Tuesday 4th October 2016

Dodge Challenger ADR spy shots

That's ADR for 'American Drag Racer', apparently...

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The Dodge Challenger Hellcat has become something of a legend in its own lifetime, with its combination of huge power, brutish good looks and great value for money. It's 700hp for the price of an M4, after all.

That's rather a big dent...

Trouble is, a Hellcat isn't all that fast off the line. Putting all that power through two driven wheels is a recipe for crowd pleasing burnouts really, rather than rapid acceleration times. It's plenty fast enough once underway, but there isn't exactly time for that over a quarter-mile.

If our spy sources are correct, this car is the solution. It's rumoured to be the American Drag Racer, to sit alongside the Viper American Club Racer as one of the best named cars ever made. And the exact solution? More rubber. Lots more rubber.

As you can see here, the ADR will be a much wider Challenger to accommodate the larger tyres. Only the bodywork hasn't been added yet, giving the cars a real hot-rod project look. The purple one in particular looks spectacular. Note as well how lightly treaded those tyres are which, given the weather, might explain the whack that's been taken by the white car behind its rear wheel...

As for tyre widths, it's been suggested the American Drag Racer could use 315-section rear tyres but even that looks conservative from here. How much Michelin do you need to get 707hp down effectively?

That's of course assuming this car will keep the standard power, a point that will hopefully be clarified as this new car approaches production. Let's hope it's as wild as these prototypes look. Two for turning, two for burning, right chaps?

[Photos: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien]

[tomcrowther]

Doesn't look like the big tires are working, the white one seems to have rear quarter damage?

Either way, with the chosen tire tread and the manly wheel figment, they look like hot wheels cars, it's going to be interesting to see what the do with the bodywork.

[tim milne]

Both the question posed — lack of traction — and the comical Hot Wheels-style wide-wheels-all-round in the pictures suggest an AWD set-up, but that's not what's speculated in the article.

If more tyres are the answer to 700hp, it's probably more than what's shown here and if it's a drag racer, it'd be running drag slicks anyway with skinny tyres on the front. So, why the wide-tyres-all-round?

Is there some mis-speculation going on?

[Aids0G]

I know this would be unusual for a muscle car, but the use of four wide tyres might that indicate four wheel drive is on the cards? Personally I quite like the idea of a rear biased 4WD system in a 700hp Challanger!

[Bencolem]

So hope Chrysler are ignoring their Italian paymasters belt-tightening edict due to Fiat losses in Europe and are cracking on with this:

http://jalopnik.com/is-this-all-wheel-drive-dodge-...

[5ohmustang]

Dodge did announce that the hellcat was coming out with wider tires and fender flares.

They also announced that an awd challenger is being released but possibilly just a v6.

Edited by 5ohmustang on Tuesday 4th October 15:06

[irocfan]

Bencolem said:

So hope Chrysler are ignoring their Italian paymasters belt-tightening edict due to Fiat losses in Europe and are cracking on with this:

http://jalopnik.com/is-this-all-wheel-drive-dodge-...

The article is from last year - doesn't stop me wanting though

[redroadster]

Smoking !

[aeropilot]

Surely the lack of traction is the whole point of a Hellcat......it's called having fun!

And as said, if shooting for competitive times on a strip, then just bolt on a set of drag slicks which will be far more effective than any wider street tyre.

[Clivey]

I suppose it all depends on whether it's intended as "just" a drag racer, or whether it has to do the whole "practical road car" bit as well. - Skinny front tyres wouldn't make it handle all that well away from the drag strip!

[powerstroke]

redroadster said:

Smoking !

Yes all four!!!!