2020 Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak Announced at SEMA

Matt Posky
by Matt Posky

While this year’s Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) event was laden with utilities and pickups, American manufacturers have not forgotten models riding closer to the ground. Dodge presented the latest incarnation of its Mopar Dodge Challenger “Drag Pak” — presumably spelled poorly due to the existence of Ford’s Drag Pack cars. Unlike most vehicles at SEMA, it’s something you can theoretically own.

Normally, SEMA display cars exist to showcase individual parts. While this also applies to the Challenger, Fiat Chrysler’s parts arm is at least interested in offering a comprehensive ass-hauling package. It’s a turnkey racer, something the industry has embraced a bit more fully these last few years. Yet the Drag Pak isn’t a track car meant for curves or corners. It’s all about straight-line speed and is legally obligated to keep itself off public roads because it’s not good at doing anything else.

If we had to guess, Fiat Chrysler probably started working on this puppy the second they heard Ford was finishing up its latest Cobra Jet Mustang. We’ll entertain the faintest possibility of Dodge delivering a slightly faster factory drag vehicle roughly one year later by coincidence. We also cannot confirm the 2020 Drag Pak is quicker in the quarter mile (a bone-stock Cobra Jet is supposed to hit the low 8s). All Dodge will say about the Challenger is that it has a new roll cage certified for ETs “as low” as 7.5 seconds.

Dodge similarly refrained from issuing any figures relating to horsepower, though such specs aren’t all that useful when dealing with a car this heavily modified. Ponies are assuredly in the quadruple digits. Hot Rod Network claim the car possesses “well above 1,500 hp,” backing up our theory that this is a revenge vehicle:

The motivation for the SRT engineers was simple: They saw what happened this past year as the Cobra Jets and COPOs ran roughshod over the few Challenger Drag Paks competing in the NHRA Factory Stock Showdown and NMCA Factory Supercars classes. Forget the fact that back in 2018, Challenger Drag Paks were the first “Stockers” to break into the 7-second zone with drivers Leah Pritchett and Geoff Turk leading the charge. These two racers would also go on to claim the 2018 SAM Tech NHRA Factory Stock Showdown World Championship (Pritchett) and the NMCA Holley EFI Factory Supercars crown (Turk). But all that did was make the Chevy and Ford camps work harder to submit new cars with killer engine packages to the NHRA for the 2019 season, and the latest Cobra Jets and COPOs had a distinct horsepower advantage while the Challenger Drag Pak had to run last year’s maxed-out engine combination.

The new one uses a supercharged 354 cubic-inch Hemi V8 butted against a T400 three-speed transmission with a Kwik-Shift manual. As with previous Drag Paks, weight reduction remains essential. Dodge has it equipped with a lightweight driveshaft, racing brakes, Racetech seats, and an exclusive lightweight aluminum wheel and tire package (Performance Welds wrapped in massive Mickey Thompson slicks). Suspension upgrades include a Strange Engineering rear axle assembly with adjustable coilover shocks, four-link wishbone suspension, Bilstein struts and an anti-roll bar.

Due to the vehicle’s supremely lively nature, Mopar also included wheelie bars and an integrated parachute. New fascias and a hood are borrowed from the Hellcat.

Availability will be limited to just 50 serialized units — all with unique commemorative plaques. Mopar plans to sell a variety of modular kits if you want to see how close you can get to building your own. We doubt that extends to the heritage-inspired graphics, which don’t look out of place on the model in the slightest.

While Drag Pak pricing has yet to be announced, anything below $120,000 seems implausible. Both the Cobra Jet Mustang and COPO Camaro cost more. We’ll have to wait and see what sum Dodge settles on.

[Images: FCA]

Matt Posky
Matt Posky

A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.

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  • ToolGuy ToolGuy on Nov 07, 2019

    First thing I did when I read this was to look up 1/4 mile times for the "2020" Tesla Roadster. The times, they are a changin'.

  • Tylanner Tylanner on Nov 08, 2019

    Drag racing....the dumbest, most backwards type of auto racing....for people who don’t have the talent to drive a proper car but still have enough money go fast...

  • Dartdude The bottom line is that in the new America coming the elites don't want you and me to own cars. They are going to make building cars so expensive that the will only be for the very rich and connected. You will eat bugs and ride the bus and live in a 500sq-ft. apartment and like it. HUD wants to quit giving federal for any development for single family homes and don't be surprised that FHA aren't going to give loans for single family homes in the very near future.
  • FreedMike This is before Cadillac styling went full scale nutty...and not particularly attractive, in my opinion.
  • JTiberius1701 Middle of April here in NE Ohio. And that can still be shaky. Also on my Fiesta ST, I use Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires for the winter and Bridgestone Potenza for my summer tires. No issues at all.
  • TCowner We've had a 64.5 Mustang in the family for the past 40 years. It is all original, Rangoon Red coupe with 289 (one of the first instead of the 260), Rally Pac, 4-speed, factory air, every option. Always gets smiles and thumbs ups.
  • ToolGuy This might be a good option for my spouse when it becomes available -- thought about reserving one but the $500 deposit is a little too serious. Oh sorry, that was the Volvo EX30, not the Mustang. Is Volvo part of Ford? Is the Mustang an EV? I'm so confused.
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