Driving Line VOLUME V ISSUE 2 | SPRING 2019 | Page 62

FROM DOMESTICS TO IMPORTS AND BACK AGAIN Jose Cruz-Lopez is one enthusiast who has had no problem bouncing between domestics and imports. Although his first car was a V6 Charger, he got his real start in car-modding culture with a bright-yellow Honda S2000. His priorities have always included both driveability and aesthetics, so he starts with a great platform and customizes it to look the way he imagines it should. As much as he loved the sporty Honda, the Challenger hadn't left his eye since he parted ways with his first Dodge. The two-door had been out of his reach upon its release, but when the planets aligned and Dodge released this T/A model, he knew he had to make the jump back to the domestics. The Challenger T/A is Dodge's throwback to the Trans Am–spec race cars of its history. The T/A model adds some cool touches, such as the Hellcat's headlamp intakes, OEM vintage-style hoodpins, a throwback houndstooth interior, unique suspension and performance exhaust. All of that power is controlled through a decidedly cool six-speed manual transmission. 60 DRIVINGLINE.COM