The 2008 Dodge Challenger had companies scrambling to prepare for aftermarket performance demand concerning it and the upcoming full scale production of the 2009 Dodge Challenger. Even amidst rising fuel prices, the Challenger proved to be one of the most anticipated cars to "re"-enter the market in years; furthermore, this brawny street brawler just began to hit the streets with its limited edition 2008 units. Unwilling to miss out on this action and potential, Mopar Performance unveiled information about its Dodge Challenger Supercharger upgrade packages. Like they did with many other aftermarket offerings, Mopar went to a third party for help in developing and marketing high performance Challenger components; Speedfactory of Morrow, Georgia was given the task of overseeing this project, which debuted at the 2008 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. Like almost all of the cars displayed at SEMA, the 2009 Speedfactory Supercharged Challenger would not only have a jump in performance, but also a full dress up to make sure that everyone noticed this special, ultra high performance Challenger.
Three supercharged models would be the highest performing options, while Mopar offered three naturally aspirated options as well. These choices are broken up into stage 1, 2, and 3, each stage adding a bit more power along with interior and exterior styling additions. The NA kits begin with fairly simple items many "gearheads" start their own modifications with; every kit includes a PCM tune to get the most out of the power additions. As the kits intensify, Speedfactory opens up your Hemi and improves the internal workings to make more power and improve the strength and durability of the engine. The Stage 3 kits are not fixed packages, but more of a custom "mix and match" worked out between the owner and the folks at Speedfactory. The Stage 1 and 2 kits could be added to an already-owned vehicle, or a Speedfactory Challenger could be purchased from authorized dealerships.
Mopar / Speedfactory Stage and Package Options
Stage 1 Naturally Aspirated:
-Speedfactory Cold Air Intake
-Performance Exhaust from the catalytic converter back (cat-back exhaust)
-Speedfactory Stage 2 PCM Tuning
-Unique 20" Forged Wheels
-Speedfactory interior and exterior upgrades
- 3 year, 36,000 mile warranty applied to the motor along with the factory warranty
-Results: Speedfactory has stated that the 6.1L (SRT-8) Challenger with the Stage 1 NA kit can expect around 500 crank horsepower. That is an increase of around 17%, so similar results on the 5.7L Hemi (which starts at 370 hp in the R/T) would give the 5.7 around 432 horsepower, but that is completely speculative.
Stage 2 Naturally Aspirated:
-CNC Matched Intake Manifold and Cylinder Heads
-High Flow Exhaust Headers
-90mm Throttle Body
-Speedfactory Cold Air Intake
-Performance Exhaust from the catalytic converter back (cat-back exhaust)
-Speedfactory Stage 2 PCM Tuning
-Unique 20" Forged Wheels
-Speedfactory interior and exterior upgrades
- 3 year, 36,000 mile warranty applied to the motor along with the factory warranty
-Results: Speedfactory has stated that the 6.1L (SRT-8) Challenger with the Stage 2 NA kit can expect around 530 crank horsepower. That is an increase of around 24%, so similar results on the 5.7L Hemi would give the 5.7 around 460 horsepower, but that is completely speculative.
Stage 3 Naturally Aspirated:
-"Big Block Conversaion", which includes having the motor bored and stroked to either 426 or 440 cubic inches
-Higher Compression Pistons
-Forged Crankshaft and Connecting Rods
-CNC Matched Intake Manifold and Cylinder Heads
-High Flow Exhaust Headers
-90mm Throttle Body
-Speedfactory Cold Air Intake
-Performance Exhaust from the catalytic converter back (cat-back exhaust)
-Speedfactory Stage 2 PCM Tuning
-Unique 20" Forged Wheels
-Speedfactory interior and exterior upgrades
- 3 year, 36,000 mile warranty applied to the motor depending on the exact application chosen
Results: The Big Block Conversion information is only given for the 6.1L at the present time, but Speedfactory has stated that results of the Stage 3 conversion (cubic inches unknown) are typically around 600 crank horsepower - a an increase of 175hp (41% !!) There is currently no information on possible displacement options for the 5.7L Hemi.
Stage 1 Supercharged
-Vortech Centrifugal Style Supercharger making 5.5 pounds per square inch (PSI) of boost
-Speedfactory Stage 1 Tune
-Unique 20" Forged Wheels
-Speedfactory interior and exterior upgrades
- 3 year, 36,000 mile warranty applied to the motor along with the factory warranty
-Results: Speedfactory states that the Stage 1 Supercharger kit takes your 5.7L Hemi to an impressive 470 crank horsepower, and a similar increase (27%) would give the 6.1L Hemi 540 horsepower, but that is once again completely speculative.
Stage 2 Supercharged
-Vortech Centrifugal Style Supercharger offering up to 8 psi of boost
-Boost levels selected by the owner
-Speedfactory Stage 2 Tune, based on the amount of boost chosen
-Unique 20" Forged Wheels
-Speedfactory interior and exterior upgrades
-There is still a warranty offered for the Stage 2 kit, but the motor warranty is not offered if the car is tuned for over 5.5psi of boost.
Result: When the maximum amount of boost is chosen, the SRT-8 Challenger makes a whopping 630 horsepower at 8psi. Again, there have been no specifications given for the 5.7L engine, but at 630hp, the 6.1L engine is gaining almost 50% more power over stock!
Stage 3 Supercharged:
The Stage 3 Supercharged kit is unlike any of the other Mopar/Speedfactory kits for the 2009 Dodge Challenger, as it is almost like a full custom build. This package begins with a one on one consultation with a Speedfactory representative, and the output of this package is completely dependant on the decisions of the owner. There is no stated horsepower for this package, but keep in mind that this is an upgrade OVER the 630 horsepower Stage 2 Supercharger kit! During the consultation, there are a variety of choices to be made, which include the following:
-Full Motor Rebuild
-High Performance Internal Components including a billet crankshaft and connecting rods
-Lower Compression Pistons
-Vortech Centrifugal Style Supercharger
-Boost levels selected by the owner
-"Big Block Conversaion", which includes having the motor bored and stroked to either 426 or 440 cubic inches
-Custom Tune to optimize performance
-Unique 20" Forged Wheels
-Speedfactory interior and exterior upgrades
-Results: Due to the wide variety of options for this package, there is no stated power (or price), but we can expect the output to creep up around the 700 horsepower mark, making your Dodge Challenger one of the strongest cars on the road.
Factory forced induction has been a very popular item in the foreign performance market for quite some time, the first real competitor in the US market that came with forced induction was the 2003 Ford Mustang Corba -- dubbed the terminator. That model was followed by another Ford entry, the factory supercharged 2007 Ford GT500. Chevrolet entered the fun next with the new 2009 Corvette ZR1, which features a unique top-mounted supercharger. Based on the success and performance level of these street machines, Dodge, with Mopar and Speedfactory, wanted to make sure that the 2009 Challenger would have the options to allow it to keep up, and even beat, some of the fastest cars in the US.
Interested in more Challenger discussions? Find them here!
