Welcome to the largest Dodge Challenger Forum on the internet. This website is dedicated to friendly discussion of the new Dodge Challenger. The Challenger forum has discussion areas which cater to the Dodge Challenger SRT8, Dodge Challenger R/T, Dodge Challenger SE and everything in between.
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It is a common pastime for us to sit around and talk about what should have been done on this vehicle or that vehicle to make it the ultimate car. Gearheads are united in the fact that we can never fully agree on what constitutes a perfect performance machine. Now is your chance to let your voice be heard however and have a true hand in the future development of the next SRT vehicle.
We have been contacted by the SRT Engineering Team to help spread the word and get as much feedback as possible from the communities that buy these things! Please take a moment out of your day and head over to the following URL and participate in the very quick survey. Your feedback helps out a ton in allowing SRT to decide the most efficient use of their engineering resources... and the more efficient they can do that, the more efficient our potential purchase will ultimately end up. Everyone wins.
Edit: Link Removed -- Thanks everyone who participated, they got plenty of feedback and no longer need the survey filled out!
After completing the survey, please chime in here and let us know your thoughts and let us know you completed the survey. I'd like to see us really take advantage of this opportunity and the more the merrier!
The old-school shifter gurus at Hurst are back in the custom vehicle business, choosing the 2009 Dodge Challenger as their latest canvas. The Hurst/Hemi Challenger is scheduled to make its debut at the 2008 SEMA show in Vegas, after which it's expected in dealerships during the first part of next year. A Hurst shifter is included, of course, along with branded wheels, requisite gold stripes and "H" logos. The rest of the package consists of mods in your choice of four different stages of tune, topping out with a 500+ HP blower-equipped version. Now they just need Linda Vaughn's granddaughter on hand to be the spokesmodel. Full release after the jump.
Chatsworth, California — HURST is one of the most recognized and revered names in the history of performance automobiles. The HURST brand has long been synonymous with speed, performance and quality, with an impressive track-record of pioneering performance products for all forms of motorsports and hot-rodding. HURST was one of the first to partner with the OEMs and bring enthusiasts limited edition performance vehicles like the legendary HURST/Olds 442.
HURST is at it again! The newest creation to be rolled out to continue the tradition is the 2009 HURST/HEMI® Challenger. Starting with the HEMI® powered Dodge Challenger SRT8, HURST takes it to the next level as a 500+ HP supercharged limited edition built and tuned by the best in the business.
Nate Shelton, Chairman of HURST, is committed to delivering the value that HURST is known for; “The new HURST/HEMI® Challenger is more than just another muscle car. It epitomizes the performance industries tradition of taking the best Detroit has to offer and adding 21st century performance parts to make your ride faster and cooler than the other guys. HURST has a long history of doing just that with guys like Don Garlits, Warren Johnson, Dick Landy and even celebrity racers Steve McQueen and Jim Garner. The new HURST/HEMI® Challenger is the first of many HURST Performance Vehicles to come. We are ready to make some more history.”
HURST has partnered with some of the best companies in the industry to create a collectible limited edition muscle car with the looks, attitude and credentials to back it up. The HURST/HEMI® Challenger will be available in four Stages of performance trim through participating Dodge dealerships. The details are iconic and impressive; the huge polished five-spoke HURST alloy wheels and the “Pistol-Grip” HURST shifter are inspired by the originals that helped make HURST the legendary brand that it is today.
HURST Performance Vehicles Program Director Ron Flint adds “The legacy of the HURST brand gives us a huge advantage and it sets the bar very high for our team. Our goal is simple; create serious driveway-envy in your neighborhood.”
The HURST/HEMI® Challenger makes its debut at the trade-only SEMA Show in Las Vegas this November. Vehicle production is slated for early 2009.
The next SRT Engineering chat session is scheduled for Wednesday, August 13th. The session will run from from 6pm to 8pm EST and will be at the CaliberForums.com. The topic of discussion will center around the Dodge Caliber, but as usual all SRT related questions on current products are welcome. Please do not ask questions about the Dodge Hornet Concept.
A thread has already been created and will be unlocked a few hours prior to the chat session at which time you will be able to start posting your questions.
The next SRT Engineering chat session is scheduled for Wednesday, July 23rd. The session will run from from 6pm to 8pm EST and will be at the Cherokee SRT8 Forum. The topic of discussion will center around the Cherokee SRT8, but as usual all SRT related questions on current products are welcome. Please do not ask questions about the Dodge Hornet Concept.
A thread has already been created and will be unlocked a few hours prior to the chat session at which time you will be able to start posting your questions.
After more than a year of anticipation, Chrysler has taken the wraps off the Drag Package for the 2008 Dodge Challenger (Read our three-part review of the SRT8 here!). At least 100 of the Mopar muscle machines will be built, each tailored for the specific NHRA category in which the buyer wishes to compete. The big decision will be whether you want a 5.9-liter Magnum wedge, 5.7-liter Hemi or the big 'n nasty 6.1-liter Hemi. Any of them can be paired with either a manual or automatic transmission. Full details in the press release below the jump.
The Drag Package Challengers are also stripped down and fitted with lightweight components like a composite lift-off style hood, which also comes in handy if you want to disturb the peace in your neighborhood. Of course, the cars won't be street legal, so if you want to cruise Woodward, you'll be asking for trouble.
Center Line, Mich., Jul 13, 2008 - Mopar® is bringing the iconic Dodge Challenger muscle car to National Hot Road Association (NHRA) drag-racing competition. Mopar revealed two Dodge Challenger Drag Race Package Cars at the 29th Annual Mopar Mile-High Nationals today before thrilled fans at Bandimere Speedway in Morrison, Colo. Mopar Mile-High Nationals is the longest-running NHRA sponsorship.
"Big Daddy" Don Garlits and Judy "Miss Mighty Mopar" Lilly were behind the wheels for their inaugural track run. Garlits drove the car featuring the Stone White paint scheme. Lilly was behind the wheel of the "Mopar Liquid Metal" prototype. NHRA named Garlits the #1 driver of the Top 50 drivers from its first 50 years. His victories and accomplishments are virtually unmatched in drag-racing history. "Miss Mighty Mopar" is one of the female pioneers in drag racing. Spending 12 years on the NHRA circuit, Lilly is the only female driver to win two NHRA national events in one year.
Mopar built the first two Challenger Drag Race Package Cars for development and testing for its new Challenger Package Car program. Based on the Challenger SRT8®, the prototypes were finished in Stock Eliminator configuration. They ran successfully in June 2008 as proof-of-concept and for NHRA certification. Mopar dropped approximately 1,000 lbs. off the production Challenger SRT8 by eliminating major production components and systems. To accentuate the weight savings, they also feature added composite, polycarbonate and lightweight components designed for drag racing that will be part of the new Package Car program.
The engine was repositioned to improve driveline angle and weight distribution. The 116-inch wheelbase was shortened by ½ inch. They also feature a front cradle with bolt-in crossmember and solid engine mounts.
"Today is a great day for Mopar, Dodge, SRT, drag racers and motorsports enthusiasts everywhere. Not made for the streets, our drag-race-only Challengers will be running soon in NHRA competition—the best grassroots racing series in the world," said Sunil Lahoti, Mopar Marketing and Brand Manager, Chrysler LLC. "And who better to drive our new Challenger Package Cars on their inaugural track run than 'Big Daddy' and 'Miss Mighty Mopar'—the greatest drag racer of all time and a female pioneer of the sport."
New Dodge Challenger Drag Race Package Car Program by Mopar
The first drag-race, factory-prepped package cars built in 40 years, the new Challenger Drag Race Package Car by Mopar builds on the heritage of the limited-edition 1968 HEMI®-powered Package Cars. Those '68 Dodge Darts and Plymouth Barracudas solidified the Mopar brand as a quarter-mile force.
Mopar will build a minimum of 100 Challenger Drag Race Package Cars to meet NHRA requirements. Based on the production Dodge Challenger SRT8, Mopar's modern factory-prepped Challenger Drag Race Package Car will begin as a special Body-in-White (BIW) from Chrysler's Brampton, Ontario, Canada, assembly plant. The body sealer, sound deadener and undercoat will be eliminated. To reduce vehicle weight, major production component and systems will also be eliminated including: windshield wiper assembly, complete HVAC system, all airbag components, rear seats, power steering system, exhaust system and underbody heat shields, cross-car and side impact door beams, rear bumper beam and rear deck lid spoiler.
The drag racer has three engine options—6.1-liter or 5.7-liter HEMI or 5.9-liter Magnum® Wedge—as well as manual or automatic transmission.
A build book/owner's manual will be provided to document the modifications made to the Challenger SRT8 as well as provide recommendations to finish the Package Car for Stock Eliminator competition. To accentuate weight savings, there are unique drag-race components in the Package Car program including: composite lift-off hood with functional scoop, Viper-style front seats, polycarbonate door windows, lightweight cooling module with electric fan, manual rack and pinion steering, special cable-operated deck lid release, special lightweight front brake assembly and special cable-operated throttle linkage and pedal assembly.
The Challenger Drag Race Package Car will be eligible to run in three Eliminator categories—Comp, Super Stock and Stock—and potentially 40 classes.
Depending upon the configuration selected, the U.S. Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for the Challenger Drag Race Package Car program will range from the low to mid $30s. Each car will carry an identification plate with sequential serial number.
The Challenger Drag Race Package Car will be available for order in late August to early September. A toll-free number will be designated for ordering. Details will be posted on Mopar - Authentic Performance, Accessories, Service & Parts.
Now in its fifth decade, NHRA is the world's largest motorsports sanctioning body with 80,000 members, 140 member tracks, more than 35,000 licensed competitors and more than 5,000 member-track events. NHRA is second only to NASCAR in terms of fan attendance.
70 Years of Mopar
When Chrysler bought Dodge in 1928, the need for a dedicated parts manufacturer, supplier and distribution system to support the growing enterprise led to the formation of the Chrysler Motor Parts Corporation (CMPC) in 1929.
Originally used in the 1920s, Mopar (a simple contraction of the words MOtor and PARts) was trademarked for a line of antifreeze products in 1937. It was also widely used as a moniker for the CMPC. The Mopar brand made its mark in the 1960s—the muscle car era. The Chrysler Corporation built race-ready Dodge and Plymouth "package cars" equipped with special high-performance parts. Mopar carried a line of "Special Parts" for super stock drag racers and developed its racing parts division called Mopar Performance Parts to enhance speed and handling for both road and racing use.
Today, Chrysler LLC's Global Service & Parts division is responsible for the manufacturing and distribution of nearly 250,000 authentic Mopar replacement parts, components, restoration parts, accessories and performance parts for Chrysler, Jeep® and Dodge vehicles sold around the world. To assure quality, reliability and durability, all Mopar parts and accessories are designed in strict adherence to Chrysler engineering standards.
Michigan's M-1 is a state trunk road that starts at downtown Detroit's waterfront drive, Jefferson Avenue, then shoots north in a straight line for 21.4 miles, past some of the poorest and wealthiest neighborhoods of the metro region until it loops back down the other direction in the city of Pontiac. And really, nobody calls it "M-1." Everyone knows it as Woodward Avenue and it's the heart of the Midwestern metropolis dubbed the Motor City. But until this morning, I didn't realize how important this stretch of road was to me. Many of you may not know, but this past month I moved to New York. Until the start of last month, I'd lived my entire life in this corner of Michigan. But this week I'm back in Detroit for one reason, and one reason alone — an entire week of driving the 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8. It's a car imbued with so much positive energy that there's only thing I can think of able to do it justice. I plan on running Dodge's muscular old-school revival up and down Woodward Avenue, stoplight-to-stoplight, from downtown Detroit to Pontiac until I pass out from exhaustion or the gas station declines my credit card.
With a name like Challenger, Dodge's new muscle car had better put down some serious quarter-mile times or else be able to propel itself into outer space. Fortunately, Chrysler's performance parts division Mopar is preparing to do one (if not the other) when it unveils its new Drag Race Package for the Challenger at the annual Mopar Mile-High Nationals at the Bandimere Speedway in Denver next week.
DETROIT — Mopar is developing a supercharger for the 2009 Dodge Challenger. Chrysler is planning to unveil it this November at the SEMA show in Las Vegas, Inside Line has learned.
The supercharger will be marketed through Dodge dealers as a Mopar-branded aftermarket item. Along with the blower, the '09 Challenger will get the typical SEMA treatment: a cold-air intake, a high-flow cat-back exhaust system and, of course, a few different sets of rims.
Speedfactory has already taken the wraps off its Vortech supercharger kit for the Challenger, which ups the 6.1-liter Hemi V8's stock 425 horsepower to 630 hp with the Stage 2 modifications.
No word yet on output and torque figures for the Mopar-modified Hemi.
What this means to you: A supercharger for the Challenger should bring some serious competition to the new Ford Shelby GT500. — Mike Lysaght, Correspondent
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