It’s time to upgrade your ride…
Dodge has been using Speed Week to make a whole slate of announcements about the future of the brand. Enthusiasts are understandably nervous about what might happen to muscle cars in the coming months and years since many people in high places have declared or heavily implied they want to see performance vehicles become a thing of the past. Helping to allay some fears, Dodge revealed a wide selection of new additions to its Direct Connection performance parts line.
Watch a Dodge Challenger go full Dukes of Hazzard while running from the cops here.
One of the biggest reveals was a Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak Rolling Chassis, designed for grassroots drag racers. It comes with 4130 chromoly tubing plus a fully TIG-welded roll cage and is NHRA-certified for 7.50-second elapsed times. A four-link rear suspension, double-adjustable Bilstein coilovers tuned specifically for the rolling chassis, Strange Engineering 9-inch rear, Weld beadlock lightweight wheels, Mickey Thompson drag racing tires, and Strange Pro Series II racing brakes are all included. At $89,999 this setup is nice but definitely not for those on a strict budget.
Just as big is a licensed vintage Dodge Charger carbon-fiber body from Finale Speed. Meeting original factory specs, you could do all sorts of things with this new skin. Dodge says in the future classic Plymouth Barracuda and Road Runner carbon-fiber bodies will be coming.
Also revealed was a Dodge Challenger body-in-white kit. Unlike the rolling chassis kit, it doesn’t come with a roll cage. You’ll be able to get it either with a standard e-coat or opt for one of the factory colors for the 2023 model year. MSRP is set at $7,995.
Carbon-fiber SpeedKore parts licensed by Direct Connection are also coming. Available only for the current-gen Challengers, the lineup includes pieces like the front splitter, rear spoiler, rear diffuser, and rocker panels.
Bolt-on go-fast parts are also in the mix, like the American Racing Headers announced not only for the Challenger but also the Charger and Durango. Both 2.7-liter and 3.0-liter supercharger kits based on the blowers used on the Redeyes were announced, along with a TorqueFlite 8HP70 transmission for use with crate engines.
Photos via Stellantis
