(engine roaring) (wheels squealing)
(lightning thunders)
- Welcome, class.
My name,
Is Mr. Green.
I'll be your substitute-host for today.
Let's get started.
As you may have heard, James had a heart attack.
He's doing fine,
and we're obviously giving him time to recover
because we want to keep the show going for you guys.
That's why I'm here.
My name is Bruce.
Now back to the show.
(engine revs)
Do you like burnouts?
Who doesn't?
Is your version of doing your civic duty
waking up your neighbors with the howl of your V8?
I do that every morning with my Demon.
I'm sorry, neighbors.
You put barbecue sauce on everything, even your veggies?
Do I have a car for you.
It's the muscle-boy legend that needs no introduction,
well, except for the stuff I just,
that was the introduction.
Either way, this is everything you need to know
to get "Up To Speed" on the Dodge Challenger.
(retro video game ambient music)
This story of the Challenger goes all the way back
to May 1st, 1959.
Dodge first used the Challenger name on a special edition
model of their two-door sudan, the Coronet.
This single-year option was used as a special promotion
to drum up some summer sales.
Marketed is the car with extra features at no extra cost.
It got upgraded interior, whitewall tires,
sun visors, electric windshield wipers,
and wall to wall deep-piled carpeting.
Who doesn't love some deep-pile carpet?
I don't even know what that is.
Soon after, Ford released the Mustang in 1964.
Small and sporty cars started to give way to bigger
and beefier muscle machines with powerful V8s.
Kind of cars I Like.
(engine roaring)
Chrysler already had a pony car of their own,
the battle of the Stang, arguably the very first one,
the Plymouth Barracuda.
There's an episode of "Up To Speed" on it.
Check it out after this
to feed your Mopar monster even more.
But Chrysler wanted a new model that could go toe to toe
with Ford's higher-end Mustang, the Mercury Cougar.
(cougar cries) (laughs) I love that name.
The car designed to do the job?
The Dodge Challenger.
(engine roaring) (wheels squealing)
It took 11 years for them to bring the name back.
This time as its own unique model,
instead of just the option package.
This new Challenger entering the ring was built
not only to handle engines ranging from a baby bear Slant-6
to a big bear 440-V8, but also to class things up a bit.
The big wigs at Chrysler wanted to attract youths
with more cash in their pockets.
You know the kids (laughs).
Sell a slightly fancier version to customers
so they can stunt on Bruce from down the block.
- No one's stunting on me ever.
You hear me, youths?
No one's stunting on me.
This was a popular move back in the day.
In addition to Fords' Mercury Cougar,
Pontiac released the Firebird, a higher-end Camaro.
Heck, it's still popular to do.
Look at the Lexus LX-570 and the Toyota Land Cruiser.
There's always a market for someone
looking to one up a Bruce.
You're not gonna do it though.
I'm sorry.
To fit the larger V8s, engineers came up
with a new platform call the E-Body.
The job of designing the exterior went to Carl Cameron,
the same dude who designed the Charger back in 1966.
He took an old sketch he'd drawn up
from an unsuccessful Charger prototype
and implemented his design into the Challenger's grill.
The body was given the coke-bottle treatment
with the rear quarter flaring out and meeting up
with the sharp body lines that ran the length of the car.
So it's kind of like that.
Oh, yeah.
If you're a muscle car noob like I once was,
you might think the Challenger and Barracuda look identical.
They do look similar, but, in fact, they share
zero body panels with each other.
Some of the more notable differences
are the headlights, grills, and taillights.
The Challenger also got dolled up with chrome trim
and more luxurious interior materials.
Just fancier enough to sell as a premium pony car.
Underneath the coke-bottle shape,
Challenger was a traditional Chrysler uni-body.
You got your semi-elliptical leaf springs,
and your live rear-axle.
You got your torsion bar, front suspension.
You got your side-impact beams
and collapsible steering column,
AC, power brakes, power steering, all the good stuff,
but not what buyers actually came for.
They came for the option they gave them, of course,
more power baby, you know it.
(engine roaring) (wheels squealing)
Under the hood, there were nine,
that's right nine, engine options.
It was a veritable horse-power buffet.
Alright, you ready for this?
Here we go.
You can get a 198/6 or a 225/6.
You get a 318 or a 340 or a 360 V8,
or you can bump up a 383-V8 or even the 440 cubic inch V8
with a 4 mil-carb or the 6-pack.
Last but not least, you can opt for the 425 horse-power
426 cubic inch Hemi.
Yes, the Hemi.
It was no ordinary horse-power buffet.
We're talking steak and lobster here, people.
(engine fires)
(fun game show music)
- When you go and you see all those options,
your friends are gonna pressure you
into buying the top one.
Just do it, just buy the top one.
(laughs) because otherwise,
they're gonna give you (beep) for years (laughs).
Actually it wasn't the Demon, it was the Camaro.
When I went to buy a Camaro, they were like,
"You can't buy a V6 Camaro."
I was like, "Really?
I gotta buy the (beep) V8?"
He was like, "Yeah, you gotta buy the V8."
He was right.
So I bought the SS. (laughs)
(assistant laughs) (beep)
In 1970, the Challenger was originally offered
as a two-door, hardtop, or a convertible in base,
special edition, road track, RT,
or TA, the Trans Am's trim.
The performance package was the road track,
which you could get with the 440 six-pack or the 426 Hemi
and an optional four-speed automatic.
While the Hemi is the rarer and more desirable engine,
of course, it was temperamental.
The less finicky 440 with the six-pack could edge out
a Hemi-powered Challenger on the street.
The RT also got the rally instrument cluster,
which included a tack with 8,000 rpm,
stealing in a speedometer that went up to a 150 miles per.
The 440 six-pack got you moving
from zero to 60 in six seconds flat.
I did the quarter in 13.6 seconds at 104 miles per hour.
The 426 Hemi got there in 13.4 seconds at a 107 miles.
(engine roaring) (wheels squealing)
During its first year, you could throw some more coin down
for the optional and more luxurious SE Package
that got you leather seats, a vinyl roof,
a formal rear window.
(laughs) What's a formal, that's a.
I'm not even sure what that means.
The TA was a special racing comulgation trim level
only available for the first year.
In order to race the SCCA Trans American Sedan Championship,
Dodge built a street version of its Challenger race car.
They took the 340 engine option, that's the 5.6 liter V8,
and added an aluminum intake manifold
and three two-barrel carbs to create the 340 six-pack.
Dodge rated it 290 horsepower,
only 15 horsepower more than the original 340 engine,
but it was on par with its competition,
the Boss 302 Mustang and the Camaro Z28.
(engine roaring) (wheels squealing)
The TA or Trans Am got a matte black fiberglass hood
with a functional air scoop, a dual exhaust
with chrome-tip megaphone outlets
in front of the rear wheels, and a pistol-grip shifter
if you went the four-speed manual.
TA was also one of the first American muscle cars
to use different-sized tires between the front and the rear.
Oh, that looks so awesome!
I love that.
The rear tires, the bigger rear tires look so (beep) cool.
(engine roaring) (wheels squealing)
Maybe what made the Challenger a true Mopar classic
were the paint and decals.
Plum crazy, Hemi orange, bumblebee stripes?
Come over here. (bumblebee buzzes)
I'm gonna buzz ya!
Don't ever say that.
If you drive by somebody,
don't ever say you're gonna buzz them
'cause that sounds stupid.
You can even customize the front end
with a twin-scoop hood or the infamous shaker hood.
It's called shaker
because the intake sticking out of the hood
shakes when the motor is running.
I had no idea.
That's so cool.
In the first alone, Chrysler sold over 83,000 Challengers,
but by 1971, the pony car craze was already slowing down.
It dropped the SE, TA, and RT convertible models.
The 440 six-pack and 426 Hemi stuck around for '71,
but by 1972, they were gone, too.
You could only get a hardtop model then.
(melancholy piano music)
The federal government mandated new safety standards
a year later, which meant the Challenger
got five mile-per-hour bumpers with big rubber guards
that stuck out from the body work,
and in 1974, production came to an end.
(melancholy piano music)
Nearly 170,000 first-gen Challengers were sold
during its five-year run.
But let's say you're alive an well in the 70s,
and you missed out on a Challenger,
unlike me (laughs).
I had to think about it for a second.
Above that high horsepower pony car is no more,
wishing Dodge would bring back
the glorious muscle machines of years past,
one day, you pick up your favorite automobile magazine
and in bold print on the cover it reads,
"The Challenger is back!"
Could it be?
Could your wishes have come true?
Did Dodge really bring back the beloved Challenger?
Of course they did!
It's a badass car!
In 1978, Dodge offered a new two-door coupe Challenger
imported from Mitsubishi-land.
It was basically a Galant with Dodge badging.
What, really?
Mitsubishi?
That was the same year
the U.S. Corporate Average Fuel Economy,
or CAFE, took effect.
So the big gas-guzzling V8s of years past
were not making a comeback,
but it did have a Hemi in it.
(happy game show music)
The 105 Horsepower 2.6 liter inline-4 Hemi.
Mitsubishi had refined the use of balance shafts
in its inlined-4 engines to reduce vibration
and make them run more smoothly.
That paved the way for more 4-cylinder motors
to be used in the States.
The second-gen Challenger would stick around until 1983
when it was replaced by a re-badged Mitsubishi Conquest.
Mm-hmm.
It took 25 long years for the Challenger
to make a comeback, and this time,
it wasn't a re-badged Japanese import, thank God.
At the 2006 Detroit Auto Show, Chrysler unveiled
the new Dodge Challenger concept.
The new age classic muscle car
got everyone all hot and bothered, including me.
Consumers wrote letters begging 'em to make the car.
Two years later, their dreams came true.
Could it be?
Could your wishes have came true?
Based on a shortened Dodge Charger chassis,
the Challenger used a slew of parts
off their German pals, Mercedes Benz.
The front control arms were borrowed from the W220 S-Class.
The five-link rear suspension, trans and rear diff
from the W211 E-Class.
Not having a manual on the Challenger was a let down,
but what made up for it was that all 2008 models
were of the SRT8 variety, meaning you got a 6.1 liter
pushrod Hemi V8 pumping out 425 horsepower
and 420 pound feet of torque.
(engine roaring) (wheels squealing)
The SRT8 got you from zero to 60 in 4.8 seconds (blows),
down the quarter in 13.3 seconds at 108 miles an hour,
and a drag-limited top speed of 168 miles per hour.
(engine roaring)
In 2009 production expanded to add more trims.
This time we got the SE-NRT,
as well as six-speed transmission
and limited slip differential on the SRT8.
The Challenger continued to be improved upon over the years
with the 392 Hemi coming in 2011.
That's 6.4 liter V8 that made 470 horsepower
and 470 pound feet of torque!
(engine roaring)
In 2015, it got a facelift
and the introduction of the Hellcat.
(roars)
That Hellcat got a super-charged 6.2 liter Hemi
that was rated at 707 horsepower.
That's insane.
So insane that Dodge decided that you needed two keys,
a black key which limits the engine
to a poultry 500 horsepower (blows raspberry)
and a red key unlocks full access to all 707 horsepowers.
Yes!
(engine roaring)
The only thing more ridiculous
than a 707 horsepower Challenger
is an 840 horsepower Challenger.
That's right, 840 horsepower Challenger.
(engine roaring)
Dodge built 3300 of those Demons,
and I got one of 'em, and, honestly, it's amazing.
They even built a single one.
They're insane.
If the Hellcat was Brittney Spears circa 1999,
the Demon is 2007 shaved head Brittney Spears.
The one that was showing off her crouch!
She's crazy!
(engine roaring)
The Demon was a record setter.
It was the first production car to be sold
with drag-radial road tires.
It was the first production car to wheelie,
which I still haven't done, and I need to do it.
The first production car to come with a trans break,
and it was the fastest non-electric car
to reach 60 miles per hour in 2.3 seconds,
and the fastest to do the quarter mile 9.65 seconds.
(engine roaring)
It pulls 1.8 Gs during launch
which makes it the hardest launching production car.
The NHRA banned it from competition
because all sub-10 seconds drag cars are required
to have a roll cage, and it doesn't.
(people screaming)
If you bought one, you can get the $1 optional Demon Crate
that James actually fit inside, and I did too.
I bet we could fit inside together if we tried.
That Demon Crate included everything
you needed to race the drag strip.
Skinny front wheels, a floor jack,
cordless impact wrench and charger, torque wrench,
an ECU for running race gas,
and a bunch more cool gear, head goodies.
(demon laughing)
(vomits)
If you want an insanely fast muscle car in your garage,
this is the one to have.
Stay away from mine though.
I'm not telling you where I live.
(engine roaring) (wheels squealing)
Big thanks to Dodge for sponsoring this episode.
The Challenger is going strong in the 2020,
and there are a ton of trims.
So you can spec out the perfect modern muscle car, today.
There's the SXT and the GT models with the 3.6 liter V6,
making 305 horsepower.
And if you live somewhere with real weather,
you can even get an all-wheel drive version of both,
something you don't usually see on a muscle car.
The GT comes with bigger satin carbon wheels
while the all-wheel drive GT
gets retro hounds tooth cloth seats,
performance hood, and a spoiler,
and after that you're in my favorite town, V8ville.
The RT sports the 375 horsepower, 5.7 liter Hemi
with an electronically controlled active exhaust
and a six-speed manual.
The Scott Pack bumps it up to 392 Hemi
pushing out 485 horses and 475 pound feet of torque,
and four-piston Brembo brakes.
(engine roaring) (wheels squealing)
Next up, the iconic SRT Hellcat.
(growls)
This quick kitty gets the supercharged 6.2 liter Hemi
pumping out 717 horsepower and 656 pound feet of torque,
enough to sprint down the quarter mile in 11.2 seconds
on its lightweight, low-gloss black wheels.
(engine roaring) (wheels squealing)
The big daddy is the SRT Hellcat Red Eye.
Ooh, that's a nice car.
With a functional dual-snorkel hood, cold-air intake,
and a higher output Hemi pumping out 797 horsepower
and 707 pound feet of torque,
there's not a quicker muscle car around today,
Remember to remove those splinter guards, kids,
but I'm not gonna do that because I love it on my car.
(engine roaring)
Thank you guys for watching this "Up To Speed"
hosted by your substitute.
Please leave a comment below, wishing James well.
He'll be back soon.
What does my engine sound like?
Obviously, it's got the V8, you know, throaty growl.
But then it's got the whine.
(whines)
Like, ah, its beautiful.
It's beautiful.
It sounds like I am just gonna take off.
And a message from the legendary James Pumphrey,
I love you.