1971 brought about a few minor changes, but
these were changes that obviously had more impact
than intended as sales plummeted from 72,975
in 1970 to just over 30,000 in 1971. A newly
designed grille was present on all of the Challengers
for 1971, and the most obvious change of sorts,
was the aforementioned drop of the T/A, although
many of the T/A options could still be ordered
on R/T models. The R/T convertible was also
dropped, and the SE Luxury package and ragtop
options were only available on the base model
Challengers. The base model actually received
the most benefit for 1971, with the introduction
of the base model droptop, and with the addition
of an extra engine, the 318 cubic inch V8 which
offered 230 horsepower. The 225 cubic inch slant
six, and the 340 cubic inch engines were also
still offered, and of the roughly 30,000 1971
Challengers sold, over 25,000 of them were the
base model. The R/T model, while losing the
convertible option also lost some power. It
still came standard with the 383 cubic inch
engine, but due to new government standards,
it was 30 horsepower lower than the previous
year. The 440 6-pack was the only 440 cubic
inch engine offered, but it also received a
drop of 5 horsepower. The Hemi was still available,
and still offered 425 horsepower and 490 lb-ft
of torque, and 1971 brought the introduction
of the small block to the R/T lineup with the
340.
The R/T did receive a few cosmetic changes, such
as the option of color-keyed bumpers, non-functional
brake cooling gills in front of the rear wheels,
and new striping down the side, which was punctuated
right over the rear wheels with the R/T logo.
There was one special edition trim line offered
in 1971, which were Indianapolis 500 Pace Car
clones, and these were only offered by a few dealerships
around the Speedway. There were 50 of these Pace
Car clones made, and all of them were Hemi Orange
convertibles with white interior, and just three
had high-performance options; two 340 cubic inch
engines, and the official Pace Car, with a 383
cubic inch engine. The actual Pace Car was driven
by Eldon Palmer, who owned one of the dealerships
selling the special edition cars. When practicing
getting the Challenger up to speed, and braking
it gradually coming down pit road, he had marked
the appropriate point at which to start braking
with an orange road cone. When the actual race
began, and Mr. Palmer dove into the pit area as
the cars roared past, he realized that his road
cone, which indicated where he should begin slowing
down, was gone. Unfortunately, there was no where
for him to go as the car simply would not stop,
and he slammed into a crowded section of bleachers
filled with members of the press, and the car
was substantially damaged. After this incident,
the Pace Car trim line did not sell very well,
nor did the available aftermarket striping packages.
Read more about the 1971 Dodge Challenger
On Friday, August 1, 1969, the first ever Dodge
Challenger rolled off of the assembly line for
sale as a 1970 model year. The production Challenger,
as mentioned, was based on the same platform
as the Plymouth Barracuda, but had a wheelbase
two inches longer to allow for more interior
room. It was offered in both a hardtop and a
convertible, with three trim lines available;
the base model, the R/T (Road and Track), and
the T/A (Trans America). The base model and
T/A were only available as hardtops, so the
only convertible that could be ordered carried
the R/T options. The base model and R/T model
hardtops could be upgraded with the SE luxury
package, which included leather seats and a
vinyl roof with a smaller "formal" rear window.
The base model Challenger's came equipped with
a 225 cubic inch inline 6 cylinder which produced
145 horsepower, but a 340 cubic inch V8 was
offered, and that engine was much more powerful,
offering 275 horsepower @ 5000 rpm and 340 lb-ft
of torque @ 3200 rpm. The R/Ts came standard
with a 383 cubic inch V8 which produced 330
horsepower, but for those who felt the need
for speed, three performance engines were offered.
The first two of the optional engines were both
440 cubic inch V8s, one being a topped with
a four barrel carburetor, which built 375 horsepower
@ 4600 rpm and 480 lb-ft of torque @ 3200 rpm;
the second of the 440 cubic inch engines was
packed with a trio of double barrel carburetors,
labeled the "440 6-pack", which built 390 horsepower
@ 4600 rpm and 480 lb-ft of torque @ 2300 rpm.
The big dog of the Challenger engine lineup
was the engine that American manufacturers would
try to copy for years, and it is still one of
the most desired engines of all time. That engine
is, of course, the Hemi. It was "only" 426 cubic
inches, but it made 425 horsepower @ 5000 rpm
and a whopping 490 lb-ft or torque @ 4000 rpm.
The Hemi option included several heavy duty
upgrades as well, and cost an additional $1,228
and due to the huge price hike, it was only
chosen by 356 buyers in 1970. Both the of 440
cubic inch options, and the Hemi came standard
with a 727 TorqueFlite automatic transmission,
but for those who demanded the most of out their
new Challenger, it could be ordered with a four
speed manual topped by a pistol-grip Hurst shifter
and a Dana 60 axle packed with limited slip
3.54:1 gears and an option of 4.10:1 gears,
instead of the standard 3.23:1. All of the R/Ts
included heavy duty suspension, and if the either
of the 440s or the Hemi were chosen, 15 inch
wheels wrapped in a 60 series tire were included.
The R/Ts came with a dual hood scoop setup,
but these scoops did not feed directly into
the engine. However, for only $97, the Shaker
hood scoop option could be ordered. The Shaker
scoop was actually mounted to the engine itself,
and poked through a large hole in the hood,
providing direct air to the engine. Power Steering
and front disc brakes were available, but were
only offered as options on the R/T and base
model.
The other trim line was the T/A package, which
was offered just to comply with the rules of the
Sports Car Club of America's Trans American Sedan
Championship, as the SCCA requires a certain number
of cars to be sold to be considered a "production
car" for their series. The Challenger T/A street
car came packed with a 340 cubic inch motor with
a "6-pack" of its own, and Dodge advertised the
engine as building 290 horsepower @ 5000 rpm and
345 lb-ft of torque@ 3400 rpm, although it was
dyno proven that the 340 6-pack actually made
around 350 horsepower. The T/A featured a matte
black fiberglass hood with a massive oval air
filter smothering the 3 two barrel carbs. The
T/A also had a special high-flow dual exhaust
system which traveled to the rear axle, but then
doubled back and exited in front of the rear wheels
by means of two huge chrome exhaust tips. The
T/A came equipped with either the 727 TorqueFlite
automatic or Hurst-shifted four-speed transmission,
with either 3.55:1 or 3.90:1 gears, and the option
of either manual of power steering. Front disc
brakes were standard, and a heavy duty "Rallye
Suspension" was standard, including increased
camber of the rear springs, which elevated the
tail enough to clear the rear rubber. The T/A
featured a thick black trim stripe that ran the
length of the car, along with a subtle, molded
wing spoiler. One of the unusual notes about the
T/A, is that it was one of the first production
cars to offer different size tires in the front
and back, with E60x15 fronts, and G60x15 in back.
Unfortunately, the T/As were not very competitive
in the SCCA T/A series, and the street model under
steered badly at high speeds, so it did not make
for a very popular car from that aspect, although
it did turn out mid-14 second quarter mile time,
which was very good for that era, especially from
a small block car. But even with the fine quarter
mile time, and mean appearance, Dodge removed
itself from the SCCA series after 1970, and dropped
the T/A option.
Read more about the 1970 Dodge Challenger
The most powerful and most popular engine fitted into a muscle car both in the Muscle Car Era, and today, was known merely by a name, the Hemi. While to the naked eye, one look at a Dodge Challenger Concept article provides most of the numbers anyone really needs to know; 6.1 liters, four hundred and twenty-five horsepower, four hundred and twenty pound feet of torque, simple addition of engine size and consequently, horsepower was not as short and sweet as it may sound.
During design the engineers looked at the popularity of the original Hemi, and that was where the horsepower measure comes from, but this Hemi offers 69.8 horsepower per liter ratio which far exceeds the old 426 Hemi.
To give the new Dodge Challenger 6.1L Hemi a nostalgic look, it bears the large black "crinkle finish" valve covers with HEMI in matching bright orange with silver trim. This 6.1 liter Hemi is actually just a beefed up version of the 5.7 liter Hemi found in the non-SRT Hemi cars in the Dodge and Chrysler lineup.
To increase the engine volume and horsepower the first step was increasing the cylinder size. Each cylinder was increased in diameter by three and a half millimeters. The compression ratio of this naturally aspirated power plant was increased from 9.6 to 1, to 10.3 to 1. The huge cylinder heads, which are what makes a Hemi a Hemi, were specially redesigned on the new 6.1 liter engine, with special care taken in the areas of the intake and exhaust ports, as well as increased size in the intake and exhaust valves which are one piece, and have hollow stems that are then injected with sodium to help control internal engine heat, allowing this head to breathe as freely as possible. In order to feed these larger finely tuned intake ports, an intake manifold designed specifically for use with this cylinder head pattern has been applied, featuring huge smooth intake runners. That intake manifold is fed by the large front mounted throttle body, which pulls air through the hood scoop which is mounted at the very front of the hood.
Once the air enters the new cylinder head design, camshafts redesigned specifically for this engine help to perfect the combustion process, allowing for smoother movement of the pre and post combustion gases, and at the same time allowing this new Hemi to have a higher redline for maximum performance. The engine block itself has been altered, with relocation of the water ports for more efficient cooling, and with the smoother interior of the cooling ports, the engine has less draw placed on it by the freer flow of the water pump. To protect the internals of this new 6.1 liter Hemi the bottom end is composed of a forged steel crankshaft, high strength light weight piston connecting rods, floating pin pistons, and keeping this all moving smoothly is the newly refined oiling system which includes oil injectors in each cylinder and a new oil pan design which helps top cut down on engine foaming at high RPMs.
On the other end of the combustion process 'header' style exhaust manifolds in which each exhaust port exhausts through a separate tube as opposed to all of them emptying into one large chamber which then heads to the exhaust system thus helping greatly to increase exhaust flow, have been added to this new Hemi and in order to contain the heat from these separate tubes and to preserve a nice clean engine bay look, as the tubes meet they are gathered in a stainless steel shell. These four tubes per engine bank meet in a two and three quarters inch collector, which meet up with the huge exhaust system baring the same diameter as the header collector.
Traveling to the rear of the car this increased size exhaust system goes through a set of high flow mufflers which allow for a great deep throaty Hemi sound bellowing from the wide, flat retro style chrome split exhaust tips which are just below the rear fascia.
Late in the 2005 Calendar year blurry pictures began to surface of what many believed to be the next big thing from Daimler Chrysler Corporation. The muscular, bright orange car strongly resembled the e-body based Plymouth Barracuda and Dodge Challenger of the early 1970s, but with a sort of modernized feel. Rumors were rampant and in early January 2006 DCX made it official that the new Dodge Challenger Concept would be showcased at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, later that month. They made good on that promise as the centerpiece of Dodge's huge section was a glowing beauty that was the new Challenger Concept.
While this picture may not accurately portray the massive crowds surrounding the car at almost all times during the public viewing days, many found it difficult to get near the new pony car concept while the Challenger made its week-long NAIAS debut. That same excitement was obvious in the press as just about every automotive media source, from internet blogs and forums to the big name motoring magazines worldwide featured the Challenger, even though little information was available at that time. The only real information numbers available were the very basics such as the specifications and estimated performance numbers.
Over the months following the debut of the Challenger, speculations of what 'could be' with the revamped classic were available all over the internet, and just as discussions began to die down, the Challenger popped up at a handful of car shows on the west coast, and then at a huge Mopar show at the Walter P Chrysler Museum.
Again, rumors flew over when the new car would be announced, as the public and the media alike were certain that this modern muscle car would find its way to the showroom floors of your neighborhood Dodge dealership. One of the most popular rumors, which may have been forgone since it made its way to the public well before its time, was that the Challenger would be debuted at the Woodward Dream Cruise in Metro Detroit, which is a massive rolling car show, but on June 30, 2006 newspapers hit the stand, from the Detroit Free Press to the Wall Street Journal; the Challenger was "a-go", and it would be made official the following day at the Pepsi 400 NASCAR race at Daytona International Speedway. Mopar faithful and the performance world eagerly waited as there was a short presentation with NASCAR Legend Richard Petty, current NASCAR and Dodge Motorsports star Kasey Kahne, and Chrysler Group President and Chief Executive Officer Tom LaSorda, and with them was a 1970 Dodge Challenger T/A. Among the display there was a starting line-like setup, and with the throaty roar of the 6.1L Hemi engine, the Challenger Concept drove around from behind two large semi trailers and Mr. LaSorda waived a green flag, and made the move of the Dodge Challenger from Concept to a production vehicle official.
While full details are still somewhat sketchy, what we do know per Mr. LaSorda's comments during and following the official announcement, is that the Challenger will be released as a 2008 model, and it should hit the showrooms early in the 2008 Calendar year. What we are yet to know for sure are things like what aspects of the Concept will be excluded from the production model, production numbers, and retail price. While it is assumed that the 6.1L Hemi engine and manual transmission displayed in the concept will make their way to production, it is unknown whether other engines will be offered. However, DCX's new marketing campaign of "ask Dr. Z" in which questions pertaining to the corporation can be directed to Dieter Zetsche, the head of Daimler Chrysler, has opened up to some interesting information. When the question of 'what engines will be offered in the 2008 Challenger' is sent in to their inquiry address, this is the reply:
"Dear Patrick:
Thanks for contacting Dr. Z. Your message has been forwarded to us for response. The all-new Dodge Challenger will make its debut as a 2008 model, in calendar-year 2008. It will have the available 5.7-liter or SRT-engineered 6.1-liter HEMI® V-8 engines coupled to either a five-speed manual transmission or five-speed automatic transmission with Auto Stick"
While this bit of information is not exactly official, it does come from a member of the DCX marketing team, so it would lead one to believe that the Challenger will be offered in multiple trim lines. It is assumed that Dodge is releasing the Challenger in 2008 anticipating the release of the Chevrolet Camaro, which is also currently just a concept, but GM executives have said that the Camaro will make it to production in the coming years.
All in all, this announcement and the information surrounding it paint a promising image of a new alternative for both lifelong Mopar enthusiasts and performance car buyers to cars such as the Ford Mustang, and the Pontiac GTO. It appears as though even with fuel prices getting increasingly higher, we are in for another exciting horsepower war, similar to that of the 1960s and 1970s, and this one is rapidly shaping up to be every bit as thrilling as the past horsepower war. Now, all you have to ask yourself, is do you wish to enter that war yielding the 4.6L packed automotive equivalent of a handgun, or a 6.1L packed automotive equivalent of a Sherman tank? The Challenger is a-go and while it will be roughly a year and a half before it becomes available we are certain that this new weapon in the horsepower war will make a lasting impression on its opponents.
2008 Internet Brands.com - The Dodge Challenger Enthusiast site.
DODGECHALLENGER.COM is NOT affiliated in any way with DaimlerChrysler Corporation. For more information on the Dodge Challenger, please visit Dodge's official Challenger page.
