Tuesday 28th October 2014

Dodge SEMA cars detailed

A Challenger Trans-Am concept you say? Yes please!

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Just looking at the names Chrysler Group and Mopar have given to their SEMA concepts is enough to get excited about. There's a Jeep Renegade Frostbite, a Fiat 500 Abarth Scorpion, a Jeep Wrangler MOJO and a Dodge Ram Outdoorsman just to start. We're obviously more interested in the stuff suffixed 'R/T' and 'T/A' but it's all very intriguing.

Dodge Ram. Like a boss

With such positive reaction to the Hellcat recently, the Challenger T/A concept is perhaps the most relevant of Dodge's SEMA exhibits. A modern reinterpretation of the original 70s Trans-Am package, it has a racier focus than 700hp Hellcat. So there are no carpets, less sound deadening and plenty of carbon inside. Power comes from the 392 Hemi V8, brakes are by Brembo and all the graphics are again inspired by the original Challenger Trans-Am. One more thing; Dodge boasts of 'electronic cutouts' for the exhaust, offering the choice 'of a healthy rear exhaust stock sound or a louder, more robust side exhaust note'. That's just cool.

A Dodge Viper ACR concept is also being shown at SEMA. The previous car became legendary for its phenomenally fast Nurburgring lap time and again it's 'ready to strike at the track'. There is no word on power yet but the concept does use 15.4-inch (391mm) carbon ceramic brakes and wind tunnel-developed aero enhancements. Like the Challenger T/A, the Viper ACR ditches equipment such as rear seats to be as light as possible.

And the most interesting R/T concept is the Charger Mopar R/T. Again not as mad as its Hellcat counterpart it focuses on dynamics with new coilovers, uprated anti-roll bars and strut braces but only the 5.7-litre Hemi V8 to power it. The bodykit is new for the show and the colour is TorRed. Brilliant.

Typically SEMA concepts don't get anywhere near the showroom but hopefully that can change with the Dodge SEMA cars, particularly the Challenger and Viper. Fingers crossed.

[Fartgalen]

Viper ACR ditches rear seats !? Hmmmm...right

[British Beef]

"Like the Challenger T/A, the Viper ACR ditches equipment such as rear seats to be as light as possible."

Viper never had rear seats!?!

[irocfan]

lol - you two beat me to it.

[redroadster]

Yes Yes viper acr please Santa.

[anglophile]

At the "All British Field Meet" at Portland (Oregon) International Raceway, there are vintage races all weekend. Of course there are races for British cars, but this year there were a number of American T/A era cars running as well.

This 1970 Challenger R/T DNF'd. The couple drove down from Alberta, and the man said "better direct your questions to her, it's HER car!" Said car was a 340c.i. with triple carburetors.

All those things go round the track like Thunder.

It's a fun Labor Day weekend for any of you guys who want to travel!

[clivemercer]

'Electronic Exhaust Cut-outs' as standard on the T/A will be very cool feature, but I'm surprised it has not been done before as standard on any other cars. I retro-fitted some to my Jeep SRT-8 and it was the best mod I've ever done. NASCAR sound effects at the touch of a button, then close the cut-outs (valves) to stay in favour with your neighbours….!

[irocfan]

clivemercer said:

'Electronic Exhaust Cut-outs' as standard on the T/A will be very cool feature, but I'm surprised it has not been done before as standard on any other cars. I retro-fitted some to my Jeep SRT-8 and it was the best mod I've ever done. NASCAR sound effects at the touch of a button, then close the cut-outs (valves) to stay in favour with your neighbours….!

problem is that by the time you have these fitted it's over £500 - seems like quite a chunk to spend

[chilled901]

irocfan said:

problem is that by the time you have these fitted it's over £500 - seems like quite a chunk to spend

Worth it when you open it up for the first time. A friend of mine had one on his Viper. Oh the racket it can make.

[hemimyword]

irocfan said:

problem is that by the time you have these fitted it's over £500 - seems like quite a chunk to spend

negativity like that, would have you driving a 2.0L audi diesel thinking you got a great car - anyone with a V8 should fit the cutouts that's what V8 is about, the sound, not the speed or can it go around a bend or up a hill as most retard minded british think about american muscle, it's all change now. americans spend massive bucks on upgrading their classics that would make a boring porsche driver grit his teeth.

[irocfan]

hemimyword said:

irocfan said:

problem is that by the time you have these fitted it's over £500 - seems like quite a chunk to spend

negativity like that, would have you driving a 2.0L audi diesel thinking you got a great car - anyone with a V8 should fit the cutouts that's what V8 is about, the sound, not the speed or can it go around a bend or up a hill as most retard minded british think about american muscle, it's all change now. americans spend massive bucks on upgrading their classics that would make a boring porsche driver grit his teeth.

3 posts in 60 months!!! Epic lurking there!

I do tend to agree with the whole cut-out thing, only problem is that Mrs Irocfan would serve me up my testicles at the moment (wedding and house come first). Once I'm able to spend again I've got planned:

2013 GT500 steering wheel
brake up-grade
SCT tuner

I suppose in the interests of full disclosure I currently am running a KR system which does sound pretty good already

[V8Ford]

European high performance cars use all manner of sound 'synthesisers' and acoustic ducting to emulate a throatier sound.
The Americans just open the exhaust upstream of the silencers.
Crude, but very effective.