Muscle cars are a product of the American car maker between late 60’s and the oil crisis in the 70’s. Those car featured enormous gas hungry engines producing over 500 horse power. Handling was poor but price was cheap and design was agressive. Those cars are now worth over million dollar and they are the symbol of the bold American cars forever. To name a few iconic muscle cars: Dodge Charger, Chevrolet Camaro, Corvette, Pontiac GTO, Chrysler Hemi Cuda...
Now that SRT has finally released their first model - the new generation Viper - it’s time to focus our attention on some of the other models that will be unveiled under the SRT name. As far as we know, the next model scheduled to arrive will be the new Barracuda. The SRT Barracuda will be built as a replacement for the current Dodge Challenger and will arrive in late 2014 as a 2015 model.
The first rumors on the 2015 Barracuda suggest two different possibilities. The first is a shortened large-car platform (LC or E-EVO) and the second is the new Alfa Romeo D-size platform currently under development. As for the engine, we already know that Chrysler is working on a new supercharged 6.2 liter Hemi engine and this will most likely be the engine found in the new Barracuda. Output will be somewhere in the 490-540 HP area, so expect to see great performance numbers.
Check out our rendering of the SRT Barracuda and let us know what you think in the comments section below!
Roush has just announced their upgrade packages for the new 2013 Mustang. The new model will add an even more aggressive look compared to their previous packages, and as usual, will be offered in three different stages. The most powerful version, Stage 3, will deliver up to 565 HP.
All three stages have received the newly designed 6th generation Roush Aerobody package that includes a remodeled Roush upper grille, high-flow lower grille, corner fascia aero-pockets with driving lamps, and a front chin splitter. It continues with a new hood scoop, rocker panel and rear fascia side splitters, a three-piece rear decklid spoiler, new ROUSH rear aero-valance featuring race-inspired diffusers, and integrated dual chambered, chrome exhaust tips. The Mustang will ride on a new set of 18" aluminum, five spoke, chromed wheels.
The Stage 3 version gets a bit extra in the form of an RS3 graphics package available in multiple color. The interior features a custom gauge cluster, Roush embroidered floor mats, a Roush center console button, and a Stage 3 dash medallion.
Under the hood of the new Stage 3 Mustang is a newly updated Roush supercharged 5.0L-4v powertrain delivering a massive 565 HP and 505 lb-ft of torque. No details have been revealed on the car’s performance just yet, but we will get back to you as soon as we have them!
It’s an equation that shouldn’t come as a surprise to anybody.
If there ever was anybody that had proverbial aftermarket dibs on a car like the Mustang, it’s gotta be Ford’s very own racing division. So now that the Blue Oval has introduced the 2013 Mustang, Ford Racing is taking a crack at highlighting the things they could to the mighty Mustang if they got their hands on one.
For this particular example, Ford Racing opted to dress up the Mustang in the now popular "Gotta Have It Green" paint finish. Together with the unique color scheme, Ford Racing also fitted the Mustang with a new Laguna Seca adjustable front spoiler, as well as a new set of 19" Mustang Track Pack Black wheels wrapped in Pirelli PZero tires with a Brembo 4-piston caliper, 14" front brake kit, and a Laguna Seca brake duct kit.
Under the hood of the Mustang, Ford Racing took the muscle car’s standard 5.0-liter Ti-VCT engine and added their very own FRPP 2.3-liter supercharger system. In addition, they also installed a new Mustang GT side exhaust system, a new sport muffler kit, a Getrag MT82 six-speed manual transmission with a Boss 302 Trans Cooler Scoop, and a Copperhead PCM system, all of which have given the Mustang a more ferocious bite than ever before.
Exact performance numbers have yet to be announced, but considering the extensive tuning job done on the muscle car, we expect those numbers to be eye-popping, to say the very least.
Problem solved! Just one week after the production of the new Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 was put on hold, Chevrolet has announced that the hold has been lifted and the problem has been solved.
Initially, the Camaro ZL1 had to be recalled due to some potential issues that were not provided to the public. The company stopped the production and deliveries of the muscle car and even asked the one person who had taken delivery of their ride to bring it back. Chevy’s thought on the matter was that it was better to prevent than to heal, so they decided that all of the vehicle should go back to the production plant to have the problem solved. They were even able to do it under their timeline of a few weeks by only taking one week to resolve the issue. Way to go, Chevrolet!
MotorAuthority says they received an email from Chevrolet that stated that the customers had been informed that "their cars will arrive at dealerships within two to three weeks. For customers whose cars are still being built, production has resumed and estimated delivery times are being developed."
The other customers who had already placed their orders but whose cars had not been sent to production yet will have to wait another two weeks before Chevrolet determines the remaining ZL1 models’ allocation and timing.
Between proms, parties, guys’/girls’ nights out, and other things, we have been in a lot of limos in our day. We have also seen plenty of them in our time in all shapes, sizes, makes, and models. However, we have never ever seen a muscle car stretched into a luxury limo. This all changed when we came across LA Custom Coach Inc., who is famous for stretching unusual vehicles into limos. The oddest limo on their lot, which includes a stretched F-650 and a stretched Charger, is a roughly 28-foot-long Challenger SRT8.
According to the video above, the entire stretching process took a total of four months from start to finish. It involved chopping this poor car in half, modifying its frame, then adding sheet metal and windows. On the inside, LA Custom Coach Inc. completely gutted the SRT8 and added in full black leather with slight touches of red, which are actually the signature SRT dual slashes.
If some of you happened to miss 60 Minutes’ interview with SRT Brand President and CEO Ralph Gilles, then you probably missed out on a very strange looking car in the background. The car is undoubtedly a coupe, but the question is: is it the upcoming SRT Barracuda? Some say it is, but when asked about this, Chrysler officials said it was just one of the many concepts they are developing around their studio. Come on, if it was really the Barracuda, would they so openly confess to it?
If it is indeed the Barracuda as many believe it is, it will be brought on as a replacement for the current Dodge Challenger. The car will be powered by a supercharged 6.2L Hemi engine that will deliver somewhere around 490 to 540 HP range. As for the platform to be used for the new Cuda, there are two possibilities: one is a shortened large-car platform (LC or E-EVO) and the second is the new Alfa Romeo D-size platform currently under development.
The new SRT Barracuda is expected to be unveiled somewhere at the end of 2013. We’ll get more details on the development as pass them along!
In a world of continued one-upsmanship, Ford and Shelby are building a Mustang that will definitely stick something up the Chevrolet Camaro’s posterior.
At the 2012 New York Auto Show next week, Shelby America will be introducing the most powerful Shelby ever built, appropriately called the Shelby 1000. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to figure out that the "1000" designation on the Mustang signifies the kind of output the car will be generating: 950 ponies!
By taking the muscle car’s 5.4 liter V8 engine, Shelby modified the powertrain by adding a slew of new components, including new connecting rods, a new crank, and new pistons. They also upgraded the cooling and exhaust, replaced the supercharger, and gas flowed the heads, resulting in an output of 950 horsepower for the street-legal version and, if you’re looking for something to exclusively assault the race tracks, a 1,100-horsepower model.
In addition to the aforementioned performance modifications, the Shelby 1000 was also treated to upgraded 6-piston calipers up front and 4-piston calipers in the rear. Moreover, the suspension was also modified to include new struts, sway bars, and bushings. Aesthetically, the Shelby 1000 was also given new aero components, including a front splitter, a new bonnet, and a new rear diffuser.
All told, the Shelby 1000 is poised to become the fastest and most powerful Shelby ever built, one that will come with a premium price tag to justify its billing. The 950-horsepower street-legal version will retail for $149,995 while the track version will sell for 154,995. And in case you want a car that comes with all the bells and whistles, you’ll need to shell out around $200,000 for that bad boy. Be sure to score one as fast as you can because only a little number of models will be available, each numbered and documented by Shelby America themselves.
Updated: Before you got to excited about the images of the new Shelby 1000, you have to know something: they are fake and they have been made by using Photoshop. Yes, we are talking about the images that show the car lifting off the ground. USA Today has made a deeper search and came up with the conclusion that this was impossible: the Mustang is too heavy, the tires in the photo are regular street one and do not appear to be under stress. When asked about this, Scott Black, spokesman for Shelby American confirmed it: "That is fake shot. That shot is not real. I am beyond embarrassed."
Back in 2010, Vaughn Gittin Jr. unveiled a very cool Ford Mustang RTR, and now he’s teamed up with Performance Auto Sport to come up with a track-based version of that very same car. This is not just an ordinary Mustang; it has already scored an impressive 1st place finish at the Virginia International Raceway, making for a total of four wins this season.
Performance Auto Sport is now a certified RTR installer because of their in-depth experience and expertise. They have announced that a very impressive street/track Mustang RTR Spec 2 package will be completed soon and customers will be able to install it on all models of the new 2013 Ford Mustang.
"Vaughn Gittin Jr. has his finger on the pulse of the Mustang community and his passion is infectious,’ says Mark LaMaskin, owner of Performance Auto Sport. "RTR knows what the enthusiast wants and gives it to them one hundred percent. The brand is always evolving and changing with the trends and needs of the Mustang enthusiast. That alone will help keep RTR relevant and successful for a long time to come."
Say a driver loves the way the Challenger R/T or SRT8 looks, but is not down with driving around town with a high-output V-8 engine under the hood. For a while, customers were stuck with either the SXT or SE model, both of which are rather bland in styling when compared to the R/T and SRT8. Dodge came to bat by releasing the all-new 2012 Challenger Rallye Redline.
This mid-level 2012 Challenger features Dodge’s 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine, just like the Challenger SXT . This means drivers are not going to be able to go out there and compete with the likes of the Mustang GT and Camaro SS when it comes to performance. However, they will also not be pulling over at every other gas station to top up at $4.00 per gallon like they would in these high-performance models.
Pitting apple against apple, the 2012 Challenger Rallye Redline just might be a formidable foe for the V-6 powered versions of the 2013 Ford Mustang and 2012 Chevy Camaro. Let’s see how this newcomer to the Challenger lineup holds up against these other members of the 300-horsepower V-6 muscle club. We may be surprised how a few slight modifications can put one car ahead of the pack.
Hit the jump for more details on the 2012 Dodge Challenger Rallye Redline.
Chevrolet Camaro is about to receive some major updates for the 2014 model year, but until then, the 2013 model will be getting a series of improvements to prep it for the following year. The major addition will be a new race-spec package 1LE, and will be joined by an updated interior with a new 7 inch color screen which replaces the standard radio unit.
The new 1LE package was previewed last year at the 2011 SEMA Auto Show with the Camaro 1LE Concept. It will be distinguished by a new front splitter and rear spoiler painted in smoke gray combined with a unique matte-black hood. The car will sit on a new set of 20" wheels in a 10-spoke design featuring low-gloss black finish and red Brembo brake calipers.
The interior will add a ZL1 flat-bottom steering wheel, trimmed in sueded-microfiber and designed for easier heel-and-toe driving on the racetrack. Chevrolet has also installed a quick-acting, short-throw shifter from the ZL1, also trimmed in sueded-microfiber.
The new 1LE package will only be available for 1SS and 2SS coupe models and will be powered by a 6.2 liter LS3 V-8 engine that delivers a total of 426 HP and 420 lb-ft of torque. The 1LE is only available with a six-speed manual transmission featuring a standard air-to-liquid cooling system for track use.
The Chevrolet Camaro 1LE will go on sale in Fall 2012.
