2015-06-27
[ FCA US LLC press release ]
Focused on Performance: New Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak Revealed
- New Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak marks the first time Mopar will offer
racers a supercharged engine option
- Sportsman racers will have the choice of a 354-cubic-inch supercharged
HEMI engine or a naturally aspirated 426-cubic-inch HEMI
- Orders open in late July, with information on the new Mopar Dodge
Challenger Drag Pak available at www.mopar.com/mopar-drag-pak
June 26, 2015, Auburn Hills, Mich. - Remaining true to its performance roots,
the Mopar brand unveiled the next-generation Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak,
a factory-prepped package car specifically geared for drag racing. The
vehicle, revealed today at the FCA US LLC Chelsea Proving Grounds, is built on
the Dodge Challenger platform and will come with the option of either the
brand's first-ever offering of a supercharged 354-cubic-inch Gen III HEMI
engine or a naturally aspirated 426-cubic-inch Gen III HEMI engine.
The new Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak is designed for passionate Sportsman
racers who compete in nationally sanctioned drag racing series, such as the
National Hot Rod Association (NHRA). The new generation Drag Pak combines the
latest in Sportsman racing technology, a host of upgrades and improvements
from the previous generation Drag Pak and unique heritage design cues.
"Today, we write the next page in our performance playbook with the reveal of
the production Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak, a vehicle that offers, for the
first time, a supercharged engine that provides our racers more options," said
Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO -- Mopar Brand Service, Parts and Customer
Care, FCA. "Our brand is committed to supporting Mopar drivers who compete at
all levels. In 2014, we debuted a new Dodge Dart NHRA Pro Stock car that won
right out of the gate. In 2015, our new Dodge Charger R/T NHRA Funny Car did
the same. Now, Mopar is supercharging our Sportsman racers."
Under a factory hood is the supercharged 354 HEMI engine, with a cast-iron
block, forged steel crankshaft, Mopar spec camshaft and a custom performance
engine calibration. The 354 nomenclature pays homage to the heritage of the
early Gen 1 HEMI engines, which originally displaced 354 cubic inches.
The naturally aspirated 426 Race HEMI engine is built off of a Mopar aluminum
block with pressed-in steel liners and aluminum cylinder heads. Like the
supercharged engine, the 426 HEMI also includes a custom engine calibration.
The new Drag Pak features a race-prepped automatic transmission, upgraded from
the previous generation vehicle, for both the 354 and 426 engine options.
The vehicle's front suspension sports a unique Mopar K-Member and suspension
geometry, with double adjustable compression and rebound struts. At the back
of the car is a four-link suspension with Panhard bar, Strange Engineering
4-inch solid axle with 9-inch aluminum third member, 40-spline gun drilled
axles, shocks with adjustable compression and rebound and an anti-roll bar.
The rear axle mounting has been strengthened from the previous generation Drag
Pak to help the car launch faster and harder.
Each engine version carries a unique graphic identification package. The
supercharged hot rod displays a Mopar Blue stripe and a "354 Supercharged"
graphic insignia, while the naturally aspirated (N/A) Drag Pak sports a
horizontal black stripe along its side with a 426 HEMI engine graphic
identification.
The new Drag Pak includes the Dodge Challenger front and rear fascia trim and
a redesigned full roll cage fabricated to NHRA specifications. The cockpit
reflects the Dodge Challenger interior, but with the addition of a Mopar gauge
pack, driver and passenger lightweight racing seats, along with a safety net
and a five-point harness.
The Mopar Drag Pak is equipped with 15-inch front and rear lightweight wheels
displaying the unique Mopar logo. Mounted on those wheels will be Hoosier drag
radials with front tires that measure 28 inches in diameter by 4.5 inches
wide, and rear tires that are 30 inches in diameter by 9 inches wide. The car
will also feature slotted front and rear brake rotors, with race-specific
calipers and master cylinder.
The vehicle also includes a more user-friendly hood, hinged at the rear to
make between rounds under hood maintenance an easier task. Another small but
essential detail that racers will appreciate is the addition of integrated
trailer tie-down loops on the front and rear of the new Drag Pak.
Development of the new Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak has spanned nearly a
year. A prototype was first revealed in 2014 at the 60th NHRA U.S. Nationals
to elicit feedback from NHRA Sportsman racers on potential upgrades to make
the Drag Pak even more competitive at the drag strip.
The resulting new vehicle is the next step in the evolution of Mopar.s
modern-day package car, whose earlier incarnations include more than 150 V-8
Challenger Drag Paks, an additional 50 V-10 versions and plenty of 426 Race
HEMI upgrade kits.
"We are extremely pleased with the results obtained during our testing," said
Dale Aldo, Mopar Motorsports Marketing Manager. "In the first runs the new
Drag Pak ran consistently in the eights (eight-second range) while improving
times at the 60-ft. mark and also performing very well in the quarter mile.
Once our customers get the car on the track, we feel it's going to be a clear
winner."
The Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak will be open for ordering through
authorized Dodge dealerships, beginning July 23 as the Mopar Mile-High NHRA
Nationals kickoff with the Mopar Block Party in downtown Golden, Colorado. The
manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) for the naturally aspirated 426
version of the Mopar Challenger Drag Pak is a "cubic inch appropriate"
$99,426, with the 354 supercharged race car available for $109,354 MSRP.
For ordering information on the new Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak, visit
www.mopar.com/mopar-drag-pak.
Mopar package car heritage
The Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak's roots were firmly planted in the early
1960s with the factory production of Max Wedge package cars. In 1968, famously
coveted 426 HEMI-powered Dodge Dart and Plymouth Barracuda package cars were
unleashed on the strip. Those vehicles continue to compete in the Super
Stock/Automatic-HEMI (SS/AH) class of NHRA Sportsman racing and the annual fan
favorite Mopar HEMI Challenge, held during the NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas
Oil Raceway in Indianapolis, Indiana, since 2001.
In 2008, Mopar delighted speed lovers by announcing the first drag race,
factory-prepped package cars in 40 years -- the first V-8 Mopar Dodge
Challenger Drag Pak. The return of the Mopar package car was a hit with
racers, and the 2009 program saw a first-year sell out of all 100
factory-built vehicles.
Building on that success, the 2010 Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak program
offered racers an available 6.4-liter HEMI engine. Then in 2011, Mopar
introduced a race-ready V-10 package car, becoming the first original
equipment manufacturer (OEM) to offer a 500-plus cubic-inch V-10 drag package
car.
Mopar has continued to mark many firsts. The Drag Pak has captured numerous
NHRA National title wins and records, and the previous generation Mopar Drag
Pak was also the first modern-era package car to win the Stock Eliminator
class crown at the U.S. Nationals.
The 426 Drag Pak was also the first naturally aspirated package car to make an
eight-second-range quarter-mile pass at a NHRA national event. During the 2014
season, while celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Gen II Race HEMI, the
426 Drag Pak won a majority of the factory stock naturally aspirated class
races and has posted national event class wins in recent years.
The newly revealed Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak adds to Mopar's package car
heritage, marking the brand's first offering to racers of a supercharger. As
the most powerful Drag Paks to date, both the new generation 354 Gen III HEMI
supercharged engine and the 426 Gen III Race HEMI will take their aim squarely
at quarter-mile success as Mopar continues to lead the way in street, track
and off-road performance.
For more information and for photos of the new Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag
Pak, visit media.fcanorthamerica.com.
World of Mopar
Mopar has evolved over more than 75 years into a brand with a mission to
enhance the ownership experience for all FCA brand customers worldwide. The
statistics below illustrate Mopar's global scope:
- More than 500,000 Mopar parts and accessories are distributed every year
- The Mopar brand has a presence in more than 150 markets worldwide
- 52 Parts Distribution Centers (PDCs) are in operation
- Mopar products reach 14,800 ship-to locations around the globe
- 27 Mopar customer-contact hubs are in operation worldwide
- The brand's global footprint includes 19.5 million square feet of
warehouse space and 43 commercial offices
