Chrysler to phase out Hemi and go green?

While the popularity of muscle cars is high, most people realize that we can't keep burning oil like it's 1970 again. Today's muscle is much more refined, and modern technologies have produced some seriously powerful engines that are more efficient than ever.

Chrysler's Hemi engines are a blast from the past, a reminder of the good old days when power was our only concern. But is Chrysler beginning to shy away from the legendary moniker in order to change its image? The Wall Street Journal thinks so.

WSJ is reporting that Chrysler will indeed try to change the way its Hemi brand is perceived, but not necessarily its presence in their vehicles. The mighty V8's Multi-Displacement System is certain to receive more press, and the company will begin pushing its new V6. In other words, you can still get a Hemi, but for how long?

Autoblog drives the Hurst Hemi Challenger

Well, somewhat of a first drive. Although they were limited to 25 mph, the folks at Autoblog were able to obtain some opinions on what makes the car tick.



The speed limitation was due to the fact that the car still wears prototype wheels, in all their retro glory. The car itself is a nice homage to Hurst's glorious history of making shifters as well as the Hurst Olds of the 1970's. The gold and white package complete the package.



For the complete and somewhat limited, driving impressions, head over to Autoblog.

SEMA Dodge Challenger wrapup

The Chevrolet Camaro was the official vehicle of SEMA, but you couldn't walk ten feet without tripping over a Challenger at the show. Dodge's reborn pony car has been a big hit so far with the tuner crowd, and it was obvious by all of the variations seen at this year's SEMA.





George Barris' Red Demon – The flagship model of a three-car series, the Red Demon is packing a 725-hp, supercharged 6.1-liter V8, which motivates 20-inch (front) and 22-inch (rear) rollers. However, no amount of power could help the Red Demon escape the long reach of the ugly stick. With an ungainly set of carbon fiber hood scoops, odd 3D roof stripe and a split rear spoiler, we're happy to report that production is limited.





Newport Convertible Engineering Inc – Dodge may have made the decision not to offer the Challenger sans roof, but a number of firms are stepping up to hack the lid off the modern-day muscle car. NCE made an admirable attempt at creating an OEM-like fit and finish, but it's still a bit rough and there's no word on additional bracing to avoid the chassis doing its best wet noodle impression.





Mopar Underground Blacktop – The brawny black brawler is only equipped with a cat-back exhaust, intake, coilovers and wheels, but what it lacks in mods it makes up for with presence.





Class Design Concepts Group 2 Widebody – Mixing a menacing stance with a Vortech supercharger, 15-inch Baer brakes and a KW coilover setup, the widebody Challenger is ready to do battle against its pony car competition.





Mr. Norm's AAR 'Cuda – Drag racing legend Mr. Norm is in touch with his inner speed demon and the result is this 900-hp (claimed) 'Cuda redux with SSBC brakes, forged wheels, Hotchkis suspension and a Plymouth-inspired grille.





Mopar Underground Targa – We're a sucker for road-going racers and particularly those that have a grueling campaign under their belts. The Targa Challenger hits both points and comes equipped with tweaked HEMI V8 putting out 540 hp and 490 lb.-ft. of torque to a Tremec six-speed manual and modified rear diff. The KW suspension and StopTech brakes round things out, making the Targa one of the most desirable Challengers on the floor.





Mopar Drift Challenger – Sam Hubinett is a lucky guy. Not only does he get to slide cars sideways for a living, but he gets to do it in this 850-hp Challenger. While it's hardly subtle, we're sure the paint scheme will catch spectator's eyes and we're digging the fender-mounted roller blade wheels to keep barrier brushes to a minimum.





Hurst HEMI – It's one of the most subtle and attractive Challengers on the floor, and even has those of us less than enamored by the coupe have a soft spot for the Hurst. The 530-hp, Stage 4 package helps too.





Group Five Limited TT G5/R – Two turbos, a tuned ECU and plenty of custom upgrades make the Group Five one of the most heavily modified Challengers on the floor.





Challenger SRT10 Concept – 8.4-liter Viper-sourced V10. Period. The Bilsteins, brakes and custom body panels are nice too. But 600+ hp and 560 lb.-ft. of torque does most of the speaking.

ProCharger adds 150 horsepower to Hemi

One thing that was evident at this year's SEMA is that performance parts for Challenger are being produced at an alarming rate. The Camaro may have been the official car of the show, but the Charger was the darling of most of the tuners in attendance.



One of the pair of Chargers that Classic Design Concepts brought out featured a ProCharger intercooled supercharger. The blower wasn't unique to the car, however, and we found that ProCharger is offering two separate kits for Challenger owners, both of which boost horsepower by at least 150. Both feature ProCharger's P-1SC-1 centrifugal supercharger pushing 6 psi of boost, a 3-core air-to-air intercooler, upgraded fuel system and all necessary tubing and brackets. The Stage II kit pushes the bar further with a dedicated drive system for the supercharger and an upgrade air intake.



[Source: ProCharger]





PRESS RELEASE:



Accessible Technologies, Inc. / ProCharger announces the immediate availability of two, 100 percent complete intercooled supercharger systems and two tuner kits for the hot new Dodge Challengers equipped with the 6.1L HEMI® engine: the HO Intercooled System and Stage II Intercooled System; and HO Intercooled and Stage II Intercooled Tuner Kits. Both the ProCharger Systems and Tuner Kits can add 150 or more horsepower to the Challenger's potent 6.1L HEMI engine while still running high-quality pump gas.



Both the ProCharger HO and Stage II Systems utilize the proven and patented self-contained

P-1SC-1 ProCharger supercharger, a 3-core air-to-air intercooler, OEM-quality mounting brackets and all necessary supercharger and intercooler tubes for installation onto the new Challengers. ProCharger systems for the 6.1L HEMI Challengers utilize Diablosport® flash tuning to apply the ProCharger-developed tune for both applications.



HO Intercooled System

The ProCharger HO Intercooled Supercharger System utilizes a "shared-drive" for the supercharger, and features the industry-leading self-contained ProCharger P-1SC-1 Supercharger, a large, 3-core air-to-air intercooler, upgraded fuel system and all necessary tubing and brackets. The 100 percent complete HO Intercooled system provides a standard 6 psi of intercooled boost when installed on otherwise stock SRT-8 Challengers.



Stage II Intercooled System

Utilizing a proven and durable "dedicated-drive" system, the Stage II System also makes use of the proven and self-contained P-1SC-1 ProCharger Supercharger, while adding a unique, highly-efficient air intake and large, 3-core air-to-air intercooler and all necessary brackets and tubing. The Stage II Intercooled System provides outstanding power gains on both stock and modified engines with its standard 6 psi of intercooled boost and is best suited for future engine, fuel and exhaust system upgrades.



ProCharger Systems for the 2008 and newer HEMI Challengers feature easy installation, minimal relocation of components, no need to punch a hole in the oil pan, and avoids having to deal with the complexity and installation time and maintenance required for an air-to-water-to-air intercooler arrangement.



ProCharger 6.1L HEMI Tuner Kits

In addition to the two 100 percent complete systems, ProCharger also offers two intercooled Tuner Kits for the 6.1L HEMI Challengers – an HO Intercooled Tuner Kit and a Stage II Intercooled Tuner Kit. ProCharger Tuner Kits are essentially identical to the complete systems, but exclude fuel system upgrades and tuning. Both the HO and Stage II Tuner Kits are ideal for modified engines and are available with higher boost levels.



ProCharger HEMI Advantages

With reliability, quality and power far superior to other forced-air induction systems, ProCharger Systems and Tuner Kits are excellent ways to add even more power to these modern HEMI powerhouses. ProCharger supercharger systems for the EFI HEMI engines feature easy installation, minimal relocation of components, no need to punch a hole in the engine oil pan, and avoid having to deal with all the complexity and maintenance issues of an air-to-water-to-air intercooler configuration.



ProCharger-equipped Challenger owners will enjoy outstanding, day-to-day driveability, and consistent, reliable power gains while still running high-quality pump gas. And thanks to the industry's coolest charge air temperatures and largest power gains, no other supercharger system for the awesome new Dodge Challenger even comes close.



Industry-exclusive features include a patented, self-contained supercharger with an available 3-year warranty and a 3-core, air-to-air intercooler with a standard 3-year warranty.



For more information about all ProCharger Supercharger Systems and Tuner Kits, call 913-338-2886 or visit www.procharger.com.



ProCharger HEMI R&D

Over the past three years ProCharger has established itself as the leader in Dodge/Chrysler HEMI forced induction systems. When Dodge introduced the modern EFI HEMI engines, the engineers at ProCharger knew they would be faced with some tuning challenges on this new platform. Thus began a grueling, 18+ month ProCharger HEMI R&D program that consisted of more than 200 ProCharged-HEMI engine dyno sessions, followed by another 200+ chassis dyno sessions with ProCharged HEMI-powered Chargers and Ram trucks. As a result, ProCharger is widely recognized as the industry-leader when it comes to powerful, reliable and proven intercooled supercharger solutions for today's HEMI-equipped vehicles.



Please visit the ProCharger HEMI R&D web page for more information:

http://www.procharger.com/hemi_rd.shtml



About ProCharger:

ProCharger is the industry-leader with respect to innovative, reliable, powerful and proven intercooled supercharger systems for Chrysler, Ford and GM cars, trucks and SUVs, as well as Harley-Davidson® motorcycles, marine and racing applications.



15 Years of Supercharging Experience

2009 marks ProCharger's 15th year of providing enthusiasts with real-world power that only a ProCharger Supercharger System can deliver. From the beginning, the goal has been the same: provide a reliable, powerful and efficient supercharger system that can be applied to a wide range of vehicle and engine combinations.

Mr Norm's AAR 'Cuda

The Dodge Challenger is offering tuners one of the hottest platforms to work with since the current-era Mustang arrived in 2003. And although this is supposed to be the year of the Camaro, there are tons of cool Challengers here at SEMA.



One of our favorites is actually badged as a 'Cuda built by Mr. Norm's Garage. Yes, that Mr. Norm, the legendary owner of Grand Spaulding Dodge that was famous for building some of the fastest Mopars in the country during the muscle car glory days.



The car you see here is one of two the company put together for this year's show. This one is made to replicate an AAR 'Cuda. It features a supercharged version of the 6.1L Hemi putting out 900 horsepower (!), forged wheels, Hotchkis suspension upgrades, massive SSBC brakes, and a custom front clip that makes it look more like a Plymouth. Very hot car.

Dodge Mopar Challenger Targa and Blacktop

If a V-10 powered Challenger or a 900hp Challenger are too unbalanced for your tastes, we present something that can carve some corners just as well as melt your tires. The Challenger Targa will debut alongside these other variations at SEMA, and will campaign in the Targa Newfoundland enduro.



Affectionately known as "Samantha," the Challenger began its existence as a Mopar Challenger drag race car, complete with a 392 HEMI V8 crate motor putting 540 hp and 490 lb.-ft. of torque to the rear wheels via a Tremec six-speed manual and a modified rear diff. The green hue of the Challenger Targa is pulled from the Viper, but the snake's influence doesn't stop at aesthetics. A KW race-ready suspension, six-piston calipers with 380mm Stop-Tech rotors (front) and 355mm, rear discs with four-pot calipers are all culled from the V10 'Ring-slayer.



In addition to the Targa model, Dodge and Mopar will debut the Challenger Blacktop at SEMA, retaining the 5.7-liter V8 and six-speed manual gearbox. Most of the modifications focus on style, including the black-on-black racing stripe paint scheme, custom spoilers and front brow. A Mopar coilover kit drops the Blacktop over 22-inch Viper wheels created by Factory Reproductions and wrapped in 265/35/R22 (front) and 305/30/R22 (rear) Dunlop rubber. A Mopar cat-back exhaust and cold air intake remain the only modifications to the engine, and if the V8's sound isn't intoxicating enough, a Kicker audio system will keep the Blacktop's driver entertained while bombing along Highway 15 on their way to the SEMA festivities in Sin City.

Force Performance to build two door TriCharger

Fans of the original B body Charger from the 60's and 70's have no doubt been disappointed that Chrysler reintroduced the classic musclecar with no less than four doors. And while the car has been a sales success, there are still die hard Mopar fans that will tell you that selling the car with four doors is a big mistake and an insult to the car's lineage. Not to mention the 80's Charger with front wheel drive and a four cylinder, but we won't go there.



A company by the name of Force Performance is currently working to rectify the situation at hand by chopping up an LX based Charger and making it a proper coupe. The scalloped doors from the 68-70 Charger have made the conversion along with a twin-nostril split grille reminiscent of the classic '69. We can also see a well-domed hood, which is necessary for clearance over the insane HEMI V8 engine that's both twin turbocharged and supercharged. Three blowers, hence the TriCharger name. That's a lot of boost.

New Challenger to be offered with 'Cuda package

When papa Chrysler gave it's Plymouth brand the axe, many storied nameplates went with it, none as iconic as the Hemi 'Cuda. With Chrysler bringing back some of it's musclecar heritage with the newly reborn Challenger, 'cuda fans feel left in the dark.



But their dreams of driving a new 'cuda may soon be realized. HXC Performance is hard at work designing a retrofit kit that would transfer a new Dodge Challenger into a proper Plymouth 'Cuda.



Many aficionados consider the 1971 model to be the best looking, and it is this model that HXC has chosen to be the base for it's conversion. Included is a new grille, fender "gills" (which were only used in '71), Shaker hood, tail lights and a new rear valance.



To up the performance ante of the standard HEMI-powered R/T model, a Brembo brake package and suspension upgrade will also be included, as will a few engine option packages that can bump the power up to 475 horsepower.

Hennessey HPE600 Challenger with up to 725 horsepower!

Like most people, you most likely haven't even seen a Challenger yet. It's a very new model after all. Not only has John Hennessey seen one, he's already offering a tuner model with substantially more power than the stock version.

For years Hennessey has offered insanely tuned Dodge Vipers that defy all normal human logic with their ridiculous horsepower and earth moving torque. Now, thanks to the generous boost used on the Challenger HPE600, Hennessey Performance Engineering is offering kits that can take your 6.1 liter Hemi equipped Challenger up to 725 horsepower.

Hennessey will offer kits that boost power to 500, 530, and 575 hp while remaining naturally aspirated. Between 600 and 725 hp is availiable with the boost, using either a supercharger or turbocharger.

"The Challenger does a lot of things very well and the factory SRT8 is a great car to start with," said company founder John Hennessey. "Unfortunately, it's a big car weighing over 4,000 lbs. So, while we can't remove 800 lbs from the car, we can add another 195 hp."

Hennessey took the HPE600 turbo model with 620 hp and 650 lbft of torque to the track and ripped off an 11.9 second quarter mile at 121 mph. Also offered is a suspension kit, which features unique bushings, larger anti-roll bars and coil-over shocks and springs. Also available is a brake kit with StopTech pads and lightweight rotors, a shift kit for the transmission, polished aluminum Hennessey five-spoke wheels and either Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 tires or Nitto drag radials.

And of course, none of this comes cheap. The HPE600 turbo kit will lighten your pockets by $29,500, or $74,950 for a complete turnkey car.