Now that Dodge has released the insane 1,025 hp Demon 170 and production of its HEMI V8-powered Challenger and Charger is scheduled to end this December, what’s left on the ICE table for Mopar fans? For one, the aftermarket isn’t going to move its attention away from these Dodges anytime soon. You already know that by now, but have you ever seen a tiny Dodge Charger go-kart that’s as cute as it is aggressive?
The Charger and Challenger are so cool that their legacy extends well past regular-sized vehicles. In fact, decades ago, the world was treated to goodies like Dodge Charger Daytona and Plymouth Superbird pedal cars, with these small metal-bodied winged warriors selling for up to $175,000 these days.
Of course, there are much more affordable ways of enjoying pint-sized Mopars, which brings us back to the go-kart mentioned in the intro. This is a custom creation put together by a group of enthusiasts known as Go Kart God on social media.
These guys love building custom go-karts and frames, but their projects sometimes involve restoring old frames they grab on Facebook Marketplace. And the Dodge Charger go-kart, which they ended up turning into a tiny car, has a dedicated frame they designed after studying famous layouts of the sort.
The vehicle features aluminum body panels and there’s a twist here. You see, the front end, which features functional headlights, takes us back to the second-generation Dodge Charger (1968-1970). However, for some reason, the guys slapped a first-generation Challenger (1970-1974) badge on the back of the contraption, while also labeling it as such on social media.
Sure, putting body panels on a go-kart increases the weight and, more importantly, risks causing noticeable extra drag. However, given that this looks like a build the boys completed to have fun and build a name for themselves, why complain?
After all, the small machine bearing a passing resemblance to Dodge’s classic muscle car(s) is a strong appeal to our emotional side, which is why we must be giggling while writing about it. That hilarious, giant R/T badge? It’s probably just Photoshop, but there smaller one on the go-kart is real.
30 hp for a Dodge Charger go-kart with body panels? Sounds like a ton of fun!
The machine sports a Corbeau seat, while its dashboard sports goodies like a fuel gauge and a stereo—there are literally two speakers in there. As for the pedal on the right, this is connected to a Predator 420cc four-stroke engine. In stock form, this maxes out at 13 hp.
However, the crew claims that, with the help of a Mikuni 34mm carburetor that’s part of a Stage 3 upgrade, the engine now makes over 30 hp. And while that’s about 12 times less than the output of the entry-level 5.7L Predator V8 for the real Dodge Charger and Challenger (375 hp), it’s also 11 times more than what the engine of the “standard” Challenger SRT Demon makes at idle (2.8 hp). As with many go-karts out there, the engine is your passenger.
As the guys explain, the Dodge Charger Go Kart took 550 hours to build, and boy, do we hope that the floor-protruding brake disc sitting one inch above the road surface doesn’t get damaged. Then again, as with the full-sized Dodge Challenger Hellcat “Muscle Kart” we featured in 2021, please don’t take this sort of toy out on public roads and remember to use safety gear when using them at the track or on private property.
You’ll find the man steps of the build in the Instagram video below, while the YouTube clip focuses on the aluminum body panels.
