Challenger R/T Scat Pack 1320 is the ultimate bracket racer
Dodge has given muscle car enthusiasts plenty of engine and styling options since the Challenger returned 10 years ago, and the latest capitalizes on the car’s dragstrip prowess cultivated by the Hellcat and Demon. The new Challenger R/T Scat Pack 1320 is powered by a snarling, 485-horsepower, 392-cubic-inch Hemi V-8 combined with a unique TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic transmission and a class-exclusive TransBrake for lightning-fast launches. That’s just like the limited-production Challenger Demon but in a more approachable, naturally-aspirated version that won’t be a production-capped limited edition.
Also like the Demon, the R/T Scat Pack 1320 comes straight off the production line with drag radials. The all-new tire, the SUR4G Drag Spec from Nexen, is street legal and arrives in the same 275/40R20 size found on the normal R/T, but with a stickier rubber for greater traction.
Additional drag strip optimization trickles down from the Demon, including an active suspension with Drag Mode for better weight transfer, beefier 41-spline half shafts to survive the hard launches, Torque Reserve to keep the engine at the optimum speed at launch, and a Line Lock for easy burnouts to get the tires ready to perform.
Weight is the enemy of acceleration, so just like the Demon, the R/T Scat Pack 1320 comes equipped with only a driver seat—the passenger seat and rear seat are presented as $1 options. Leave them out and the 1320 is 114 pounds lighter.
The result of the drag-strip optimization is a claimed quarter-mile elapsed time of 11.7 seconds at 115 mph, which is three-tenths faster than the normal Scat Pack. According to Dodge, it makes the R/T Scat Pack 1320 the quickest naturally-aspirated muscle car on the market. Add in the consistency of the TransBrake, Torque Reserve, and the suspension’s Drag Mode, and the 1320 promises repeatable times on the drag strip to help make it the ultimate grassroots bracket racer.
Look for the Challenger R/T Scat Pack 1320 in showrooms early in 2019 with an MSRP of $45,980, including destination.
