Recently in 2009 Category

Speedfactory has become well known for their high performance late model Mopars, and at the 2008 SEMA Show the Vortech display featured a blown 6.1L Speedfactory Challenger.  Earlier this week, news surfaced about the debut of a new, more powerful Speedfactory '440 Hemi' Challenger.  

That's right - 440 cubic inches of SRT-Hemi muscle, and with the help of a Vortech centrifugal supercharger this nasty Challenger makes 700 horsepower on 91 octane gasoline.  This 440 is created by taking a 6.1L Hemi, boring and stroking it to 7.2L, and adding a fully forged rotating assembly.  A set of worked Mopar Performance cylinder heads helps move all of the forced air needed for the 440 Hemi.

This is announced as the debut of the car, but I thought that I recognized it, so I checked with the guys at Speedfactory. Yesterday evening, Speedfactory contacted me and confirmed that I have indeed seen this Challenger before, and based on my first sighting of it...it is one great looking Challenger.  This will be the debut of the 440 Hemi Challenger in this form, although this car has been displayed before.  In August of 2009, this Speedfactory Challenger was displayed alongside a wicked 10 second Speedfactory Charger at the Mopar Nationals in Columbus, Ohio.

The 2009 SEMA Show in Las Vegas is only 18 days away, and today the Mopar camp offered their first teasers of what to expect in their display.  Not surprisingly, the first four announced vehicles for the SEMA Show include a Dodge Ram and a Dodge Challenger, along with a pair of wild Jeep concepts.

The two Jeeps to be featured at the Mopar SEMA Show display, the Jeep Wrangler Overland and Jeep Lower Forty are both based on the popular Wrangler.  The Mopar Dodge Ram Bianco is based on a production Dodge Ram 1500 Sport, and the Mopar Dodge Challenger 1320 (the first of many Challengers I expect to see at SEMA) is actually based on the Dodge Challenger Track Pak rather than a production model.

The most exciting (to me) concept of the 2009 SEMA Show Mopar display to be announced so far is the Mopar Dodge Challenger 1320.  The base vehicle of this concept was not a production vehicle, but rather the track-only Dodge Challenger Track Pak and in the artist's rendering the Challenger 1320 shows off a yellow (they call is Acidic Hue) and flat black scheme.  A large hood scoop, widened police style wheels wrapped in Nitto drag radials, and special graphics help to define the exterior but the real news about the Dodge Challenger 1320 is the drivetrain.  Mopar began with an all-aluminum 426 cubic inch Hemi crate motor decorated with Mopar valve covers. 

The 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8 followed the initial revival of the Challenger as one of the most anticipated sophomore years since the days when Dodge muscle cars ruled the streets with V8 rear wheel drive performance. The 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 offered a change from the then-current lineup of predominantly sedans, trucks, and minivans, and Dodge enthusiasts all over the country lined up to get their hands on the first release of reborn Mopar muscle.

The Production Challenger

The 2008 Dodge Challenger is offered in one trim line, the well-known SRT8 designation. There were 4 choices for the lucky people who reserved a 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 before it was released. The first dealt with color, either Hemi Orange Pearl Coat, Brilliant Black Crystal Pearl Coat, or Bright Silver Metallic Pearl Coat. The second choice was whether to stick with the basic 6-disc AM/FM/MP3 stereo system or to select the $890 MyGig Multimedia system complete with GPS navigation. The third option was whether or not you wanted a sunroof at an additional $950. And the final decision was simple: stock or performance tires. The base tire of the SRT8 is a set of four 245/45ZR20 all-season Goodyear radials. For fifty dollars more, a buyer could select a set of performance Goodyears with the same 245 size tires up front and 255/45ZR20's in the rear.