2015 Dodge Challenger 392 R/T Scat-Pack
Discussion
Always had a soft spot for American muscle, having owned a variety of yanks both here in the US and previously in UK. I started out with a '68 Olds Cutlass Sport Coupe, then an '88 IROC and a 2000 Corvette.
More recently, I've owned a 300C SRT-8 and a 2011 Mustang GT. This week, I bought what I think could end up being one of the very last of the true US muscle cars.
The writing is on the wall - 4 cyl Mustangs and Camaros. No V8 offered for Mustang and F-150 from 2017 - next Corvette rumored to be V6 - I had to get in before the door finally closed.
I tried to buy a Challenger Hellcat last year and handed over a hefty deposit - but the dealer I was working with allowed me to be gazzumped and trying to get a delivery date now is virtually impossible to pin down with any confidence.
Then I saw this - and I just couldn't help myself.
More recently, I've owned a 300C SRT-8 and a 2011 Mustang GT. This week, I bought what I think could end up being one of the very last of the true US muscle cars.
The writing is on the wall - 4 cyl Mustangs and Camaros. No V8 offered for Mustang and F-150 from 2017 - next Corvette rumored to be V6 - I had to get in before the door finally closed.
I tried to buy a Challenger Hellcat last year and handed over a hefty deposit - but the dealer I was working with allowed me to be gazzumped and trying to get a delivery date now is virtually impossible to pin down with any confidence.
Then I saw this - and I just couldn't help myself.
I was a big fan of the 5G-Tronic/NAG transmission in my 300C - particularly after I installed a Predator flash that improved the shift speed.
If I'd had my druthers, I'd have bought a manual Challenger, but the clutch was just too heavy for my wife - and she will be driving this car more than me.
The ZF/Torqueflite 8speed is slick and ultra-fast in paddle-shift mode. My car has 'Super Track Pack' feature, which means that a lot of variables can be dialed-in, including transmission performance (launch control, shift-points, firmness, clutch lock etc). I haven't had a lot of opportunity to play with it yet.
In 'sport' mode it's a little 'snatchy' during normal, everyday docile driving - the harder you play the throttle, the nicer the transmission becomes.
If I'd had my druthers, I'd have bought a manual Challenger, but the clutch was just too heavy for my wife - and she will be driving this car more than me.
The ZF/Torqueflite 8speed is slick and ultra-fast in paddle-shift mode. My car has 'Super Track Pack' feature, which means that a lot of variables can be dialed-in, including transmission performance (launch control, shift-points, firmness, clutch lock etc). I haven't had a lot of opportunity to play with it yet.
In 'sport' mode it's a little 'snatchy' during normal, everyday docile driving - the harder you play the throttle, the nicer the transmission becomes.
8Ace said:
Nice. ISTR you're a Bengals fan. How about some black stripes to match their colours? The orange looks spot on!
Wow! Well remembered - I'm way too ashamed of the Bungles to adorn my car in their losing colors!It's actually red, rather than orange - my phone camera and the bright sunlight are skewing things a bit. Mopar color is called "Torred".
Beefmeister said:
I don't know where all this talk of V8's dying is coming from.
I know a guy working on the next Euro-6 version of the Coyote V8, which isn't due until something like 2017. They won't drop the V8 Stang for a long time yet.
SOURCE: FORD TO DISCONTINUE V8 MOTORS IN MUSTANG, F-150 AFTER 2017, WILL RUN 4-CYLINDER AND V6 ECOBOOST EXCLUSIVELYI know a guy working on the next Euro-6 version of the Coyote V8, which isn't due until something like 2017. They won't drop the V8 Stang for a long time yet.
"Can you imagine a Mustang GT with no V8? Can you imagine Ford announcing a 2018 Mustang GT, ‘powered by Ecoboost V6?’ We can’t either, and frankly, it makes us sick to even think about. That is why the following information is disturbing on so many levels.
We spent the better part of the day on the ground floor at the COBO Center attending the NAIAS. We are back here at the MGM Grand in Detroit, and what we took away from today was all the buzz surrounding the freshly-debuted Ford GT and 2017 F-150 Raptor. Unsurprisingly, much of that buzz is in regards to the lack of a V8 in these two high profile Ford vehicles.
The lack of a V8 is concerning, especially when discussing such a high profile halo car as the new Ford GT. After all, the entire history of this car revolves around it’s V8 powerplant. Some would argue that it’s the heart and soul of the Ford GT/GT40 legacy, and we would agree.
Regardless, when Ford finally debuted the next-gen Ford GT, powered by a 3.5L Ecoboost V6, our hearts started palpitating. You see, it’s not just the fact that this Ford supercar is powered by a V6 – what is most alarming is that Ford is showing us a very clear picture of the future of their Performance Division.
Troubled by these horrible thoughts, we were able to have a quick chat with one of the many Ford reps here at the show. You see, if you attend enough Auto Shows, you start to build professional and personal relationships with the same manufacturer representatives over the years. And while our source certainly isn’t the end-all of Ford’s future plans, the information he provided us apparently echoes the larger opinion and direction of the executives at Ford. Our source has also been pretty reliable over the years, specifically in regards to Mustangs. If you aren’t sitting down right now, please take a seat – this news might be hard to take:
“Ford is definitely phasing out the V8 motor altogether”, he said – word for word. “CAFE and EPA are working very hard discreetly to make sure of that. There is quite a bit going on at Ford that the public is in the dark about. The impression that I am getting is that Ford wants to continue it’s V8 program, but things have (rather recently) taken a new direction, presumably from CAFE/EPA pressure in mid to late 2013. Ford has invested quite a bit of money into the ‘Coyote’ program over the years, and even had plans of going DI (Direct Injection). The future development budget for the 5.2L FPC motor has dwindled, and there is talk that this motor may continue it’s life exclusively in the form of sanctioned racing series, not on the street. The next big thing for Ford at this point is weight savings. They are trying to lighten these Mustangs to get high performance numbers out of the EcoBoost, and whether we like it or not, that is the (near) future. It’s not Ford’s fault, and you can thank the Gov’t for this – not the consumer”.
Our source later went on to explain that “The rebranding/reshuffling of the Ford Performance Division is all a result of this added EPA pressure. Ford wasn’t going to fund a performance program unless it’s primary focus was on the smaller EcoBoost motors, so SVT and Ford Racing were dissolved into this new Performance Division. And unfortunately, it would be foolish to expect to see any new V8 cars coming out of this new Performance Division. Ford Performance is going to be cranking out some very fast cars for some time, but even if the new Shelby GT500 gets the green light, it will likely be the last gasoline V8 that Ford will ever produce.”
As anti-progressive as we might sound – we just can’t get on board with the thought of the V8 going extinct. This feels like the nightmare we were always afraid of having, and we can’t wake up."
Source: Horsepowerkings.com - Jan 2015
I posted that in 2015. After a 4 year love-affair with my wonderful 392 Challenger, it was time to let it go and upgrade (just a little).
If I have one criticism of the 2015 Scat Pack, it's that it is woefully under-wheeled/tyred. The OEM 245/45/20 set-up made it almost underivable in the wet, with the power upgrades that I added. When I took it to the track I used a pair of larger wheels and drag radials - but I can't drive on the street like that.
I also had a real hankering for the latest Widebody Scat Pack, which also has bigger brakes, better shocks, full suite of SRT performance pages, Hellcat hood and front clip and those very necessary 305/35/20 tire wheel combo. One came into my Dodge dealer last week, so I snagged it. White is a good color for the Floridian climate, but I doubt I'll ever use the sunroof.
I'll post up some better pics once I've detailed it...
If I have one criticism of the 2015 Scat Pack, it's that it is woefully under-wheeled/tyred. The OEM 245/45/20 set-up made it almost underivable in the wet, with the power upgrades that I added. When I took it to the track I used a pair of larger wheels and drag radials - but I can't drive on the street like that.
I also had a real hankering for the latest Widebody Scat Pack, which also has bigger brakes, better shocks, full suite of SRT performance pages, Hellcat hood and front clip and those very necessary 305/35/20 tire wheel combo. One came into my Dodge dealer last week, so I snagged it. White is a good color for the Floridian climate, but I doubt I'll ever use the sunroof.
I'll post up some better pics once I've detailed it...
Butter Face said:
How much power does this one have??!
Same as the last one - 485hp out of the factory - around 420whp. When I've swapped in my AFE intake, throttle body and hit it with a Diablosport T2 'adjustment', it should knock out a very similar 450'ish wheel horsepower.My real motivator wasn't more power (obv route being Hellcat), but more balance - to stop it going sideways, when I'd rather it go forwards.
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