Chrysler’s performance division, Mopar, recently took the SEMA show as an opportunity to unveil its new weapon for the professional drifting circuit. Based on the new for 2008 Dodge Challenger, the new machine is based on one of three carbon-fiber show cars that Chrysler used for the car show circuit run.
The carbon-fiber beauty should weigh in at a lithe 2,900 pounds, according to the car’s driver, two-time Formula Drift champion Samuel Hubinette. But that’s not the trump card. No, the ace in the sleeve here is an all-aluminum Hemi V8 generating a monstrous 850-hp and 849ft-lbs of tire-smoking torque. This thing has the power-to-weight ratio of a top level open wheel race car (think Indy and Formula 3000) and the suspension is all bespoke and built for heavy-duty drifting abuse.
Hubinette has already sort of experienced the driving characteristics of the car though. You see, the Challenger shares the LX platform with the 2007 Dodge Charger Drift Car that Samuel used in the 2007 Formula-D drifting championship.
“We learned to set up that car for drifting,” said Hubinette, who won the drift title in 2004 and 2006.
He has nine Formula drift victories, a series high. This is vital not only for driver experience, but also Samuel’s crew already has set-up data on the car’s platform. This translates to a good base of knowledge on which to build and tune the new race car. Seems that on paper they might have the right formula for drifting success. Low weight combined with high horsepower never fails. Hopefully, when they get their formula right, they end up with a big capital D.
With 850-hp, tires don’t stand a chance in hell.
Source: Auto Week
Photo: Greg Migliore
