Standout car of the week: Dodge Shakedown Challenger.

A muscle car favourite from 1971 is this week’s standout car, the Dodge Shakedown Challenger concept from this year’s SEMA show.
 
The idea of an old car with new underpinnings is not entirely groundbreaking, nevertheless it’s always interesting to see what modern technology can do to classic cars.  In the case of the Shakedown Challenger, it comes equipped with a 392 HEMI crate engine – the same 6.4-litre HEMI V8 found in other modern Dodge SRTs – and a Viper Tremec T6060 six-speed manual transmission.  

​A prominent feature is indeed the Shaker hood scoop – feeding the engine air and helping it produce its 485hp.  The Shakedown Challenger also comes with a host of modern suspension components, as well as Brembo brakes with six-piston calipers at the front and four-piston calipers at the rear.   The car rides on SRT Hellcat Slingshot 19-inch wheels at the front and 20-inch wheels at the back.  The combination of all these elements means that the Shakedown Challenger should be right at home at Pro Touring and Drift events.
 
In addition to the exterior and underbody modifications, the interior has also been reworked, which includes Dodge Viper front seats and steering wheel.  It also gets Katzskin leather, black alcantara inserts, red stitching, as well as gloss carbon fibre on some of the trim.