Hemi Challenger

I saw one - briefly - a couple of days ago on a customer test drive loop. It was bright red and gorgeous, and was hauling butt on the highway. Sounded awesome...

/daytripper '05 hemi durango ltd

The Mustang Guys are having kittens worried about having a car that will blow the doors off the Shelby GT500 Mustang. I love competition!! There goes GM with the new Camaro last to market and butt ugly too.

"Les Benn" wrote in news:gnyKi.129859$ snipped-for-privacy@newsfe08.phx:

This remains to be seen. And some still don't believe the Challenger will see production, but I hope they're wrong. Bottom line, the Challenger isn't competing with the GT500.

I'll give you that.

Doh! I totally spaced on this thread - what I saw was a bright red Hemi Charger, not a Challenger.

But doesn't the Challenger look remarkably like the old Barracuda?

/daytripper '05 hemi durango

I'm not at all worried about a N/A Charger/Challenger blowing the doors off of a GT500. That engine in the GT500 is just a $25 blower pulley away from 600+ hp. Then if that isn't enough there is always the option of a Kenne Bell twin screw blower that will get you 800+ hp. Chrysler doesn't have a Hemi in anything they sell currently, or planned, that has a snowball's chance in hell of overpowering a blown 5.4L, 32-valve V-8 of the type that is in the GT500. It is basically the Ford GT engine with an iron block and a Roots blower instead of a twinscrew. I will say that Ford definitely knows how to build a supercharged V-8 that is extremely reliable and can put out some outrageous horsepower numbers with a few inexpensive tweaks and without even removing the valve covers.

So did the original challenger. It was a bit longer than the Cuda if I rember correctly. They would have likely made the new car a 'Cuda if they hadn't killed Plymouth.

Not at all.

Patrick

Well, duh - so you managed to find a first gen model - the one model that decidedly has no resemblance to the Challenger concept car.

I was referring to the E platform models from the early '70s. Like this one:

Compared to the more angular Challenger sheet metal on the same platform... ...I think the new Challenger looks more like the 'Cuda, with the exception being the "grill", which is clearly modeled from the old Challenger nose...

/daytripper '05 hemi durango

Not THAT old. Look at a 1972-1974

>

lol a measly 5.4L Ford engine (probably out of a lawnboy mower) even with a blower will be a dog compared to a Hemi Challenger with the new 6.1L Hemi Challenger and besides Ford can only build about 30 of the GT500 Shelbys a year. Dodge will eat them for lunch in sales. How many guys/gals do you know that are willing to buy a GT500 for 22K dealer markup over the 47K sticker? Mustang is all decoration. Dodge will rule again with the Hemi.Well at least There will be lots of mustangs on Dodge used car lots in 2008.

Do your homework before posting. If you did you would know the engine in the GT500 is choked from the factory. Ford had to detune it and put a Roots blower on it (instead of a twinscrew) to keep the horsepower at

500. With a $25 pulley swap it is capable of close to 600 hp. With a decent tune there is even more power to be had.

The sad fact is you can get only so much power from a street driven 6.1L N/A engine unless you can somehow change the atmospheric pressure of the Earth. With a blown engine this is no longer a limitation. You do know there is very little difference in displacement between 5.4 liters and

6.1 liters? If 5.4 liters is measly then 6.1 liters is just a little above measly. You are comparing a 376 cubic inch engine to a 333 cubic inch engine. I'll take 333 cubic inches with a blower any day over 376 cubic inches naturally aspirated.

Ford is selling every GT500 it makes. I wish they made more to keep the price down. It seems there are plenty of buyers at current prices. I won't be one of them though. If the Challenger is priced right and delivers good performance it will sell. However, if you think a naturally aspirated Hemi of any variety will out power a GT500 engine then you are going to be disappointed. Unless, of course, you know how to increase the atmospheric pressure of the Earth in the vicinity of that Challenger. Even then, the pressure increase would have to effect only the Challenger and not the GT500 running against it otherwise there is no advantage gained. ;)

If you want to drive a car with a Mexican So-Called "Hemi" LMFAO engine, have at it, I'll stick with the good old made-in-the USA Ford engine, thank you very much.

Can I get one with a manual tranny? If not I'm not interested.

Bob

If you're still using the GT500 as a comparison I'd say you're under an incorrect assumption, especially if the 6 litre is as disappointing as the the 5 litre hemi.

WindsorFox wrote in news:RKVKi.310170$ snipped-for-privacy@newsfe18.lga:

So WF, tell us how either of the current Hemi engines are "disappointing".

BTW, if you're simply rounding up the 4.7 Hemi to 5 liters and rounding down the 6.1 to 6, why not just round down the Ford 5.4 to 5 liters as well? Or why not call the Mustang 4.6 a "5 liter"?

You mean rounding down the 5.7L. The Chrysler 4.7L OHC isn't labelled as a Hemi.

Well, sorry, when I think _old_ Barracuda, I naturally think first gen. And because I like them better. I like their quirky styling and trim size/weight. With a 340 mill, they're awesome little street machines.

Patrick

Quirky, is that what you call it? Cute... :oP

Oh, you're just being a slanderous bastard.

I like the new Hemi. But I don't see how you've come to this conclusion. The 6.1 SRTs only run about 108 in the 1/4. The GT500s run an easy 110. (And do we want to add the GT500KRs and KR Super Snakes?) Or are you betting because the Challenger is going to be a 2- door that it'll be lighter. I say don't bet on it. I think we'll be lucky if it's south of 3,900.

You're just a little bit off. Total production for the 2007 GT500's came to 10,844 units with 8,150 of those being coupes and 2,694 being convertibles. If only you would have added 2 more zeros and then about 7,000 to your number, you would have been right there.

And you think you're going to get a Challenger for anything close to sticker the first year? Rrrrrriiiiiggggghhhhttttttt....lol

It is, if you first remove the 500 HP motor.

Dodge will be lucky if it's still alive in 5 years. (And Ford is hardly in any better shape.) I say we should be extremely happy they're even making the Challenger and GT500/Mustang.

Considering the Mustang hasn't missed a model year since '64, I'll stay in the Champ's corner. What's our Challenger's history, again?

Patrick