Back to the importance of halo cars; a similar – but not identical - message is delivered by upper echelon cars like the Viper, Z06 Corvette and recently departed Ford GT. They attract brand attention and establish credibility even if fewer than one-in-a-thousand Americans can afford to buy one. But take that halo concept down market and you hit paydirt. The massive success of the retro-themed ’05-up Mustang – Ford moved an astounding 134,626 Mustangs in 2007 alone - has shown the Detroit three the importance of catering to the masses. This fact is at the root of why the 500 horsepower Shelby GT500 gives me hope for a very bright muscle and pony car future.
You just know Chrysler isn’t going to sit still for long and the 425 horsepower 6.1 Hemi in the inaugural ’08 Challenger SRT8 will likely be seen as a humble beginning – in much the same way the 340 horsepower 5.7 Hemi knocked everybody’s socks off a few years back. Now it seems a little tame, doesn’t it? I close my eyes and have dreams of matte black Challenger mules circling the Chelsea proving grounds. Their hoods bear the classic R/T power bulge shape, but it sits a little taller. And there’s a subtle whine audible as they pass my tree top perch…
As this battle heats up, Chargers and Chrysler 300s will likely share the mechanical treasures, but it will be Challenger that carries the primary torch. But without the GT500 and (imminent) Camaro – with a rumored SS427 package – Challenger wouldn’t have to work so hard, now would it? Bring on the competition and learn to thank the guy driving the new Mustang or Camaro. He just added a log to the fire and is unwittingly helping to make sure nobody at Ford, Chrysler or Chevy becomes lazy and complacent.
Okay, back to the strip. The black Shelby’s lane is starting to move toward the Irwindale launch pad. The mis-matched rear wheels – a set of 17-inch hoops pirated from a regular Mustang GT – contrast with the unique 18-inch Shelby rims up front and wear a set of M/T slicks. Clearly this guy is serious. We’ve all seen too many cases where guys bring modern super cars to the strip wearing stock factory-issue rubber. That ZR rating ain’t ‘gonna help you here pal! Loads of Viper and Vette guys are guilty of this crime against traction. But Shelby dude is prepared. As the big moment approaches, I start making mental predictions. With 500-plus real-world horsepower, a curb weight close to 3800 pounds and decent traction, I’m thinking it ought to crank a mid 12, like a 12.5 or so. But because Irwindale is an eighth-mile track, quarter-mile predictions require some mental gymnastics. Specifically, taking the observed (or predicted) 1/8 e.t. and multiplying it by the NHRA correction factor of 1.57. Working backwards, that 12.5 would be about an 8-flat e.t. in the ‘eighth.
The Mustang pulls around the tower and into the water box. Even though there are several ’05-up Mustang GT’s in attendance, this is the lone GT500 and the crowd – made up of pretty serious gear heads and street racers – knows this thing is packing plenty more than the run of the mill 300-horse 3-valve 4.6. Everybody stands as the Shelby driver executes a nasty burn out. He seems to have started in Third gear, a good strategy to prevent a brutal upshift from First or Second while delivering good tire speed to build heat into the tread of the slicks. The blower whine adds to the air of excitement as clouds of white smoke billow off the skins.
With a violent lurch, the ‘Stang rips out of the water and hits the sticky concrete launch pad before slowing to a roll as the driver performs couple of dry hops on his way to the staging beams. The way the nose violently rises and falls with each hop and the grunching sound made by the wrinkling sidewalls portend excellent traction and a strong pass. With the pre-staged bulbs lit, the tree begins its usual five-tenths sportsman count down…yellow – the Mustang’s revs increase to about 4,000-rpm – yellow – the barely audible blower whine is moments away from its transformation into a banshee wail – yellow – the driver lifts his left foot off the clutch pedal and plants his right foot on the floor – green! The car makes a loud bang, settles and rolls to a stop a few feet from the starting line.
It’s funny how broken metal always sounds like something other than what it is. In the case of the GT500, that sound was like a burlap bag full of aluminum beer cans. Not steel cans, mind you, but aluminum. And that bag is burlap because a plastic bag doesn’t mute metallic contact in quite the same way. With the car sitting perfectly still and the DOHC 5.4 still running at idle, the perplexed driver gently hunts through the gears a little bit in search of some semblance of vehicular movement. No dice. Fortunately, the dude is a with-it type so the motor was spared the rev-to-the-moon syndrome. When the rear axle let go, he was the first to know it and got right off the gas. The starting line safety crew swarms the car and a few kneel down expecting to see a flopping drive shaft and a pool of fluid. But there’s no visible damage, nothing hanging and no mess to clean off the precious concrete pad. But there was that sound.
A crew quickly assembled to push the wounded Shelby back to the pits. As it rolled past the spectator stands its exploded 8.8-inch Traction Lock rear axle rattled and clanged loudly. Even with beefy 31-spline axle shafts and heat treated 3.31 gears (regular GT’s get 3.55 cogs), clearly something wasn’t happy. Nobody laughed or jeered though. We all shared a special moment, one we will all remember. No doubt, Shelby dude dragged the carcass back to the dealer and played innocent. Whether it was repaired under warranty or not is unknown. What is known is that there will be a lot more Shelby GT500’s hitting the strip very soon - and a bunch of Challengers too. And by this time next year, we’ll be seeing the first of the Camaros.
Will the Challenger SRT8’s naturally aspirated Hemi be up to the task? Will its independent rear suspension be able to keep pace? So far, the hardcore Hemi and SRT8 300-Magnum-Charger drag race dudes are having reasonable luck - until they nudge the 11’s and a half shaft or CV joint breaks. But will the lighter Challenger be easier on these somewhat delicate parts? Or will Dodge follow Ford Mustang’s lead and offer a live axle? I’d love to see an aluminum case 4.10 Dana 60 Super Track Pack on the Challenger option sheet, how ‘bout you? Under the hood, will the Challenger sprout a 6.3 or 7.0 liter Hemi if the ‘Stang’s blown DOHC and (rumored) 7.0 liter Camaro can’t be beat with existing weaponry? How ‘bout an aluminum engine block for the Hemi? We know Mopar Performance has an over the counter piece, could it be headed to the Challenger’s Canadian assembly line too? The answers to all of these questions will play out soon enough. Until then, give a little nod of thanks the next time you pull up next to a new Mustang. It’s the main reason Dodge re-launched the Challenger. As they say, history always repeats itself, and I’m loving it.
