ICON is best known
for its work creating custom 4x4s but has done something a little different for
its latest project, turning an unloved 1949 Hudson Coupe into a powerful
vehicle more than capable of shocking would-be drag racers at the lights.
The Utility Coupe
was built by Hudson Motor Car Company in Detroit between 1937 and 1942 and ICON
says this particular example was found rotting away in a North Carolina barn.
The first port of
call was to replace the standard 3.5-liter inline-six cylinder with GM’s LS9 V8
from the C6-gen Corvette ZR1, which delivers 638 HP thanks, in no small part,
to the presence of a huge supercharger. An impressive torque figure of 818 Nm perfectly complements the huge number of horses and inevitably
results in spectacular performance.
While the car has
the engine of a Corvette ZR1, it doesn’t use its transmission, but comes fitted
with a four-speed automatic gearbox from Huntington Beach Transmissions. Other
modifications include an upgraded Icon braking system, new heat exchangers, a
Griffin aluminum radiator, and 18-inch forged billet aluminum wheels.
What we
particularly like about the project is that Icon decided against overhauling
the looks of the car and, to everyone other than a Hudson expert, it looks
identical to the original. Pop open the hood, however, and you are presented
with a raging V8 that can put many mid-engine supercars on notice.
