With nearly 1.5 million visitors and 40,000 cars expected to attend this year, the Woodward Dream Cruise is without a doubt one of the largest and most talked-about automotive events in North America.
Dodge is firmly of the mindset that high-performance cars are currently experiencing a new golden age, and the carmaker has chosen the event to sponsor the Roadkill Nights Powered by Dodge – a genuine but we’re assured fully legal night street race - and to present at the same time the 2017 Challenger T/A and Charger Daytona.
Challenger T/A
The 2017 Challenger T/A offers improved performance derived from the 375 HP powertrain offered by the Challenger R/T model, and equipment like a ventilated front hood that feeds a modified SRT hellcat air box, a new active performance exhaust system and wider, lighter forged-aluminum wheels.
Added to this is the Super Track Pak that provides a range of racing-inspired upgrades to the chassis, such as a lowered suspension, high-performance brake linings and Bilstein shocks, electronic stability control (ESC) which can be calibrated in three modes and Goodyear Eagle F1 tires. Buyers can choose between the standard 6-speed manual and the 8-speed automatic transmission that includes Sport mode with paddle shifters.
All this performance goodness is housed in an exterior featuring some eye-catching colours and trims: a hood and front fascia painted in Satin Black, bodyside stripes, wheel center caps with Dodge stripes and more. Inside, the Challenger T/A provides a driver cockpit that shines and coddles thanks to Premium Black performance seats, a performance-contoured steering wheel, cloth inserts to provide increased lateral support for both driver and front passenger, and retro styling as exemplified by the 70s-style gauge cluster.
Challenger T/A Plus
The T/C Plus adds exclusive heated/ventilated Nappa leather upholstery decked with accent stitching and embroidered T/A logo, as well as a brand-new 4th-generation Uconnect 8.4 system that accommodates Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, features better processing power, higher resolution and more advanced graphics and is tied to a 6-speaker premium audio system with a 276-watt amp. The Unconnect system screen also gives the driver direct access to real-time performance information like G-force, lap times, 0-60 acceleration and more.
Challenger T/A 392
The T/A 392 raises the power bar even further, with a best-in-class 485 HP and 475 lb-ft of torque provided by the 6.4L HEMI engine – a 30% jump from what you get with the T/A. The 392 version also provides the added braking power needed to go with that bigger engine, thanks to super-high-performance Brembo brakes with vented rotors, and quiets the ride through exclusive front suspension geometry.
Charger Daytona
With a 5.7L engine giving it the best performance capabilities in the lineup of Charger models, the 2017 Charger Daytona builds on the Charger R/T model, improving engine intake and exhaust through a cold-air induction system and also featuring the Super Track Pack’s roster of performance upgrades. Also upgraded in the Daytona are the engine and transmission calibration and the rear differential, now with a 2.62 axle ratio.
The 2017 Daytona also proudly shows off a decidedly aggressive look, in large part due to its SRT-inspired fascias, side sills and one-piece Satin Black spoiler, not to mention the cutout HEMI logo on the hood that nicely highlights the NACA duct. All this Mad Max-ish menace sits on wider, lightweight forged-aluminum black wheels decked with Goodyear performance tires.
The inside of the new Daytona is just as bracing, with heated/ventilated Nappa-leather seats, gold accents on the console armrest, door panel armrests, performance-contoured steering wheel and a host of well-considered accents. “Dodge” and “Daytona” embroidering and badges complete the look with an emphatic exclamation mark.
Charger Daytona 392
The 6.4L HEMI engine promising 485 HP and 475 lb-ft of torque (best-in-class) announces the epic muscle-car credentials of the Daytona 392. The new air box with directed cold-are induction and conical air filter, limited-slip rear axle and other such premium innovations to the powertrain squeeze all the considerable power and exhilaration available under the hood; the result is 0-6 acceleration in around 4.5 seconds and just 12 seconds needed to complete a quarter-mile (400 metres).
Included in the 392 are Daytona-specific features such as the high-performance Brembo brakes with vented rotors, lightweight forged-aluminum wheels fitted with Pirelli performance tires, an electronic active performance exhaust system and 220-amp alternator – all designed to maximize the considerable muscle-car capabilities of this most storming of Dayton Chargers.
Rich Tradition of High-Impact Paint (HIP) Colours Continues
Dodge is offering the 2017 Challenger T/A and Charger Daytona models in limited-production sharp colours like Green Go, Yellow Jacket, Go Mango and TorRed.
New to the colour-scheme lineup for 2017 are Destroyer Gray and Octane Red shades, while White Knuckle, Redline Red, Pitch Black, Granite, Billet, Contusion Blue and Maximum Steel are also available.