For years this car has been almost like an urban legend, with rumours calling it a Dodge Challenger, a Plymouth Cuda, a Hemi this, or a Nascar that. Greg Murphy’s 1969 Dodge Charger truly does exist, and it’s even better than what the rumours make it out to be.

Being a serial car build follower, I’ve known the truth about it for some time now, constantly finding excuses to pop into West Auckland’s Moselle Panel and Paint, where the car has been in the build, to check on progress. Seeing cars like this come along is one of the perks of the job, especially when they’re being built behind closed doors we’re allowed behind.

Those with a good memory may recall seeing the car in the Moselle marquee at the Kumeu Car Show a few years back. Hidden at the back of their stand, you either saw it and realised what it was, or walked straight on past.

When the car was unveiled in its current form at the recent triennial American Muscle Car Club show, walking past wasn’t an option. Even those who’d seen the car many times before couldn’t help (more…)

Dodge will have a sting in its tail next week as it heads to the LA Auto Show. The iconic American manufacturer will be debuting its latest special edition the 2012 Charger SRT8 Super Bee. The hardcore Charger has been created for enthusiasts and the muscle car faithful and has plenty to excite Mopar fans.

Inspired by the original Super Bee series that was first introduced in 1968 as a member of Dodge’s Scat Pack performance group, the nameplate was then revived with the limited-edition Charger SRT8 in 2007. This new edition brings exclusive content inside and out to the 2012 Charger SRT8.

In terms of power, the Super Bee keeps the 6.1-litre HEMI V8 and five-speed automatic transmission. Power figures haven’t increased, but 470 horsepower and 470 pound-feet are serious numbers. The Super Bee edition Charger will feature the 392 HEMI badge, which was brought back for the 2010 Challenger 392 model. (more…)

The December issue of NZV8 Magazine has just hit shop shelves so it’s time to get a fresh fix of all that’s happening on the kiwi V8 scene. The new issue comes fully loaded with feature cars, news and event reports so grab your copy before they sell out.

In this month’s issue we have two Buick his’n hers cover cars, one is a 1970 Buick GSX with a 396ci big block and its mate – a 1971 Buick Skylark. We also feature an chopped, tubbed and blown ’55 Chev custom with a 406ci small block. There’s a unique LPG-fed XP Falcon Coupe and a Nascar-powered Valiant Charger which produces 700hp. We have a special feature celebrating this year’s Chevrolet Centenary and a how-to guide to installing your own audio system. Our dream shed article sees us head to Wellington and we have three event reports from Bathurst 201, the SPCA charity show and the National Hot Rod Show. It’s a packed out issue. (more…)

Having 470 horsepower under the bonnet means you’re going to move with some gusto but when there’s 570 rabid ponies up front, things can get wild.

Chrysler knows the difference and is planning to step things up a notch with a new top tier of SRT vehicles with upgraded powerplants. If recent rumours prove true later this year, the Dodge Charger SRT8 and Chrysler 300 SRT8 will be made available with an Eaton-sourced supercharger. This blower will boost the output of these machines to somewhere around 540-570-horsepower.

The supercharger option may be a dealer install job and will be offered on 2013 model year cars. What’s more Chrysler may fit its new eight-speed auto transmission to its four-door sports cars next year. (more…)

Anyone who has turned on a TV in the last couple of months will have noticed the increase in the amount of police reality shows on our screens. Road Cops is one of the more memorable NZ-based shows and follows a similar theme every week of cops pulling up young guys in tricked out rides. What happens next is either breath-testing, writing out fines or giving them the dreaded pink sticker for illegal mods. It’s a bit of a laugh at the expense of other ‘car enthusiasts’, but you get the feeling that the Police just aren’t relating to the young guys as best they could.

Over in the States its a different story, where the cops may be less patient but the cop cars are cooler than ever. Want proof? Check out the video below of a beatboxing Police cruiser. That’s right, it’s a staunch Dodge Charger cop car that’s not afraid of dropping some mean beats.

Perhaps if the NZ Police had this sort of funky technology, routine road stops could run smoother. And any altercations could be sorted with a break dance battle in front of the flashing red/blue lights.

Be audibly arrested by this big beating law-keeper in the video below. (more…)

The Chrysler group has released a new video showing off its hardcore SRT8 range, the Charger, Challenger, 300 and even the Grand Cherokee star in this smokey clip.

There’s plenty of drifting and burnouts to break in the new stand alone SRT brand. It also gives enthusiasts the chance to hear the new 470-horsepower, 6.4-litre HEMI motor in action.

Check out the video below. (more…)

Aaron Jones may have sold his first muscle car due to lack of funds, but he’s gone on to create the Dodge Charger of his dreams.

Growing up as a muscle car fan these days has both its advantages and disadvantages. On one hand, the internet has made finding parts a far simpler task than ever before. Hell, you don’t even need to actually talk to people, and you can do it while you’re pretending to work (apparently).

On the other hand, cars today are fetching a far higher price than ever before, but due to the internet we’re all well aware of what’s out there and it’s easy to fall in love with a car far outside your budget.

This was the situation Aaron Jones was in. Born a few decades too late to buy his dream Dodge Charger while they were going cheap, Aaron bought the next best thing, a VG Valiant. Owning such a car at a young age wasn’t an easy task. The maintenance required, the cost of upgrading parts and, ultimately, the blowout of a full rebuild got the best of him. While he didn’t want to let the car go, he simply couldn’t afford to keep it. (more…)

Over in the States the 2010 Mopar Challenger arrived last year and proved an instant hit. Mopar fans went crazy for the machine and with Chrysler only offering 500 copies of the model, they sold out rapidly. Now in 2011, the all-new Dodge Charger is filling up Dodge showrooms around America, and Chrysler aren’t going to miss a trick by not giving some special vehicles a Mopar makeover.

As a signal of intent, Chrysler has released a first teaser sketch of its forthcoming special edition model. The rendering shows off a black and blue color scheme similar to that of the Challenger, but the side stripes have been replaced with a stripe that stretches across the bonnet, roof and boot. The Mopar team has also dropped the bulbous hood scoop for the model, opting for a more streamlined appearance. (more…)