Skip to main content

2015 Dodge Challenger Drag Pak smokes the quarter mile with 426 HEMI power

The 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat may be able to scorch through the quarter mile in 11.2 seconds, but it’s not a dedicated racecar.

For those who truly live their lives one quarter mile at a time, Chrysler’s Mopar parts division unveiled a 2015 Dodge Challenger Drag Pak “test vehicle” at Indianapolis this past week. It’s latest version of the Pentastar empire’s factory drag racer.

The Drag Pak includes the same visual upgrades as the Challenger SRT Hellcat, plus a mean-looking hood scoop and track-ready wheels and tires, the latter a massive 30 inches in diameter, and nine inches wide.

Under that bulging hood is a HEMI V8 that displaces the same 426 cubic inches as the legendary 1960s “Race HEMI.” That’s equivalent to about 7.0 liters in modern speak. It’s mated to an automatic transmission with racing-style shifter and a line-lock feature for easier burnouts.

Related: 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat boasts 707 hp supercharged HEMI V8

Other Drag Pak modifications include an aluminum driveshaft, trunk-mounted battery and weigh box, and reworked suspension.

The interior is based on the stock SRT Hellcat setup, with added Mopar gauges, lightweight driver and passenger seats, and a full roll cage.

As with previous Mopar factory racers, the 2015 Dodge Challenger Drag Pak will be certified for National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Sportsman competition. It’ll go up against the like of Chevrolet’s COPO Camaro, and possibly a successor to the Ford Mustang Cobra Jet based on the new 2015 model.

Dodge is still awaiting NHRA certification for this muscle car, and may also make changes based on feedback from the racers it showed the car to at Indianapolis. Expect a fully-sorted version to arrive soon.

Editors' Recommendations

Stephen Edelstein
Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…
The Apple Car was reportedly dubbed ‘the Bread Loaf’
A man checks his phone in an Apple retail store in Grand Central Terminal.

A 2020 prototype of the so-called "Apple Car" was dubbed "the Bread Loaf" for its looks, according to a Bloomberg report on Wednesday.

In a deep dive into the costly project, which Apple canceled last month, the report described the vehicle as “a white minivan with rounded sides, an all-glass roof, sliding doors, and whitewall tires [that] was designed to comfortably seat four people and inspired by the classic flower-power Volkswagen microbus.”

Read more
The Rivian R2 SUV is up for preorder for only $45,000
Rivian R2

You can now get a Rivian without spending more than $70,000. After months of rumors and leaks, Rivian has finally taken the wraps off of the Rivian R2, its newest SUV, and the first to be built on the new Rivian R2 platform. The R2 is built to be Rivian's "Model 3 moment," or its attempt to build a car that's more accessible to the general public and thus could be sold at a much higher volume than the R1S or R1T ever were.

The R2 certainly cuts some corners to achieve the lower price point, but it actually still has a lot going for it -- especially as an electric SUV in this price range. It goes up against the likes of the Tesla Model Y, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Mustang Mach-E, and Kia EV6, but it's much more of an SUV than a crossover-sized car and should appeal to those who want something larger and with Rivian's design sensibility.

Read more
The R3 is Rivian’s surprise electric crossover
Rivian R3

Rivian didn't just announce the R2 platform at its latest launch event -- in a surprise twist, it also announced the R3 crossover. The R3 is Rivian's smallest car yet, offering a size much closer to the likes of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 than the SUVs that came before it.

Of course, not only is the Rivian R3 smaller, but presumably, it's also cheaper. Rivian didn't reveal actual pricing for the car, but it did say that it would be less than the R2's $45,000 price. Also, it may be some time before we start seeing the R3 on the road -- the car will follow the R2, which isn't set to be available until the first half of 2026.

Read more