Dodge is ready to keep fighting the Mustang Cobra Jet a quarter mile at a time. With its latest Drag Pack, available on the 2011 Challenger, Dodge has decided to ditch the 6.1-liter V8 and drop in the Viper's 8.4-liter V10 backed by a two-speed automatic racing transmission.
The new Dodge will make its debut at the Viper Owner's Invitational taking place in Salt Lake City, followed by a stop at SEMA in November on its way to Orlando.
Mopar CEO and President Pietro Gorlier says, "With the introduction of our new 2011 Mopar Challenger Drag Pak, Mopar will be the only place to get a factory-built V10-powered race-ready drag car. Mopar's new Challenger Drag Pak is a race rocket that will appeal to racers, collectors, dealers, and Dodge Viper owners."
The Drag Pack-equipped Challenger will be available in either Stock Eliminator or Super Stock form. It rides on comp tires and comp wheels attached to a solid rear axle; the car also gets a comp fuel system and fuel cell. Options include a $7,950 competition package (which adds an 8-point cage, 6-spoint harness, and a mesh window net), a $6,800 paint option (instead of the bright white), and a $950 body wrap.
All this V10 drag strip Challenger goodness comes at a price though: an MSRP of $85,512 for each of the 70 examples Mopar will build. That's good for the race teams, but how about give it a street-able powertrain and turn this into a special edition production version of 2009's Challenger SRT10. That was one of the sweetest modern Challengers I've ever seen.
By Phil Alex
_______________________________GALLERY_______________________________
