392 HEMI Dodge Challenger Super Stock Rumbles At SEMA '06

Motoring Channel Staff - 31/Oct/2006

Michigan, America — Dodge has created an awe-inspiring new concept muscle car for the biggest aftermarket auto show in the world, SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association), held in Las Vegas in the USA.

This classically tough concept car is designed to not only attract attention for the new Dodge Challenger that will be built in the USA (and released for sale in 2008 according to Chrysler/Dodge) but is also a celebration of the 50th anniversary of an engine. The legendary 392 Hemi revolutionised drag racing, and also the entire automotive industry as well says Dodge, who is using the concept to highlight its new range of 392 cubic inch crate engines, that span carburetted and electronic fuel injected iterations.

Dodge says that to commemorate the legacy of the 392 engine, Chrysler Group and Mopar have unveiled this concept, based on the model seen at the Detroit 2006 North American International Auto Show and a full year before its production debut.

"There was really only one vehicle choice to showcase our new crate motor-the bold, powerful and capable, Dodge Challenger," Chris Cortez, the head honcho for global service and parts at the Chrysler Group, said.

One of the most iconic muscle cars of the 1970s, the Challenger made its debut in the fall of 1969 as a 1970 model. Although it was only produced from 1970 to 1974 with 188,600 units sold, the Dodge Challenger earned a reputation as one of the most desirable of the original "pony cars," with meticulously restored and rare examples today selling for six-figure prices in America.

The Challenger went racing in its first year and Hemi-powered Challengers tore up the drag strips across the country in the SCCA Trans-am series and NHRA Pro Stock classes. In 1971, a Dodge Challenger paced the Indianapolis 500.

"The Hemi legacy lives on," said Cortez. "But this Dodge Challenger Super Stock concept will no doubt bring that legacy to a whole new generation." The all-new Dodge Challenger will debut as a 2008 model in calendar-year 2008, and for those who prefer the metric measurements, 392 cubic inches of displacement in the Dodge V8 engine equals about 6424cc, or 6.4-litres.

That's a big V8, any way you look at it. And as the American car maker rightly points out, just mention the word "Hemi" to an automotive enthusiast and little else needs to be said.

"The 392 Hemi is a legend so rich in automotive tradition that hundreds, if not thousands, of books and accounts have been written about its historical significance," said Cortez.

History

Dodge explains that the original 392 Hemi engine was introduced in the new 1957 model year Chryslers and Imperials. It replaced the 354 cubic-inch version of the original Hemi launched in 1951.

Compared with the 354, the 392 was completely revised and improved, with larger valves and ports, a beefier block and crankshaft, and improved bearings. In short, the 392 Hemi, often referred to simply as the "92," was perfect for drag racing.

More than a few racers bolted on six or eight carburetors, slipped in a hotter cam, tipped some nitro into the tank and went racing. Racing legend Don Garlits ran a 392 in his Swamp Rat I at record speeds of over 180mph (290km/h) on nitro with no supercharger. Garlits also used a 392 Hemi to officially break the 200-mph (322km/h) barrier when his Swamp Rat went 201.34 mph (324km/h) at Atco in N.J. in 1964.

To help celebrate the 50th anniversary of the legendary engine, Mopar is launching an all-new 392 Hemi crate motor for a new generation of performance enthusiasts. This engine - built with all new components - is a complete engine assembly from the throttle body to the oil pan, and cranks out 525 horsepower (391 kW) in it most potent form.

Three different versions of the new 392 are available from Mopar:

• 392 Hemi Crate Engine – Carbureted, 540hp (402kW) 490lb.-ft of torque (677Nm)

• 392 Hemi Crate Engine – SEFI, 525hp (391kW) and 510lb.-ft of torque (705Nm)

• 392 Hemi Long Block Hemi Crate Engine (no power/torque figures supplied)

Technical specifications:

• Deep-skirted cast iron block with cross-bolted mains

• CNC-ported aluminum twin-plug cylinder heads

• Stainless steel 2.100" intake and 1.600" exhaust valves

• Ovate wire (beehive competition) valve springs

• Viton competition valve stem seals

• 279°/285° hydraulic roller camshaft with 0.584" intake and 0.552" exhaust lift

• Forged pistons (4.055" bore)

• 10.5:1 compression ratio

• Aluminium single plane high rise intake manifold with holley 870 cfm 4-bbl carburetor for carbureted 392 applications (1)

• 4140 forged steel crankshaft - 3.795" stroke

• 4130 forged- steel I-beam performance connecting rods - 6.200" length

• SFI-approved competition crankshaft damper

• "Plug-and-Play" wiring harnesses (2)

• 80mm manual throttle body on fuel-injected engines (3)

• Premium tri-metal performance engine bearings

• Precision balanced rotating assembly

• Distributorless coil-on-plug (COP) ignition system

Related articles:

- Dodge Challenger Concept Car
- Dodge Avenger Concept Car
- Dodge Charger