Mopar and Dodge//SRT took the wraps off a new, fourth-generation version of the factory-built, racetrack-only Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak car today at the 2019 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show.
The 2020 Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak is engineered for grassroots drag racers that compete in sportsman classes in events sanctioned by the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) and National Muscle Car Association (NMCA).
Building on lessons learned with the third-generation Drag Pak, the new fourth-generation Challenger Drag Pak offers racers the choice of buying a complete, turnkey package ready for the track or a variety of modular kits to install on their own Dodge Challenger drag car.
“Mopar and Dodge//SRT collaborated to make this factory production-based Challenger Drag Pak not only a forced to be reckoned with at the strip but also an instant collectable for Mopar enthusiasts,” said Mark Bosanac, Head of Mopar Service, Parts & Customer Care, FCA – North America. “Our legacy has been won at the track by the women and men who pour all they have into being the best. This new Challenger Drag Pak gives them the tools to stay in front of the competition.”
Production of the new Challenger Drag Pak will be limited to 50 serialized units. Ordering and pricing details will be announced in the future.
Heritage-inspired Graphics Signal Performance
Just as the modern Dodge Challenger turns heads with design cues that harken back to the original muscle car era of the 1970s, the red, white and blue color scheme on the fourth-generation Challenger Drag Pak displays a modern flavor, seasoned with nostalgia.
The graphics package is anchored by the blue Mopar logo and red “dragpak” badging on the quarter panels above the rear wheels. The red band wraps around the rear of the car, connecting the badges.
A wide blue stripe, with red tracers on each side, runs from the edge of the front fascia, over the roof and through to the rear edge of the decklid. The graphic highlights the width of the Challenger Drag Pak and complements the variety of stripe packages Mopar offers for the Dodge Challenger. A blue band runs along the lower quarter of each side of the Challenger Drag Pak, accented by a red tracer line.
“We want this to look so cool that when the customer buys a Challenger Drag Pak he or she wants to run these graphics because they are so iconic and stand out,” says Mark Trostle, Head of Performance, Passenger Car and Utility Vehicle Design for FCA – North America. “Mopar people are proud of the heritage and the look and they want to show that off.”
Four Generations of Track Experience
Construction of the Challenger Drag Pak begins with a standard-width Dodge Challenger Body-in-White (BIW) unibody built at the FCA Brampton Assembly Plant in Brampton, Ontario. An SFI-specification welded rollcage, rated for quarter-mile runs as fast as 7.50 seconds, is integrated into the body.
New for the fourth-generation Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak, the Strange rear axle assembly uses adjustable coilover shocks, four-link suspension with wishbone and an anti-roll bar. Wheelie bars and a parachute mount are integrated into the chassis and are standard.
Up front, a unique engine cross member lowers the center of gravity and improves weight distribution. The front also includes specific Bilstein double-adjustable struts.
The race-ready 2020 Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak, powered by the supercharged 354-cubic-inch HEMI® V-8 engine, is fitted with a T400 three-speed transmission with a Kwik-Shift manual shifter, lightweight driveshaft, front and rear racing brakes, Racetech seats, Racepak Smartwire fully programmable power distribution center and a new, exclusive Drag Pak lightweight wheel and tire package.
Also new for 2020, the Drag Pak hood mimics the design of the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, with intake and heat extractors. Front and rear fascias use the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat design.
Mopar and Dodge//SRT 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, 426 HEMI-powered Dodge Dart and Plymouth Barracuda package cars were unleashed on the strip. Those vehicles continue to compete in the Super Stock/A-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 announced the first drag race, factory-prepped package cars in 40 years – the first V-8 Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak. The 2009 program saw a first-year sell out of all 100 factory-built vehicles.
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.
The third-generation 2015 Challenger Drag Pak saw the introduction of the first supercharged 354 HEMI as well as a naturally aspirated 426 Gen-III HEMI and was capable of 8.0-second ETs out of the box.
Leah Pritchett captured the 2018 NHRA Factory Stock Showdown World Championship, collected three wins and recorded the first official 7-second run in the class with the third-generation Challenger Drag Pak. Geoff Turk drove his Challenger Drag Pak to the 2018 NMCA Factory Super Cars World Championship and also posted the first official 7-second run in the class.
An electrified street-ready beast, Ford Mustang Lithium is low and sleek, with custom carbon fiber body components, a 1.0-inch lowered stance and 20-inch staggered fitting forged wheels. Under the hood, the differences are electrifying: a Phi-Power dual-core electric motor and dual power inverters – all powered by an 800-volt Webasto battery system with EVDrive Technology that can discharge a mega-watt of electrical energy.
At 800 volts, that’s twice the voltage of most electric cars on the road today. This allows the system to be lighter, more powerful and generate less heat, and more electric force than most battery-electric systems on the road today.
In a unique twist, Ford Mustang Lithium features a manual transmission and uses a drag-strip proven Calimer-version of the Getrag MT82 6-speed transmission with billet internals to handle the 1,000 ft.-lbs. of torque. Ford Performance half shafts and Super 8.8 Torsen® differential help supply power to the road via lightweight Forgeline wheels wearing Michelin® Pilot® Sport 4S tires.
Additional features include Ford Performance’s Track Handling Pack and strut tower brace, Brembo six-piston front brakes from the Shelby GT350R, Sankuer Composite Technologies side splitters and rear diffuser, plus Webasto hood with see-through polycarbonate windows, TurboDX charging solution and TurboCord portable charger.
Ford Mustang Lithium features a unique set of drive modes that apply a controlled amount of torque for different driving scenarios including: Valet, Sport, Track and Beast, and are instantly available on demand via a custom in-dash 10.4-inch touchscreen display.
“Very similar to Ford’s push for vehicle electrification, this is an innovative way to further the technologies we’re developing to enable vehicle electrification while creating a vision of how cool the future of electric performance will be,” said Mark Denny, Webasto Customized Solutions North America President and CEO.
