The Dodge Hornet is a vastly different vehicle from the Challenger, so when the brand introduced the new model last year, they probably didn’t expect to see many owners of heavily modified muscle cars swap to the sporty crossover. However, there is one member of the Brotherhood of Muscle who swapped from a HEMI® engine-powered muscle car to a turbo four-powered crossover and he is loving the Hornet GT experience.
Dan Peragine owns the 2023 Dodge Hornet GT shown here, and as you can see, he has added an array of upgrades to allow his crossover to stand out from the masses. Prior to owning his Hornet GT, Peragine had a 2022 Ram 2500 Power Wagon and a 2019 Dodge Challenger R/T with a 6-speed manual, both of which were modified. The Ram was signed by Don Garlits and the Challenger was signed by Mr. Norm. After selling his Challenger, his Power Wagon was his daily driver, but he was looking for something that offered a sportier feel and the new Dodge Hornet caught his eye.
“I bought my Hornet end of August 2023. I had test driven one at a different dealer. Originally, I had my mind on an Acapulco Gold one, but this 8 Ball black one in the showroom with red leather interior as well as Blacktop and Tech Pack options, including the Harmon Kardon audio system caught my eye,” said Peragine.
The image above shows his Dodge Hornet in stock form, but it didn’t take Peragine long to begin customizing his new ride that he calls “Velenosa”, which means venomous in Italian. At first, he started with paint correction and protection, beginning with full-body paint correction and a good polish, followed by self-healing protective film on the front clip, mirrors, A and B pillars, and the area of the roof between the windshield and the sunroof. He then had the vehicle ceramic coated.
Next, Peragine began adding aftermarket upgrades to his Dodge Hornet GT, starting on the outside with 20 x 9-inch Audio City wheels wrapped in 245//45/20 Pirelli P-Zero tires and custom badges and graphics, showcasing a black honeycomb and red chrome design. There is a similar holographic honeycomb pattern in the taillight film, but the most prominent exterior upgrade is the aero package from DownForce Solutions – adding a front splitter, side splitters and a rear diffuser that have been powder coated to match the chrome red badges.
On the inside, Dan Peragine’s Dodge Hornet GT features carbon fiber trim on the steering wheel, shift console, door handle inserts and door control panels, custom puddle lamps that project a red Hornet logo under all four doors, carbon fiber door sill guards with a chrome red Dodge logo and an array of red trim in the engine bay.
Peragine’s Hornet looks like no other modern Dodge crossover, but he isn’t done yet. To continue the custom look, he has a set of custom red chrome exhaust tips that will exit through the rear bumper, red leather door panel inserts that match the seats and a red leather shift boot. He also plans to add more power with a JB4 tune from Burger Motorsports, which is expected to add around 30 horsepower and 80 lb-ft of torque, a turbo blow-off plate from Modern Performance and a high-flow air filter. For those wondering, those power gains are very realistic, as similar tuning gains have been seen by other Hornet GT owners – and that 80 lb-ft torque increase will surely make a big difference in acceleration.
“I have 13k trouble-free miles on my car. It’s been from Florida to Tennessee already and was driven on Tail of the Dragon,” said Peragine. “It’s my daily driver and is a fun car to drive! It’s powerful, nimble, sure-footed and sexy the whole time!”
The Hornet GT is very different from the Challenger R/T, but Dan Peragine is showing that the newest Dodge product can be customized, modified and enjoyed in a similar fashion to the legendary muscle cars.
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