’t fail to deliver on the aural level, not least thanks to a Borla exhaust.
While fabrication and other efforts of the sort won’t stop here, many of the monster’s mechanical bits are already in place. From the three radiators of the V8 (the supercharger gets dedicated hardware of the sort) to the roll cage and the front/rear suspension reinforcements, everything is here to sustain prolonged abuse. After all, who wants to stop partying due to a little extra heat?
Gone are the British armchairs up front, as well as the equally cozy rear seat, with a pair of low-mounted Sparco buckets now accommodating the Hoonigans, while the Holley electronics are hooked up to a 12.3-inch digital dashboard for a modern approach.
All the expected drifting should feel pretty balanced since the once-a-luxobarge (the Silver Shadow II was already known for its much-improved handling) has been put on a massive diet, while a balanced weight distribution was one of the top priorities.
How about this ludicrous DeLorean drift car?
Among others, the battery now sits where the glove box used to be, the Hellcat motor is placed further back than the 6.75 V8 and the luggage compartment now accommodates a fuel cell. And would you look at that C-pillar fuel filler cap!
The Hellcat-swapped Rolls-Royce party car has yet to move an inch and yet we’re already feeling sorry for its rear tires—this isn’t the first time we see a Silver Shadow being used for sideways stunts (for one, Boyzone’s Shane Lynch used to drift one of these last decade), but it might just be the most savage adventure of the sort.
