Dodge's drifting Charger debuts

[ekool]

http://www.autoblog.com/media/2006/06/drift-charger-debut-20060616044257898.jpg (http://cars.ign.com/articles/713/713082p1.html)


Amidst the hoopla surrounding the release of The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Universal Studios held a Drift Party in its parking lot where Dodge quietly parked its Mopar-powered Charger drift car that will eventually be driven in the Formula D professional drift series (http://www.formulad.com/home.php) by Samuel Hubinette.

Dodge unveiled a version of its drifting Charger at last year's SEMA show in Las Vegas, but it wasn't race ready and featured many bits and pieces that were tacked on for show. The car that will actually compete gets a much smaller hood scoop, less pronounced fenders and ditches the carbon fiber rear wing out back. A more realistic set of 19-inch Racing Hart wheels and Brembo brakes also replaces the show setup on the SEMA vehicle.

Tire-shredding power will be provided by a Mopar 392 crate engine capable of producing 650 horsepower on 104 octane fuel. Considering this Charger weighs 900 lbs. less than a consumer Charger R/T, we're pretty sure Hubinette will be able to dominate the field like he's been doing in his Viper drift car.

http://www.autoblog.com/media/2006/06/drift-charger-debut-20060616044300195.jpghttp://www.autoblog.com/media/2006/06/drift-charger-debut-20060616044255647.jpg

http://www.autoblog.com/media/2006/06/drift-charger-debut-20060616044257132.jpghttp://www.autoblog.com/media/2006/06/drift-charger-debut-20060616044259430.jpg

2005 Dodge Charger / Mopar drift show car - SEMA 2005
http://www.autoblog.com/media/2006/06/drift-charger-debut-20060616042000763.jpg

More photos can be seen at http://www.autoblog.com/2006/06/24/dodge-s-drifting-charger-debuts/#comments

[Curz]

here is Sam in action

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2001398419889157226&q=charger

[ekool]

Too bad that vid aint longer and doesnt showcase more action :(

[GLHS837]

Evidently, that was a quickie just to see if he was going to be able to toss the car around properly. His blog at toxicdrift.com refers to it as a test run:)

[Sable]

Dodge gone rice????
What is this world coming too...

[cool_as_ice]

hey i've never seen an interior shot of this car...
does it have a standard tranny? i assume so if it's required to drift

[GLHS837]

Dodge gone rice????
What is this world coming too...


How about "Dodge competing in one of the most visible new motorsports, to increase brand awareness amongst young folks with disposable income":)

Cool as ice, yes, it does, and the interior is stripped to metal, roll cage, and no, you cant just use what tranny he's using, becuase you dont have SRT backing your game with custom programming.

[cool_as_ice]

How about "Dodge competing in one of the most visible new motorsports, to increase brand awareness amongst young folks with disposable income":)

Cool as ice, yes, it does, and the interior is stripped to metal, roll cage, and no, you cant just use what tranny he's using, becuase you dont have SRT backing your game with custom programming.

haha, cool thanks! i was just wondering
i actually prefer the Auto after driving stick for the last four years, it never came naturally to me as it does others

but it does seem the first thing out of everyones mouth when they see my car is "is it stick" to which i reply "no, it comes auto only" and their so suprised by that fact

[GLHS837]

Folks expect high performance to be mated to sticks. Of course, most that feel that way havent really driven a really modern auto like this.

[Sable]

If you are going fast in a straight line, auto has it's benefits.
However, if your a pureist and really love to drive and in the curves, nothing beats a manual car. But to each his own. It's a matter of opinion.

Still think it looks ricy though. Visibility makes sense and all but who are you making it visible too? Market research would tell you the crowd that drifting is appealing too is not the crowd that will buy this automobile. Haven't you ever watched the fast and the furious!! Come on man!!

[GLHS837]

Hard to say, but even if the kids watching dont get hooked on Charger, they might come away inpressed that Dodge even entered the game. And if Sam H. has the same kind of sucess he had with the Viper, he'll get respect.

[superdart]

Seeing all the, rap stars, movine stars, etc buying Chargers, Magums and 300s, they are definately looking at the market.

Dodge was the first American company to get in the game, now GM and Ford are in it too. I think it is only going to help get people interested in cars with real power.

"There is nothing in the world as unforgettable as the raw power of an American Muscle car."
- unkown

[cool_as_ice]

i ordered in a couple of the JDM OPTION DVDs that feature the Viper Drift car

pretty cool stuff, it's refereshing to see non-japanese cars on the drift scene (it also featured Mustang GTs and new GTOs as drift cars) eventhough the exterior mods are sometimes over the top, i wouldn't really consider them "RICE"

hopefully the Charger is featured in later volumes

[GENX_HEMI9]

when is the first race?

[GLHS837]

Unknown, they are saying when its going to race for the first time yet.

[Manicmechanic]

September HR specs the car as:
4100 Lbs
Race Preped 6.1 Hemi @ 600+ HP
Tremec 6 speed
19 inch racing hart wheels

[Sithor]

I can't wait to see what this thing does. I'm really excited for watching drifting is pretty damn entertaining compared to some other autosports.

[srt4evah]

4100lbs? Shouldn't it be like 3200lbs?

[GLHS837]

I think that weight is wrong, but I dont thinks its off by 1000. Even with a full carbon body, and lotsa stuff removed, 1K is not that east to get to.

[cjsCharger]

I'm just waiting to see him do this in a Charger
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6973040083960037944&q=middle+east+driving+school

[R/T Charger]

I'm just waiting to see him do this in a Charger
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6973040083960037944&q=middle+east+driving+school


Damn LOL those guys are crazy..

[ARCANGELSOLO]

as far as the fast and the furious movies go, i am not so sure i want anyone who believes what they saw in the movies driving a car period... let alone a musclecar like the charger.

[GLHS837]

Right, but this thread is about the competition car, not illegal street competitions.

[R/TommyB]

Hasn't anyone been to the DCX "Full Throttle" tour, where they drift the hell outta a Super Bee?

[GLHS837]

Do they? I've seen video of the Viper and the Ram SRT going at it, but none of the Bee.

[Bigphil]

did you guys miss this?

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3750764234392948425&q=charger

[GLHS837]

Nope, as a matter of fact, it was posted here the day it was posted there:)

[sniper226]

Hasn't anyone been to the DCX "Full Throttle" tour, where they drift the hell outta a Super Bee?

Yes, I saw it in Dallas and it was awesome. The Super Bee & a new Viper doing a figure 8 criss cross, all the while drifting and burning rubber. The Charger was putting out tons more smoke than the Viper. I suspect it was running the RSA tires and that accounted for the more wheelspin.

Had I known that we were going to be able to throw the SRT's around the track the way we did and that they were going to have this demonstration, I would of brought my video camera to capture some of the excitement. Not sure if they will do it again as it was suppose to be more or less a training event for their employees that they decided to open to the public.

Dallas was the last stop on the tour so I don't think they held back on the tire smoking fun knowing they really did not need to get anymore shows on the tires anymore. In fact, the announcer made a comment about the SRT Ram and how over the tour, he had gotten more and more aggressive with his burnouts and it had culminated to the showing in Dallas. He expected a REALLY big show @ 4 (the last one) but we had been there since 10AM and did not want to hang out that long.

[Hell Ride]

I just want to see Mopar come and hold it down. Ryse Millen is starting to make me angry.

[darsh39]

well.. i have seen al this just in videos nd flicks..

never seen em in reality!

but the video was crazy!!!

these ppl really dont like there tyres i guess!!