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The Dodge Challenger has come into the world in three completely different generations. The first generation Challenger was a pony car produced from 1970-1974 and the second generation ranged from 1978-1983 and was a badge engineered Mitsubishi Galant Lambda. The third, current generation came about in 2008 and was produced to compete against the Mustang and the Camaro, two muscle cars that had outlived the pony car era. The current generation Challenger is built on the Charger/Chrysler 300C platform and features rear-wheel drive and an independent rear suspension. It is powered by a choice of three engines: a 3.5L V6 that produces 250HP and 250 lb-ft of torque, a 5.7L V8 delivering 372HP and 400 lb-ft of torque, and the top-of-the-line 6.1L V8 producing 425HP and 420 lb-ft of torque. These engines are mated to either a 6-speed manual pr 5-speed automatic transmission. Video: Mopar 10 ChallengerTwo days ago Dodge unveiled the first sketch of the special edition Mopar 10 Challenger. The new version will go on sale next month priced at $38,000 for an automatic transmission and $39,000 for a manual transmission. There will be only 500 units produced. In this video you will see Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of the Mopar brand, Mark Trostle, Chief of the Dodge’s Exterior Design department, and Dan Zimmermann, Head of Dodge Interior Design and Mopar Interiors guide you through all of the changes this muscle car undertook to get to the "sinister" look that Dodge and Mopar intended for this special edition. You will get to see many parts of the Mopar Challenger up close as the experts describe the idea behind the vehicle. The new Mopar 10 Challenge will be distinguished by a Brilliant Black exterior color with contrasting Mopar Blue, Red, or Silver, 20" forged heritage gloss-black wheels, a cold-air intake, a front strut-tower brace with shock caps, a unique engine cover, and Mopar logos and graphics. On the interior it gets Katzkin leather seating, custom leather-wrapped steering wheel with baseball-style stitching, Mopar shift handles (T-handle for automatics, Pistol Grip for manuals), a serialized dash plaque with Mopar ’10 logo, and Mopar branding throughout. NADA Guide gives us a glimpse of 2011 Challenger pricing 
Although Chrysler hasn’t officially released the new 2011 Dodge Challenger pricing, we can bet that the NADA Guide site is an accurate estimate. You can build your very own Challenger with various options and they even include pricing. It appears to be fairly legit too. What makes this so interesting is if these numbers are true, then prices have gone up substantially. A base 2010 Challenger SE with the 3.6-liter V6 is around $23,695, while the 2011 model is $2,310 more, at $26,055. The Coupe R/T jumps by $1,910 to $33,520. The top of the line SRT-8, which is the one you should have, is $1,921 more, at $45,601. A steep price to pay for that sweet motor. When it comes to paint colors, Dodge has a whole buffet of them. You can mix and match all you want, depending on the model you choose. There is Redline 3 Pearl, Green With Envy, Billet Metallic, and so on. We look forward to getting a go in one of the last muscle cars on the planet with a much improved dashboard and a 6.4-liter HEMI. 2010 Dodge Challenger NASCAR Nationwide Series race car
After Ford unveiled the Mustang NASCAR Nationwide Series race car yesterday, Dodge wasn’t just about to sit back and let them take all of the attention. Bring forth the Dodge Challenger set to take on the same competition. The new Dodge Challenger NASCAR Nationwide Series race car will be presented this weekend at a series of concerts that Dodge is hosting. The official presentation will end with interactive displays at the Daytona International Speedway. “Our new Dodge Challenger race car brings true brand identity back to NASCAR, so now the spotlight is going to be shared between the new car and our two star drivers from Penske Racing,” said Dodge Brand President Ralph Gilles. “We’ve been looking forward to this race weekend for quite some time, and our loyal owners and fans are going to have a lot of opportunities to celebrate the return of the Dodge Challenger.” Ford announced that any driver who wins the Subway Jalapeno 250 in a Mustang this Friday will receive their own 2011 5.0-liter Mustang GT production vehicle. So, how about Dodge? The company has said nothing about the drivers receiving a vehicle, but they are giving the fans an opportunity to win a new Challenger R/T. Sounds alright to us! So, place your bets everyone and stay tuned this Friday to find out who the top dog muscle car is! Video: Behind the scenes of the Dodge Challenger "Freedom" commercialNow that the America’s stint in the World Cup was unceremoniously dispatched by Ghana, it doesn’t look like all those promotional ads urging Team USA to perform well in the World Cup did anything for the team. Nevertheless, the new Dodge Challenger ’Freedom’ ad, which debuted before the US’s opening stage match England, was one of our favorite auto commercials to come out in a while. So with no other team to root for, this behind-the-scenes look at the commercial is about as good as it gets for us. Fortunately, the video is good enough consolation for us, especially after finding out that the three Challengers used in the commercial didn’t have any doubles doing their stunts for them. It may not mean much in the bigger scheme of things, but knowing what the new Challenger is capable of - that is to say that it’s not afraid to get its paint job dirty - shows us that this muscle-bound machine is more than capable of giving us something the US team never quite lived up to: a rollicking awesome car that can give us a thrill ride of a lifetime. 2011 Dodge Challenger will come with new improvements
With the new Camaro and Mustang improving all the time, it’s no wonder that Dodge tries to keep up. However, lets face it, the current and forever on-going muscle car war is pretty between Chevrolet and Ford. But what about the Challenger? Revealed at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show, the Challenger created quite a fiery sensation, but then fizzed out. Now it appears that Dodge is stirring the remaining embers to get consumers to remember that they too have a muscle car in their line-up. For 2011 model year, the Challenger will get a long list of improvements, including more powerful engines. Don’t get to excited, though, the exterior look will remain the same except for the lower opening that was flipped upside down and made taller. The interior will receive major updates. Dodge is putting in a new Garmin navigation system and will be improving the dashboard. They will also offer high quality materials. As for the engines, the SE version will get a Pentastar V6 engine with an output between 290 and 300 HP, if the direct injection is added. For the RT version the engine will remain the same. The biggest change will be made for the SRT8 version that will get a new 6.4-liter Hemi engine delivering 480 HP and 460 lb-ft of torque. This engine will feature cylinder deactivation, helping real world gas mileage. 2010 Dodge Challenger SRT-8 by O.CT Tuning
The Dodge Challenger is a sick car all on its own, but when tuning firms get their hands on a vehicle this seductive, the outcome is just pure beauty. O.CT Oberscheider Tuning has unveiled a new tuning package for the Dodge Challenger SRT-8 muscle car. While in its standard version, the 6.1-liter Hemi V8 engine develops a total of 425 HP, well OC.T has added a new compressor-kit that increases the output to 550 hp and 682 NM of torque. A dynamic change and certainly one to boast about! O.CT Tuning has also added a new stainless steel exhaust system that performs quite pleasantly at normal speeds, but put the pedal to the metal and you’ve got a luscious sound reverberating out of the four pipes gleaming in the back of the car. In order to maintain a comfortable driving platform, O.CT Tuning has replaced the original AMI-suspension with a KW-coil over suspension. To finalize the added muscle, they have also added a new set of wheels. The same modifications can also be applied to the Chrysler 300C Hemi SRT-8, with the addition of a new set of 22" wheels and a black-matte exterior paint. Now consumers can receive the same sexy and powerful Dodge Challenger SRT-8 with even more bang for their buck making this a beautiful business arrangement. Press release after the jump. Full story 2010 Dodge Challenger SF600R by SpeedFactory
It’s been quite a while since we heard news on the Dodge Challenger, but today SpeedFactory announced the SF600R tuning package for the muscle car. If a potential customer wants it, however, they’ll have to pay an extra $73,900. The SF600R uses a SpeedFactory hi-performance, normally-aspirated, bored, stroked, and balanced 6.1L Hemi block that develops a total of 600HP. This bump in power is substantial considering the Dodge Challenger only packs a punch of 425 HP and 420 lb-ft of torque. This incredible engine is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission. The package also includes a CARB-certified high volume air intake and Corsa stainless steel cat back exhaust system. The interior will see premium leather seats and door panels embossed with SpeedFactory branding as well as custom floor mats. The Dodge Challenger will roll out on premium Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 tires mounted on 20" BBS Black Edition CH-R flow-formed wheels. The Dodge Challenger by Speedfactory is available for immediate delivery. Press release after the jump. Full story Sox and Martin Collector Series Hemi Cuda
Mr. Norm’s Garage is ready to bring back to our attention a piece of history. On March 26, Diane Sox and Buddy Martin from the Sox and Martin drag racing team got together with Mr. Norm’s Garage and unveiled a series of performance vehicles based on the new Dodge Challenger that were inspired by the Sox & Martin Hemi Cuda that won the 1971 NHRA Pro Stock National Championship. The Sox and Martin Collector Series Hemi Cuda is offered in three versions: Sox & Martin Super Street Edition that develops a total of 625 HP, Super Stock Edition with a total of 725 HP, and a Pro Stock Edition that develops more than 900 HP and features a Dana 60 differential and 4 link rear suspension. All versions will feature the same red, white, and blue paint scheme and period correct Sox & Martin graphics as the fearsome original NHRA Pro Stock National Championship winning Hemi Cuda. The Collector Series will make appearances all over the U.S. during 2010. One lucky collector will have a chance to win the 625HP version of the Sox and Martin Collector Series Hemi Cuda at the 2011 Mopar at the Strip event in Las Vegas, Nevada on March 18th-20th, 2011. Raffle tickets are one for $25 or save by purchasing two for $40. All proceeds go towards the Ronnie Sox Foundation named after "The Boss" himself. The Ronnie Sox Foundation supports the children at St. Jude and helps teach awareness and early detection of prostate cancer. Press release after the jump. Full story Video: Sam Hubinette brings Dodge Challenger drift car to HollywoodFresh off of his practice run with his new Dodge Challenger drift car at Adam’s Motorsports Park in Riverside, California, Sam Hubinette brought the car and showed it off at a more fan-friendly setting: Hollywood. As part of the festivities of the IZOD Indy Car Series’ "Race To The Party" event, Hubinette was on-hand for a special drifting demonstration of his Challenger drift car in front of a packed audience on Hollywood Boulevard just outside of the Kodak Theatre. We already know how sick a drifter like Hubinette can be, but it certainly didn’t hurt showing the people in attendance the art of smoking tires. He even managed to do some drift stunts for good measure, much to the delight of the crowd who probably didn’t know who he was, only that he can do some pretty nifty tricks with his Dodge Challenger. Mopar and Rich Evans team up to build custom Dodge Challenger for SEMA Mopar has been doing some serious marketing in the past couple of days by first announcing the $2000 Mopar Bucks program specifically for drivers purchasing a Dodge Challenger and now this. Mopar will team up with custom car designer, Rich Evans to create a custom Dodge Challenger for the 2010 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas on Nov 3-6, 2010. The customization will begin with a base 2010 Dodge Challenger and then Evans will let his creative juices flow while using Mopar parts to trick out this ride. Evans will be customizing some Mopar parts while also using aftermarket suppliers to finish his build. "Rich Evans has crafted some of the most remarkable customized rides on the street today," said Pietro Gorlier, President & CEO, Mopar Service, Parts & Customer Care, Chrysler Group LLC. "This Mopar SEMA project will demonstrate to our customers what they can create with proven, quality-tested Mopar parts and accessories." For the full story plus the press release, follow the jump. Full story | Find us on Facebook | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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