[SY1]

Chrylser shed 1000 pounds off these cars and Don Garlits ticked off an 11.25 in one. For around $30,000 you can now place your orders for a factory race car from Chrysler again. What can we expect from Gm to counter this? Probably nothing for now. Here's the link:

http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/14/d...kage-at-mopar/

Some details from the article below:

New Dodge Challenger Drag Race Package Car Program by Mopar

The first drag-race, factory-prepped package cars built in 40 years, the new Challenger Drag Race Package Car by Mopar builds on the heritage of the limited-edition 1968 HEMI®-powered Package Cars. Those '68 Dodge Darts and Plymouth Barracudas solidified the Mopar brand as a quarter-mile force.

Mopar will build a minimum of 100 Challenger Drag Race Package Cars to meet NHRA requirements. Based on the production Dodge Challenger SRT8, Mopar's modern factory-prepped Challenger Drag Race Package Car will begin as a special Body-in-White (BIW) from Chrysler's Brampton, Ontario, Canada, assembly plant. The body sealer, sound deadener and undercoat will be eliminated. To reduce vehicle weight, major production component and systems will also be eliminated including: windshield wiper assembly, complete HVAC system, all airbag components, rear seats, power steering system, exhaust system and underbody heat shields, cross-car and side impact door beams, rear bumper beam and rear deck lid spoiler.

The drag racer has three engine options-6.1-liter or 5.7-liter HEMI or 5.9-liter Magnum® Wedge-as well as manual or automatic transmission.

A build book/owner's manual will be provided to document the modifications made to the Challenger SRT8 as well as provide recommendations to finish the Package Car for Stock Eliminator competition. To accentuate weight savings, there are unique drag-race components in the Package Car program including: composite lift-off hood with functional scoop, Viper-style front seats, polycarbonate door windows, lightweight cooling module with electric fan, manual rack and pinion steering, special cable-operated deck lid release, special lightweight front brake assembly and special cable-operated throttle linkage and pedal assembly.

The Challenger Drag Race Package Car will be eligible to run in three Eliminator categories-Comp, Super Stock and Stock-and potentially 40 classes.

Depending upon the configuration selected, the U.S. Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for the Challenger Drag Race Package Car program will range from the low to mid $30s. Each car will carry an identification plate with sequential serial number.

The Challenger Drag Race Package Car will be available for order in late August to early September. A toll-free number will be designated for ordering. Details will be posted on www.mopar.com.

In addition to this I spoke with my brother in law tonight who spent some time going over the 09 Challenger protoype. He's friends with a Chrysler engineer who had 1 of the 2 prototyes at his disposal last week. Couldn't tell much about the interior as it is covered with velcro used to attach different test equipment, ect, but the outside has functional new hood compared to the 2008 1/2 and the rear looks more like the original 70 model. Car is getting 24 mpg on highway with half the cylinders dropping out at highway speeds in the prototype. The cars will be crushed when they are done with them he claims.

[1st 67 SS/RS]

Great to see Mopar stepping up and showing they can still put out a muscle car.

[Brackneyc]

Originally Posted by SY1

What can we expect from Gm to counter this? .

Job cuts and a stock price that is lower then Bed Bath and Beyond. GM is circling the drain, and they could have easily got out in front of their problems if they had done nothing more than watched the news every now and again. Bye bye new Camaro.

[Hatman]

I watched them race on Sunday night right after a ad about the drag race pack. Sure got my attention!

[XLexusTech]

Thats great

[Microgiant]

Agreed, I hope it goes well for them.

[wiskeesour]

Wow. Chevrolet is suckin 'hind tit.

[SY1]

Guys I'm not a huge Mopar fan or anything, I just thought this was great news for the hobby. I'd love to see Ford and GM counter with factory cars of their own. Ford could do this, GM struggling to survive right now.

Craig I agree 100% with you. If you follow some of my other comments on the topic GM's chairman IMO has his head buried in the sand and is running the company into the ground. His comments last week that no one saw the oil price rises coming and following up with GM will make adjustments by reducing truck and SUV production and increasing car production IF the market demands it, both reflect how out of touch he is. The extra 7 billion dollars he said GM has available to the company to help keep them out of bankruptcy actually is money owned by Delphi. If you think GM's stock price drop was historic, $46 a share in October, $9 today, then check out Delphi which is now trading at $0.06 a share. That's not a typo, 6 CENTS a share. How is he going to get $7 billion out of them? It's up to the board of directors to turn GM around now.

He did announce no dividend for the first time since 1922 and stock is at a low not seen since 1954. So if the board acts maybe GM stock is a good buy at 9 bucks.

Don't look for anything exciting out of the General anytime soon.

[RamAirDave]

I would venture a guess that the majority of these will end up tucked away in collections rather than seeing the track.

[JWA]

To be perfectly honest, I still think that car is ugly None of those NHRA classes run on the local tracks here that I see and plenty of bracket cars are available or buildable for $30k or less that can run 11s heck 10s 9s and 8s are getting to be pretty darn common. Lastly I prefer a car that I can drive on the street as well go to the track. There was a fat tired Dart for sale locally here that was way more car than those swelled up challengers and it was only $25k.

[Brackneyc]

Originally Posted by JWA

To be perfectly honest, I still think that car is ugly None of those NHRA classes run on the local tracks here that I see and plenty of bracket cars are available or buildable for $30k or less that can run 11s heck 10s 9s and 8s are getting to be pretty darn common. Lastly I prefer a car that I can drive on the street as well go to the track. There was a fat tired Dart for sale locally here that was way more car than those swelled up challengers and it was only $25k.

But, at least Mopar is in the game. GM is rotting on the vine, while other manufacturers are moving forward. Sure you can build faster, cheaper old school cars, but isn't it nice to see a car maker turning out something other than Suburbans and whatever they call their other cookie cutter cars these days. Like Dodge or Hate them, at least they offer something you can identify without seeing the badge on the side of the car.

[Westonz28]

Saw one driving in town yesterday. Idaho Falls, Idaho. Orange with black stripped hood. Looks great running down the road.

[DjD]

So for a mid $30's msrp you get a race prep'd car you will never be able to drive on the street. With the minumun of 100 being made the collectors will snap them up and dealers will be marking them up big time. You will have to spend close to $60k just to get it to the track, that's cost of the marked up car and a trailer.

I think it's kinda cool but it's no more than a marketing ploy brought to you by the Dodge advertising department.

[TClovis]

Originally Posted by Brackneyc

But, at least Mopar is in the game. GM is rotting on the vine, while other manufacturers are moving forward. Sure you can build faster, cheaper old school cars, but isn't it nice to see a car maker turning out something other than Suburbans and whatever they call their other cookie cutter cars these days. Like Dodge or Hate them, at least they offer something you can identify without seeing the badge on the side of the car.

In this case MOPAR is doing what everyone did in the late 60's. I guess they feel MOPAR fanatics will still buy them even in the economic crunch.

This is my first camaro so I can't include myself but it seems to me that if the long time camaro faithful had kept buying cars they would have never been discontinued anyway. Either that or GM was sucking every dime out of the public with tahoe and suburban overload 7 years ago and just put the camaro on the backburner.

[Brackneyc]

Originally Posted by DjD

So for a mid $30's msrp you get a race prep'd car you will never be able to drive on the street. With the minumun of 100 being made the collectors will snap them up and dealers will be marking them up big time. You will have to spend close to $60k just to get it to the track, that's cost of the marked up car and a trailer.

I think it's kinda cool but it's no more than a marketing ploy brought to you by the Dodge advertising department.

Isn't that how a lot of cars were brought to us in the past. Car makers had to make a certain number of them available to the public so the race cars would qualify as production models. From that, we ended up with some very cool cars floating around. I recognize it is a ploy, but if it helps this sagging car market, and we also get to see some new products hit the street, then I guess it is a win-win. Chevy forgot about that when they started selling buses.