Mopar is bringing the millennial Dodge Challenger back to the drag strip this summer with a new track-ready package, including the brand’s first supercharged engine. Buyers can choose between two blocks: the supercharged 354 cubic inch engine or naturally aspirated 426 powerplant. The 2015 Drag Pak follows on the heels of Mopar’s 2008 factory-prepped package that sold out all 100 vehicles.
The heritage of the new Mopar-based Challenger can be traced back to the birth of the Challenger in the early 1970s. Having successfully launched the Plymouth Road Runner in 1968, Chrysler’s idea was to produce a smaller, lighter vehicle that could compete head-to-head with Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro.
Chrysler thought it had an answer with the 1968 Plymouth Barracuda, and its choice of 340 or 383 cubic-inch engines. When Ford and Chevrolet countered with 428 and 427 cubic inch engines respectively, Chrysler’s response was the 1970 Dodge Challenger: a larger car that shared its platform with a new Plymouth Barracuda. Both were capable of holding a 426 Hemi under the hood. That car, called the R/T, earned a coveted position in muscle car history.
Nearly a half-century later, the racetrack-ready version of the Dodge Challenge again uses a naturally aspirated 426 cubic inch engine mated to a 3-speed transmission—as well as a supercharged 354 race-prepped Gen III Hemi.
The naturally aspirated option is constructed from aluminum (with pressed in steel cylinders) to minimize weight gain. A forged steel crankshaft on the supercharged block is robust enough to handle the blower’s load at full throttle. Both blocks come with race-prepared automatic transmissions.
The new Mopar package is designed for sportsman racers who want to compete in sanctioned NHRA events.
Supercharged engine
The hood is hinged at the rear for easier access to the engine bay between laps.
Suspension components include 40-spline gun drilled axles, double adjustable compression and rebound struts, shocks with adjustable compression, and an anti-roll bar. Engineers also strengthened the rear axle mounting as compared to the 2008 package.
All cars come with a full roll cage designed to NHRA specifications and fifteen-inch lightweight tires with Hoosier drag radials.
Pricing begins at $109,354 for the supercharged Challenger and $99,426 for the naturally aspirated car. Dodge dealers will begin taking orders on July 23, coinciding with the Mopar Mile-High NHRA nationals. For more information, visit www.mopar.com/mopar-drag-pak.
See 2015 Dodge Challenger for sale on eBay.
