challenger

Tommy Kendall returns to Trans Am

August 14, 2014 by Gary Grant Leave a Comment

This morning’s news comes out of the Trans Am paddock, where it has been announced that four time T/A series champion Tommy Kendall will be returning to the iconic racing series, at the wheel of a bright green Dodge Challenger SRT in the TA2 category. The first outing for the Miller Racing prepared Challenger will be this weekend at Mid-Ohio.

The timing is perfect to put guys like Paul Tracy, Tony Stewart, Montoya and even Villeneuve in to showroom based cars. Mustang, Camaro, Challenger: all are back (or still) in showrooms. Bring on BMW’s 1 series and Nissan’s 370Z for a bit of nostalgic spice to the group. Run the cars in a showroom stock configuration again so the fans can relate. Think those drivers above won’t add enough excitement? How about bringing in guys like Michael Andretti, Little Al, David Donohue to add in a bit more historic star power? If memory serves, I think Unser may have driven the tubie cars at some point in the Eighties. The time couldn’t be better for auto manufacturers to be involved in a series like this. Indeed they could once again benefit from Win on Sunday….

I wrote those words back in 2008, when the T/A series had just been re-launched after a bit of a hiatus. Six years later, it looks like they are finally beginning to pull the package together.

The T/A folks are understandably chuffed to have the entry in the field for a number of reasons. Kendall spent some time away from the driver’s seat and while he may not offer the immediate name recognition as a driver with a name like Andretti, many younger fans know his personality as a motorsport color commentator and host of a few television shows on Speed, which certainly gives the driver more star power than anyone else in the field.
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Dodge Expands Challenger Line with Rallye Redline

March 26, 2012 by Tom Williams 1 Comment

I’m a bit of a dark horse when it comes to the modern muscle car, as my review of the Dodge Challenger R/T will attest. While the Mustang and Camaro easily outsell the Challenger by a huge margin, having driven a Challenger SRT8 on a race track and living with a Challenger R/T for a week, I still hold that the Challenger offers the the strongest link to muscle cars of the past in modern packaging. While I’m in love with that Hemi V-8, Dodge is now offering a special package unique to V-6 Challengers in the new Rallye Redline.

Hitting the showroom floor this April, the Challenger Rallye Redline features a 3.6L V-6 rated at 305hp paired to a five-speed automatic with paddle shifters. Rallye Redline models are distinguished by a red triple stripe that runs from the hood to the trunk. Unique, red-lined 20″ alloys complete the exterior and separates it from lesser Challengers.

More than just pin stripes and rims, the Rallye Redline includes the Super Sport Group. Buyers get firmer shocks, thicker sway bars and a quicker steering ratio. Brakes also receive an upgrade, with dual piston calipers up front and vented rotors in the rear. The Challenger Rallye Redline starts at $28,745USD. While I am forever in love with the Hemi Challenger, the Rallye Redline offers better fuel economy with classic, menacing looks with a host of handling upgrades that should add up for a rewarding driving experience.

Review: Dodge Challenger R/T

May 18, 2010 by Tom Williams 13 Comments

On a rainy day last September, I was enjoying the unique experience of piloting a Dodge Challenger SRT8 at Pocono International Raceway. Exiting the tight road course, I launched the Challenger onto the oval. Getting on the banking at full tilt, the Challenger reached over 125mph, the car sounding like a NASCAR race car itself, before braking hard into a chicane. It was instantly clear this was a car that deserved a closer look, but I wanted to pick the moment-Spring, 2010.

It was worth the wait. The ultimate end to a Monday, a Challenger R/T finished in retina-searing Detonator Yellow was dropped off at my home. Opening the door to the stark, black interior, much to my joy there was a six-speed manual. I quietly thanked God and The Garage’s Founding Editor, Gary Grant for this awesome job. Still, I wondered how the Challenger would work as my daily driver for the next week. Instead of driving flat-out on a race track, I’m schlepping my kid to day care. Read on to see how the Challenger fares!

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Yet another example of mainstream media not getting it

March 9, 2010 by Gary Grant 3 Comments

As traditional media often go to great lengths to discredit those who work in new media, I take great pleasure in finding occasions when the trad media types do exactly what they say us webbies do. We don’t have to answer to an editor they say. How can we be legitimate when we don’t have any accountability?

The other day I read a great short article at Autoblog by Sam Abulesamid about an article in the Wall Street Journal titled Why Nobody Is Racing These Cars.

The subtitle reads: Detroit’s Showroom Muscle Used to Run at Top Tracks, but No More; a Marketing Blunder?
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OMG-Meet the Furious Fuchsia Challengers!

February 9, 2010 by Tom Williams Leave a Comment

Given the current state of affairs at Chrysler, you can’t blame the company for recalling happier times. In this case, the subject is the Challenger. Of the current muscle car trio of Camaro, Mustang and Challenger, most critics agree the Dodge is the most faithful in execution to the original. At the height of the muscle car war, Dodge and Plymouth were famous for offering outrageous colors, and the Furious Fuchsia edition pays homage to that era.

You can pick your Fuchsia Challenger in two flavors. The Challenger R/T Classic with a 5.7L Hemi V-8 rated at 376hp will sticker at $35,140. In case the R/T Classic is a little too watered down for you, fear not. Enter the SRT8, with a 6.1L Hemi V-8 with 425hp (the engine block painted in Hemi orange), priced at $45,150 may be the answer. While the R/T Classic is being called a “limited edition” car, Dodge will only build 400 Furious Fuchsia SRT8s. Both cars offer a mix of different stripes, unique wheels, functional hood scoops, etc. The Pearl White leather seats should come as no surprise here. Interested? Your local Dodge dealer starts taking orders in March, and production commences in Brampton, Ontario in May.

Modern Muscle Comparo: Time machines

November 16, 2009 by Gary Grant Leave a Comment

I suppose I should get the dreaded issue of style out of the way first. Why dreaded? I feel better equipped to try to build a time machine than I am to describe anything so personal as style. Ask anyone who has ever attempted to help me with graphics and they’ll tell you that I completely useless in conveying my option regarding a visual issue. What I can attempt to describe is what has influenced me in my feelings towards muscle cars.

Regular readers know that one of my earliest memories as a child were automotive. More specifically, they involved a red, white and blue 1969 AMX that my Dad raced. it was a new car that was built to race off the showroom floor. That gives you an idea when I started hanging out around muscle cars. Naturally, the competition were cars like Mustangs and Camaros. On the big weekends, we might even see the Challenger along with the rest of the Trans Am circus. Images that were indelibly burnt into my young brain. In high school. I knew guys with monsters from the big 3 and even an AMX thrown into the mix. I still loved those cars. How could I not?

Visually, the subsequent Mustangs didn’t do much for me style wise until the last body when Ford returned the car to it’s roots and my view of the Camaro was much the same. Sure they had some neat equipment in the mid 80’s, but they had nowhere near the impact of the original car. Challenger? What Challenger. Ok, so that had the Mitsubishi based car that was shared with the Plymouth Sapporo but I doubt anybody actually considers this a Challenger.

What we have here before us are three cars whose lineage stretches back to the same point in time. While many of today’s consumers don’t remember when these cars were common on the roads, just as many of us have fond memories of those days. How well do the new cars translate into the modern world.
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Modern Muscle Comparo

November 13, 2009 by Gary Grant 1 Comment

Back in the Sixties, Ford launched a new car called the Mustang. That sporty little ride sold like hotcakes and a new category was born. Small when compared to the other barges on the road, Muscle Cars used lightweight bodies with big V-8 engines that gained in horsepower annually as North America fell in love with speed. That speed was displayed on all sorts of tracks and at stoplights all across the continent. The main players in the muscle car wars were 3 2 door coupes from Ford, Chevrolet and Dodge. The segment starting Mustang was joined by the Chevy Camaro and Dodge Challenger. Over the years the Challenger vanished from the market with the Camaro doing the same some 25 years or so later. Through that time, the Mustang remained in production and Ford actually sold more than a few.

A few years back, a standard product cycle revamp saw the Mustang receive some seriously retro styling cues. Looking more like a 66 than an 86, the don’t call it retro Mustang stirred some passion in the bellies of more than a few enthusiasts. Not long after we saw a new Challenger come to town, with styling that was beyond retro. It was almost a copycat of the original, albeit a fair chunk bigger. Not to be outdone, the Chevy boys & girls busted out a brand new Camaro. This one was more modern than the other two, but there was no mistaking the influence of the original to the shape.

The Pony Car wars were on!
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Dodge Challenger takes on the Koni Challenge

January 23, 2009 by Gary Grant Leave a Comment

Ok, so the Challenger wasn’t much of a challenge, as it finished back in 56th place overall in today’s Koni Challenge race at Daytona, leading up to the Rolex 24 hours tomorrow. Still, it looks pretty cool in sinister black and I’ll bet it sounded wicked to boot.

Friend of The Garage, Michael Banovsky, is at the famed Florida track covering the annual race season opener, while I’m in front of a roaring fire as the temps in Toronto drop back down to super frigid. Fortunately for us, MB has posted a ton of pics to his Flickr page just to help keep our northern readers warm! Hopefully he’ll also keep us up to date as the weekend progresses.

Muscle Car Drop Tops-The ‘Stang Stands Alone

November 13, 2008 by Tom Williams 1 Comment

Take a look at the Chevy Camaro convertible concept, as it may be some time until we all see one in person.

The Garage did report that the Camaro coupe is still on schedule, but Autoblog and other sources indicated that GM is delaying the release of the Camaro convertible at least a year. Hardly a shock, given the state of GM today. It is easy to assume Camaro diehards and collectors will buy the new cars, but for the Camaro to be a commercial success, Chevy needs the masses to come into the showroom. With the future of GM a giant question mark, that isn’t happening.
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Let the drag wars begin: Cobra Jet Mustang joins the fray

November 4, 2008 by Gary Grant 2 Comments

First up to the line: Dodge Challenger

Pulling up along side: Ford Mustang Cobra Jet

Is that really the way it goes? Well, to be truthful, no. Ford has been hard at work building a variety of race ready Mustangs for a couple of years now. Want to go to Le Mans? No problem. SCCA World Challenge? Ford’s got you covered. Miller Challenge? Well duh…the series was built around the Mustang. No matter what type of motorsports you want to enter, Ford had a Mustang for you. Race ready, straight out of the showroom. Except for the drag strip. That has all changed.

Let’s face it, Ford has a pretty strong drag racing background and those SVT guys weren’t just going to sit back and watch the Mopar guys chew up local drag strips across North America without giving them a run for their money.

Way back in ’68 the first Cobra Jet was built, releasing 50 lightweight machines on the drag community. The cars won the first time out and kept on winning. This new car is available through any Ford store, over the parts counter of all places. That’s right, you are not buying a new car, rather a very fast collection of parts!

After the break, check out the incredible stats of the new car. There is no mistaking the Mustang FR500CJ for anything but a drag racing machine.
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