SRT->ke4431 chief, Ralph Giles, isn't the type to back down from a challenge. So when Chevrolet->ke199 unveiled the track-focused Chevrolet Camaro Z/28, nobody was surprised when Giles told Motor Trend that his brand "was preparing for an answer" to the Z/28.

So the onus now turns to Dodge's resident muscle car, the Challenger, to pick up and answer the call. Giles didn't go into specific details regarding what that "answer" was going to be, but there's already speculation that a Challenger will be that steed and it will come with what folks expect to be a doozy of a powertrain.

As far as expectations are concerned, ours is that SRT will fit a modified version of its 6.4-liter Hemi V-8. You know, the one that currently produces 470 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque. Add a couple of tweaks here and there and that output can easily be bumped up to around 500 horsepower, right around the same figure the Camaro Z/28 currently provides.

In addition to the more powerful engine, SRT could also make the Challenger lighter with the use of carbon-fiber parts to go with lighter suspension, bigger brakes and new track-focused wheels.

All this, of course, is a matter of conjecture. Yet we do know that SRT has something planned up its sleeve. Ralph Giles isn't the type to double-talk, so when he says that an answer is coming, you can pretty much take that to the bank.

.