SEMA 2008: Mopar Underground Challenger Targa and Blacktop
We hope you're loving the Dodge Challengers here at SEMA as much as we are. When you build a car that's a throwback to such an iconic vehicle, it's easy to anticipate that tuners will try to recreate every example that made the Challenger such a legend way back when. While some of the cars here are great examples of that spirit, these two official ones give us a more modern take on the theme. As we told you when we previewed them last week, the Challenger Targa was built to campaign in the Targa Newfoundland enduro race. It features a 540-hp HEMI V8 with 490 lb-ft of torque, a Tremec six-speed manual and a modified rear diff. It wears the same acid green paint you can order on the Viper and also features a KW race-ready suspension with massive Stop-Tech six-piston calipers and rotors. And it looks even better in person than official photos released last week.
The other interpretation here is the Challenger Blacktop. It retains the stock car's 5.7-liter HEMI V8 and uses the six-speed manual gearbox. Most of the modifications focus on style, including the black-on-black racing stripe paint scheme, custom spoilers and front brow. A Mopar coilover kit drops the Blacktop over a set of 22-inch Viper wheels created by Factory Reproductions and wrapped in 265/35/R22 (front) and 305/30/R22 (rear) Dunlop rubber. A Mopar cat-back exhaust and cold air intake are the only modifications to the engine. This car looks just about perfect, but we might opt for some mechanical mods from the Targa to make it move like its looks suggest.
