Chrysler is going forward into the past. Some of the maker’s most important announcements at this year’s SEMA Show harken back in its history, notably including the decision to revive the classic “Shaker” hood that was a hallmark of some of Chrysler’s most fearsome products during the original muscle car era.
The maker’s Dodge brand also announced plans to revive the ‘70s-era “SCAT Pack,” with the introduction of three new high-performance accessory packages for a range of its latest models. They will likely be in hot demand for the third key Chrysler announcement at the 2013 SEMA aftermarket show, the unveiling of the Mopar ’14, a limited-edition version of the Dodge Challenger.
Considering its traditional emphasis on performance, the SEMA Show was the perfect venue for the three announcements, especially the revival of the gone-but-not-forgotten Shaker hood, the name given to a top-mounted, cold-air intake scoop that helped feed the beasts that powered classic models like the original Dodge Challenger and Charger muscle cars.
Dodge brand CEO Tim Kuniskis told a media gathering in Las Vegas that the maker had long debated reviving the technology but knew it not only had to be functional but that it would also have to meet tough new federal emissions, crash and mileage standards. The new Shaker will handle all those demands, he promised, when it debuts in January on the 2014 Dodge Challenger RT Shaker edition.
While Dodge could only offer a static display at the SEMA Show, the maker gave a preview of the thundering new muscle car in Detroit last week, Kuniskis joking with reporters that, “If you have any neighbors who buy one, you are probably going to hate them.”
The new Shaker edition will carry a $2,500 premium over the current Dodge Challenger R/T Classic. The maker hasn’t revealed how much power the option will add – or how much it should affect 0 to 60 launch times.
The ‘70s-era shaker wasn’t the only throwback at the Chrysler stand at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Dodge also announced it will revive the SCAT Pack. Nearly a half-century ago, that was a combination club and a package of performance parts available to Dodge owners. And the new SCAT Pack will be much the same, with an online newsletter for enthusiasts and, at least initially, three different performance accessory packages that can add more muscle to products like the four-door Dodge Charger and the Challenger coupe.
That includes the new Mopar ’14 being launched by Chrysler’s corporate parts and accessories operation.
(Honda brings hopped-up Civic to SEMA show. For more, Click Here.)
“Nobody should drive a car that could be confused with something else in the neighborhood,” proclaimed Pietro Gorlier, the global head of the Mopar operation.
The parts unit has been rapidly expanding its business by emphasizing factory customization, going so far as to set up eight so-called Mopar Custom Centers around North America. And the division has also been offering an annual series of heavily modified, limited-edition performance cars over the last few years. The latest is based on the 2014 Dodge Challenger.
(Click Here to see what Chevrolet showed off at the SEMA show.)
A total of 100 Mopar ’14 Challengers will be produced, each featuring such details as pistol-grip shifters, 20-inch gloss black wheels, performance suspension kits, cutback exhausts and special interior and exterior details. In keeping with the Mopar approach, buyers will have the opportunity to make numerous modifications, including a choice of black or white paint, three stripes and a range of performance accessories – including the three SCAT Packs.
The Mopar ’14 Challenger will go on sale next spring.
That is like putting perfume on a pig. And that beast is a pig. Why did they use the mini-van platform for a two seater? The same reason why they cannot package an ashtray anymore.
They should put the shaker on a Ram truck. Or is that what the ‘Challenger” is supposed to be?
A shaker hood on a Hemi or 440 six-pack is cool. Other then that there ain’t much shake from the small or more docile engines. The hot cams gave the muscle car era engines their shake at idle.
ptgO, I hope your trying to be funny. The Challenger is actually based on the Mercedes E-class architecture. It’s bigger (more comfortable and practical)and heavier than Camaro & Mustang so it’s not as fast comparably equipped, but it’s no pig. And Jorge, the Challenger V8’s are Hemis.