Automakers are constantly mining their past glory for new products: Special edition this; anniversary model that…sometimes it’s no more than a tape stripe or special numbered badge.

But the current Dodge Charger, in all its V8 glory, really looks like the real deal. The car on display to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the company's Mopar parts brand here in Detroit is the Dodge Charger Redline, stuffed full of upgrade parts from Mopar, all the way to a 590-hp V8 that isn't even street legal.

Diving into the past? No doubt, but this one is packed with substance as well as style.

For those who grew up fans of 1960s and ’70s muscle cars, Mopar was one of the cornerstones of straight-line performance. According to Chrysler, the Mopar brand came about when the company needed a name for its antifreeze product and came up with “MoPar,” combining “MOtor and PARts.”

All of Chrysler's latest SRT8 performance models that I’ve driven were fun to drive, with wicked acceleration and soul-stirring exhaust notes.

Two of the available upgrade “stages” on the Charger Redline include aerodynamic exterior components and interior add-ons as well as bolt-on performance parts to make the car quicker and enhance handling and braking. You can also get a cat-back performance exhaust system to make the system sing with a little more soul. The final stage is a new high-output version of the aluminum-block 426 Hemi V8. Not that the “basic” SRT8’s 470 hp leave you wanting, but this new crate engine, delivers 590 hp. The company says this engine is “for race/off-road use only.”

Here’s the best part: The Charger Redline on display had an old-school lift-off hood. And just like the old street racers with their Dodge Super Bees and Plymouth Road Runners eager to show off a beautiful engine, the propped up hood afforded an amazing view of that sick V8. I seriously doubt this is going to be available for production cars, but it made me grin from ear to ear.