Our fingers are getting tired of writing about the latest horsepower boosts at Dodge. But apparently the brand’s engineers are well-caffeinated because Dodge announced its latest and quickest drag racing machine yet: The 2020 Dodge Challenger SRT Super Stock. That is in addition to the also announced 2021 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye and the final leg to the power stool: The 2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat, which gives the brand’s three-row SUV 707 hp.
But back to the Super Stock. The new addition to the family boasts the same supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 as the Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye, but its recalibrated to change the shift point from 6,300 rpm to 6,400 rpm, as well as to eke out another 10 hp. As such, the total now stands at 807 horses. The aging body of the two-door Challenger has been massaged to handle the ever-increasing power, not to mention the engine’s 707 lb-ft of torque.
“It’s the most powerful and quickest muscle car you can buy,” Tim Kuniskis, global head of Alfa Romeo and head of passenger cars for FCA North America, said. The Challenger is both the oldest and reportedly the quickest coupe in its segment, thanks to the 4,450-pound coupe‘s manufacturer stated 3.3-second jaunt to 60 mph (3.25 seconds if you want to split hairs) and 10.5-second run down the quarter mile with a trap speed of 131 mph. The Super Stock—it gets its name from the Super Stock class of modified passenger cars in drag racing—has a tire-limited top speed of 168 mph.
Dodge Demon Successor?
Customers can place their orders for the Super Stock this summer. Production at the plant in Brampton, Ontario, starts this fall, with deliveries scheduled to start late this year. Pricing has not been announced but should be slightly higher than the Redeye Widebody, which starts at $80,190.
“I swore that we’d never build another Demon and we won’t,” Kuniskis said. “But I also said that every Challenger Hellcat and Redeye comes with an unspoken commitment to [upholding] the brand and the new Challenger SRT Super Stock is engineered to do just that.”
The Dodge Challenger SRT Demon was a limited-production drag-race-ready model, offered only for the 2018 model year. Its spirit is revived in the Super Stock. That said, the Super Stock is not a limited-production model. In fact, sales of the model will continue for the 2021 model year.
It will take an educated eye to recognize a Challenger SRT Super Stock on the street, as the model lacks any special badging. Those in the know, though, will be tipped off by high-powered muscle machine’s wheels, as the Super Stock’s widebody allows Dodge to fit the car with 18-by-11-inch wheels—with a Low Gloss Granite finish—shod in 315/40R18 Nitto NT05R drag radials. Those tires ought to prevent the Super Stock from needlessly burning rubber—something the Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye is prone to do to its Pirellis. Stopping power, meanwhile, comes courtesy of Brembo four-piston calipers clamping 14.2-inch vented rotors.
Engineered for Burnouts
Additionally, the Super Stock benefits from suspension improvements, a performance-tuned limited-slip differential, and a 3.09 final drive ratio. The muscle car’s Bilstein adaptive dampers are tuned to shift as much weight as possible to the rear tires at launch for maximum traction.
Put the car in its Track mode, and the shocks are set for firm compression and rebound when the car runs at wide-open throttle. Back off the gas, and the shocks’ compression softens while rebound remains firm. Furthermore, Track mode disables the car’s traction control system in order to enable burnouts but keeps the electronic stability control engaged to ensure the car accelerates in a straight line. Opt for Street mode and the dampers favor ride comfort above all else (there are Sport and Auto modes, too).
Launch Time
Needless to say, the Challenger SRT Super Stock sports a lot of standard drag-specific content, including the same launch-assist system Dodge introduced on the Demon. Designed to prevent wheel hop, Launch Assist relies on wheel speed sensors to look for signs the tires are slipping or sticking. If something is amiss, the engine control module will reduce engine torque to maximize traction without the driver having to lift the accelerator.
Furthermore, Dodge fits the Super Stock with launch control and line lock systems, the latter of which allows for smoky burnouts. The car’s race cooldown function, which debuted on the Demon, does what its name implies: Cools things down. If things are bit hot underhood, the Challenger SRT Super Stock will keep the cooling fan and coolant pump running once the engine is off. The Dodge Challenger may be old, but as the 2020 SRT Super Stock proves, it’s still capable of learning new tricks.
The post 2020 Dodge Challenger SRT Super Stock First Look: Drag Race Heaven? appeared first on MotorTrend.
[ad_2]
Source link