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…)

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…)

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…)

The new 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 has made its big debut in the States at the New York Auto Show and it arrives with the title of the ‘fastest Jeep ever built’.

How fast can a Jeep possibly be? Well it will sprint from 0-100kph in just 4.8 seconds and push on to a restricted 250kph top speed. If you want to be a quarter mile hero it will cover the distance in the mid-13-second range.

Laying at the heart of the beast is a 6.4-litre Hemi V8 pumping out 347kW of power and will apparently get 13-percent better fuel economy than the outgoing model. To achieve this feat Jeep has employed a new active exhaust system that lets the cylinder-deactivating Fuel Saver Technology operate over a wider RPM band.

According to Jeep the Grand Cherokee SRT8 can handle too, thanks in part to a new Selec-Track system with five driving modes. In it’s sportiest settings this go-hard Jeep can hold on for a .90-g skid pad performance. (more…)

The Dodge Challenger SRT8 392 represents the very latest Mopar offering of this well known vehicle and a few of these brand new models are now on their way to NZ.

To kick off 2011 model-year production, Dodge has built 1,100 Inaugural Edition models of the Challenger SRT8 392, all with exclusive content. Only 5 of these will make their way to New Zealand’s shores this month, 4 of which already have homes.

With only one out of the five Challengers left for sale, prior to arrival, Todd Groves Divisional Manager of the Chrysler portfolio in New Zealand, is confident the SRT brand can become a vehicle kiwis will aspire to own. “It’s an honor to facilitate the entry of these specialised vehicles into the New Zealand market and to be able to provide our discerning customers with their very own slice of muscle car heaven. Being such a small market on the international scale, NZ is often overlooked for allocation of exclusive vehicles like these, but this time we managed to make it happen for our SRT fans and I’m really proud to be a part of that.”

On the outside, Dodge is offering unique customisation for those first 1,100 owners. Two colors and fullbody stripe combinations include Deep Water Blue with standard Stone White stripes or Bright White Clear Coat with standard Viper Blue stripes. All Inaugural Edition models will ride on standard 20-inch SRT-exclusive wheels that feature a polished face and satin black painted pockets. (more…)

Earlier this month we brought you news of the special edition Mopar 10 Challenger (read news), now Dodge has just released the first images of the new model.

The American carmaker is only building 500 examples of the car, each of with a price tag of $39,000 USD for a six-speed manual. For an auto transmission it’s $38,000 USD. For the money, you get a hood-venting system, a cold-air intake, a front strut-tower brace with shock caps, and a unique engine cover plus a rear strut-tower brace that stiffens the chassis to improve handling.

The Mopar ’10 Challenger is available exclusively in black with blue, red or silver strips on the outside and matching accents inside. Exterior features include 20-inch gloss-black wheels, black-chromed grille surround and a functional, vented T/A-style bonnet.

The interior also receives treatment which include Mopar logos embroidered in the side bolsters of both front seats, matching thread accents and a new steering wheel. Unfortunately, the car is based on an R/T model, so it’s unlikely the 6.1-litre V8 from the Challenger SRT8 will be used at any point in production.

Check out the gallery below for images of the Mopar 10 Challenger.

According to reports a brand spanking new Hemi V-8 engine is in the works at Chrysler, and it’s expected to be packing 6.4-litres of displacement and somewhere in the region of 500 horsepower. The 2011 Dodge Challenger SRT8 will be the first car to benefit from this new HEMI, with details on the car just released.

The Challenger SRT8 will pack around 480 horspower and although that’s down on the projected power figures for the new motor it’s still a 55-horsepower increase over the current 425-horsepower 6.1-liter HEMI V-8 in Chrysler’s SRT8 vehicles. It is, however, still well short of the 550-horsepower supercharged V-8 in the 2011 Mustang GT500.

The engine will find other uses including being dropped into Jeep’s 2011 Grand Cherokee SRT8 which is based on the all-new 2011 Grand Cherokee. It had been expected to top 500 horsepower in this form but no official figures have been released by Chrysler yet and it does seem unlikely that the Jeep would get a more powerful version than the muscular Challenger.

Whatever the final output for both vehicles it’s great to see a new HEMI engine and the current 6.1-litre engine is known as one of the best-sounding, most fun-to-drive V-8s to come out of the States for some time.

First look at the 2008 tricked out Dodge Challenger SRT8. One of the first Challengers to hit the streets (VIN# 11)

Chrysler promises that ‘if you can dream it, we’ll do our best to build it.’ The Dodge Challenger aims to specifically realise the muscle car dreams

Driving footage, including a big smokey burnout

Police can be pretty damn cool. Just not when they’re filling our rearview mirrors, with the spinning blue-and-reds.

What is cool however is when a Police department does something a bit different with it’s squad cars. This particular example comes from the Broward County Sheriff’s office in Florida, U.S.A, which has added a fully-dressed Dodge Challenger R/T to its fleet. Decked out in the Broward County green-and-white livery, the muscular Mopar looks like it means business. It’s a look that would work equally well in pursuit of drug runners as it would kerb crawling on vice duty or busting up meth labs.

American Muscle car builder SpeedFactory will present their 440 Hemi-powered Challenger at the upcoming 2009 SEMA show in Las Vegas.

SpeedFactory replaced the standard iron block engine that achieved 425hp with an aluminum 6.1-litre (370 cu in) block from Mopar and increased the bore and stroke to achieve a new displacement of 440 cu. in. (7.2-litre). Other upgrades include the use of CNC ported Mopar aluminum heads and a Vortech V3 centrifugal supercharger. Maximum power was boosted to 700hp when running on 91 octane fuel.

The exterior is reworked with a matte finish, a carbon fibre bonnet, SpeedFactory Signature badges and a carbon fibre rear spoiler.

The car rides low on 20″ BBS Black Edition CH-R flow-formed wheels wrapped in Bridgestone R Compound tyres. Stopping power comes from 15″ front disc brakes and Brembo 6 piston calipers. Further enhancement comes from performance springs, sway bars and a Corsa stainless steel cat back exhaust system. The interior comfort package consists of SpeedFactory’s Signature floor mats, logo-embossed seat backs and Mopar door sills.

The SEMA show is scheduled to start in Las Vegas next week, check back as we bring you more concept vehicles heading to the show.

Of the three classic muscle car nameplates currently on sale in the United States, the Dodge Challenger has the most retro look. If that’s a good thing or not depends on your personal point of view, but Chrysler is comfortable with it and is further promoting the link to Challenger’s ’70s heritage with a new Plum Crazy Pearl Coat colour option for 2010.

During the American muscle car wars Plum Crazy was the surprisingly popular deep purple hue found on the Challenger and its stablemate, the Plymouth Barracuda. Now, any car originally painted up in Plum Crazy has an intrinsic value to many car collectors, and Dodge is hoping for a similar situation the second time around.

The purple colour is only available on the R/T and SRT models for 2010 and the package also includes Plum interior stitching and a Plum seat stripe on the SRT8. Outside, buyers can choose from either Black Dual Wide Stripes or a newly-optional set of stripes in white (pictured).

Chrysler’s 300C has received its first facelift since it reached the NZ market three years ago and is now offering an upgraded equipment list.

Minor changes to the rear fascia and tail lamps have been made, with the sedan now sporting a rear deck lid featuring an SRT-inspired integrated spoiler and high-mounted stop light. The dramatic nose and the long-bonnet, short-deck styling remain unchanged.

Inside, however, is another story. The interior design of the Chrysler 300C has been upgraded with a change to dark slate premium leather upholstery, LED lighting in the front cup holders and front- and rear-door map pockets, along with soft-touch surfaces on arm rests and door panels. Also new are the instrument panel and centre-console design, highlighted with satin silver bezels.

“Most of the changes are subtle, because you don’t want to radically alter what is already such a successful formula, so what we have aimed to do is enhance the ownership experience and value,” says David Smith General Manager of Chrysler New Zealand. “The 300C has become a benchmark for Chrysler in terms of its styling, performance and quality of craftsmanship and the new model lifts the bar even higher.”

Under the bonnet the 300C continues to offer four power options, but with some minor changes.

The 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine has improved performance and economy thanks to an all-new active, three-plenum intake manifold and ETC, which provides higher power and torque over the entire operating band, offering 183kW @ 6500 and 340Nm @ 3800rpm.

The 5.7-litre V8 HEMI-powered Chrysler 300C now has a “Fuel Saver Mode” display, included as part of the Electronic Vehicle Information Centre (EVIC), that tells drivers when they are in four-cylinder mode, allowing them to modify their driving habits for improved fuel efficiency.

Chrysler 300C Sedan and Touring are offering the Multi-Displacement System (MDS) as standard on its V8 engines. Chrysler’s MDS turns off the fuel consumption in four cylinders of the 5.7-litre HEMI engine when V8 power is not needed. MDS improves fuel economy by up to 11%, depending on driving style and vehicle usage.

Some visual changes have been reserved for the Chrysler 300C SRT8, now featuring an all-new deck lid with an integrated spoiler, new tail lamps and black mesh front grille. Other unique touches to the 300C SRT8’s exterior include new body side mouldings, body-colour front and rear bumper inserts, body-colour mirrors and door handles, along with unique SRT badging.

End-user technology figures prominently in the Chrysler 300C SRT8 with new features such as the SRT-exclusive Reconfigurable Display in the cluster providing performance data, Adaptive Cruise Control and a Kicker premium surround-sound system.

Matching its high-performance character, the Chrysler 300C SRT8 continues to provide power-adjustable front sport seats accented with suede inserts (matched in the rear seats), full instrumentation, automatic temperature-control system with dual-zone controls and infrared temperature sensing, and an EVIC with 128 customer-programmable features.

Powered by a 6.1-litre HEMI V8 engine producing 317kW and 569Nm of torque, the Chrysler 300C SRT8’s powertrain represents a high level of HEMI performance, with over 65 additional kilowatts 27% more than the 5.7-litre HEMI.

Chassis setup for the Chrysler 300C SRT8 is aimed at all-round performance, including SRT-tuned dampers, specially tailored spring rates and suspension bushings, and large-diameter anti-sway bars. Revised front and rear suspension knuckles contribute to a ride height that is lowered 13mm from the 300C. In addition, the Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) has been tuned for the 300C SRT8’s Adaptive Cruise Control.

Chrysler 300C pricing starts from $60,990 and currently all Chrysler dealers are offering a 1/3+ 1/3+1/3 finance deal at a 3.9% interest rate.

German running gear specialist KW Automotive has chosen an unlikely vehicle for its latest modification program, a raw example of a modern-day American muscle car – the Dodge Challenger SRT8. No doubt the Dodge Challenger SRT8 is an exciting vehicle but is also let down by its road holding ability.

In stock form the Challenger SRT8 comes with a 6.1L HEMI V8 engine churning out 425 hp (313 kW) — enough power for anyone. Therefore, KW has focused very little on the engine performance only fitting a K&N sport air filter and a Magnaflow 3.5in diameter exhaust system. But when it comes to its road holding characteristics in bends, KW has gone to work.

Engineers have fitted VW’s Variant 1 stainless steel suspension upgrade, which lowers the car at either axle by up to 50mm. The stainless steel casing guarantees that the components inside remain continuously flexible even when they are strained more in winter. The KW Dodge Challenger also features a new running gear which is approved by the Technical Control Board.

Other modifications include HRE 22in forged aluminum rims wrapped in Dunlop SP Sport Maxx tyres, as well as an unnecessary pair of vertically lifting ‘Lambo-style’ doors.

At last year’s SEMA Auto Show famous American Dodge dealer and car tuner Mr Norm unveiled a seriously upgraded Super Challenger. It was a total success and became one of the highlights of the show. Now, Mr Norm’s latest addition to its long-running ‘Super’ line of cars is based around the new Dodge Challenger, more specifically the high-performance SRT8 model. The Super Challenger and the Super Cuda have just begun full production at Mr. Norm’s facilities in Florida, USA.

The Super Challenger takes its inspiration from the original 1971 Mr. Norm’s Super Challenger Super Fuel Funny Car. The show car featured a black paint scheme with red stripes and ‘Mr. Norm’ labeling on the front fenders. Inside, the Super Challenger gets custom Katzkin leather trim, a Hurst pistol grip shifter, and special door sills.

Exterior upgrades include 22in forged wheels by Rodtana, Pirelli Scorpion Zero tires, a Hotchkis suspension kit, a Mopar ‘Six-Pack’ hood, and a SSBC eight-piston brake package. A new front spoiler and side scoops by Hurst Customs provide the finishing touches.

Modifications to the car’s 6.1 litre HEMI V8 include a Corsa Performance cat back dual exhaust system and a Kenne Bell supercharger system with a front-mount intercooler. The end result is a claimed 900hp (671kW) output. For those that don’t want to speed around with their hair on fire there’s a tamer 650hp (485kW) kit available too.

The Super ‘Cuda’ features similar mods to the Challenger but has been designed to resemble the original AAR Cuda from the 1970s. It’s intended as a modern interpretation of the classic Cuda grille and tail panel, coupled with an aggressive front spoiler and black body stripes. The Super Challengers are available in a range of colors but the Super Cuda is available solely in Hemi Orange.

If only we could have the Dodge Challenger at the same price the Yanks pay. Dodge have just released pricing on it’s latest incarnation of the Challenger (which looks basically the same as the 2008 model) and it is cheap.

Prices in the U.S for the V6 SE model $21,995 (NZD$29,000), the R/T $29,995 (NZD$39,500) and the range topping SRT8 $39,995 (NZD$53,000). Even with the price of petrol in the U.S becoming much closer to what we pay Dodge expects the Challenger to sell well against its main rival, the Ford Mustang.