Challenger Bound for Drag Strip? By Tom Murphy WardsAuto.com, Nov 13, 2007 9:17 AM LAS VEGAS – The resurrected iconic muscle car from the 1970s, the all-new Dodge Challenger, does not go on sale until next spring, but already the customization crowd is licking its chops in anticipation of drag racing the car. Rob Richard At the recent Specialty Equipment Market Assn. show here, Rob Richard, director-sales and marketing for Chrysler LLC’s Mopar parts division, fanned the flames by announcing at a press conference the auto maker was working on race-ready versions of the Challenger that would come from the same factory in Brampton, ON, Canada, that produces the street cars. Richard told the crowd the tentative plan was to build “only a few” Challenger racers. Afterward, Richard declined to be more specific about volumes. “There’s a number that NHRA (National Hot Rod Assn.) would want us to build to be legal for the track. We’re working with NHRA now.” Before greenlighting the race version of the Challenger, Richard says Chrysler still faces significant internal testing and product engineering. “If we can get it built, get it out there, get it at the right price for people to buy, we’re hoping we can do it in 2008,” he tells Ward’s. “No plans have been finalized yet.” The car would come with all the necessary race hardware and would not be street legal. “It could go right to the raceway,” Richard says. Related Stories Mustang, Jetta Track Ready Lexus Transplant Touts Mopar Muscle Cuts Clip Chrysler Capacity Challenger SRT8 Coming, Chrysler Confirms Chrysler is considering powertrain options and has not yet decided which Hemi would be used. At the SEMA show, the Mopar stand featured a jet-black Super Stock Dodge Challenger concept, featuring a 392 cu.-in. (6.4L) Hemi fuel-injected crate engine capable of 525 hp and 510 lb.-ft. (691 Nm) of torque, linked to an automatic transmission. “This one actually is ready to go,” Richard says, motioning to the concept car. “We’ve had it out at the drag strip already, testing. We’ll see what engine NHRA lets us use.” The next step in the evolution of the test vehicle is to replace the fuel injectors with a carbureted intake for the 392 Hemi, says Jonathan Clark, department manager-Mopar Performance. “That’s worth another 20 to 30 hp, alone,” Clark says. “The torque reduces a little bit with that manifold because it moves the whole power range up.” All-new Challenger at 2007 Woodward Dream Cruise. Richard’s goal is to finalize the powertrain choice and publish the horsepower, torque and speed numbers by year’s end. “We’re trying to get it to be competitive,” he says. “If we can’t get it competitive, we’re not going to do it.” Richard says the street Challenger launches first as a limited-edition high-output version powered by the normally aspirated 6.1L Hemi V-8, which produces 425 hp and 420 lb.-ft. (569 Nm) of torque in the ’08 Chrysler 300C SRT8. Next in the chute for the production Challenger is the 5.7L Hemi V-8, followed by the 3.5L V-6. “So the guy who wants to get the look and the feel and accessorize (the Challenger) on his own, we’ll have that vehicle available for him,” Richard says. Another key unanswered question is the price of a race-ready Challenger. Richard knows the price has to be low enough to attract an enthusiast who might otherwise outfit such a car by himself. “If you had to build one on your own from the bottom up, it would be very expensive,” he says. “We want to offer them a package that is affordable, that they can buy from us that is ready to go.” And if they want to buy a race-ready Challenger and boost its performance with a few more add-ons, Mopar is happy to oblige, Richard says. Chrysler is one of a number of auto makers to use this year’s SEMA show to launch race-ready cars, derived from high-volume production vehicles and built in the same plant. Ford Motor Co. and Volkswagen of America Inc. already have greenlighted racing versions of the Mustang and Jetta, respectively, for 2008. This trend is not likely to slow down, Richard says. “Look what’s happening in the industry – it’s about personalization and customization,” he says. “The manufacturers are trying to give the customers what they want. You’ve got people who are enthusiasts and want to go off-road or get to the track, and they don’t have hundreds of thousands of dollars
