900 Horsepower Super Challenger and Super 'Cuda to debut at SEMA

The new Challenger is a tasty new templet for tuners, being that it is fairly fresh off showroom floors and still turning heads on the highway. There will no doubt be plenty of variations of the new/old musclecar on the floors of SEMA, but the ones we'll be most looking forward to are the two being built by Mr. Norm's garage.

Who's Mr. Norm, you ask? He's the legendary owner of Grand Spaulding Dodge that was famous for building some of the fastest Mopars in the country. Mr. Norm is now working his magic on the current Dodge lineup, and will be be showcasing the two Challengers you see here. The Super Challenger features a supercharged version of the 6.1L Hemi putting out 900 tire-shredding horsepower plus Rodtana forged wheels, Hotchkis suspension upgrades, massive SSBC brakes, and a custom front spoiler and side scoops. The other Challenger features similar performance upgrades but has been converted to replicate the legendary AAR Cuda.

PRESS RELEASE:

Holy horsepower! It's Mr. Norm and his Super Challenger.

Armed with a pavement pounding 900 horsepower Kenne Bell supercharged and intercooled 6.1 Hemi engine, the Super Challenger is the new Sheriff in town. The neon lit streets and shadowy alleys are rife with pimped out sedans, wicked coupes, and other automotive scum. Life is over for these creatures of the night, 'cause Mr. Norm and the Super Challenger are here to run 'em out of Dodge.

Just the sight of the Super Challenger strikes fear into the hearts of carminals everywhere. With its Jet Black body and Blazing Red stripe, punctuated with the legendary Mark of Mr. Norm on the front fenders, they'll know that they've more than met their match when they face off against the Super Challenger.

And no super heroes ride would be complete without a Katzkin custom leather interior. The guts of the Super Challenger exudes Mr. Norm's take no prisoners attitude, with its black leather and contrasting red accents. Our hero grabs gears with a Hurst Pistol Grip Shifter, the most powerful shifter in the world. Do 'ya feel lucky, punk?

Mr. Norm's Super Challenger forged wheels by Rodtana wear Pirelli Scorpion Zero tires that grip the asphalt with cat woman like claws. Hotchkis Performance created the lowered suspension that provides the crouching, ready to strike stance, while SSBC 8 Piston Disc Brakes are ready to take a Big Bite out of crime.

The bellicose sound produced by the Corsa Performance exhaust on the Super Challenger may wake up the dead in its attempt to muffle the 900 horsepower raging elephant that resides just beneath the Mopar Six Pack hood, but it's music to Mr. Norm's ears. And the Super Challenger's front spoiler and side scoops by Hulst Customs provide the finishing touch to the exterior, providing proof positive that badass really is beautiful.

Introducing the Mr. Norm's Super Cuda.

Drawing inspiration from its race bred relative, the legendary 1970 AAR Cuda, the Super Cuda features a dramatic restyling package that matches heart stopping good looks with heart pounding performance.

Amplifying its presence, the Super Cuda features a modern interpretation of the classic Cuda grille and tail panel, coupled with an aggressive front spoiler that infuses it with undeniable character. Reinforcing the theme, the sides of the Hemi Orange Super Cuda are boldly accented with satin black strobe stripes by Sharpline Converting that match the sinister Sherwin-Williams Planet Color Badass Black that covers the hood and adjacent surfaces, much like its storied ancestor. Inside, the cockpit features a Hurst Shifter for precise shifting of the five speed transmission, a Katzkin "Barracuda" custom leather interior with Hemi Orange perforated inserts and Super Cuda monogrammed carpet mats by Designer Mat.

And if all that's not enough, just wait 'til you push the start button and awaken the wild 900 horsepower Kenne Bell supercharged 16 plug HEMI engine. Singing its siren song through a low restriction Corsa Performance cat back dual exhaust system, the Super Cuda balances tire smoking power with a tuned suspension engineered by Hotchkis Performance. Insuring fade free stops from high speed are massive Stainless Steel Brakes V8 8-Piston calipers. Rolling stock consists of Rodtana 22" modular wheels matched with Pirelli Scorpion Zero Assimetrico ultra high performance tires.

Add it all up and you've got the new Mr. Norm's Super Cuda, the street lethal sport coupe. Armed with nothing less than a ground pounding 6.1 Hemi engine, it's complemented by a chassis with just the right mix of components to harness its power. The Super Cuda looks like a wolf in wolfs clothing, because it is. This is one vehicle that speaks loudly and carries a very big stick.

Weekly 2010 Mustang teaser photo

Let the painfully slow reveal of the 2010 Mustang continue! This week, we get the 11th in a series of photos from Ford, a clear picture of the car's new shifter. The biggest thing we learn from this pic is that a five speed will continue to be the standard manual transmission. The shift knob itself appears to be a high quality aluminum piece. The matte aluminized finish appears to be a theme throughout the cabin, judging from the pictures we have so far of the interior.

2009 Chevy Cobalt Turbo SS

The first generation Cobalt SS sported a supercharged 205 hp four cylinder and became a car that has developed a decent enthusiast following. The car is a good all around performer, but still showed it's econo car roots. For 2009, Chevy has reworked the car, swapping a a turbo, upgrading the rest of the mechanicals, and testing and tuning the car on the famed Nürburgring in Germany.

The turbocharged, direct injected engine is the same 2.0l Ecotec in the first generation Cobalt SS that now produces 260hp and 260lbft of torque. Available since 2008 in the Cobalt SS Turbo and HHR SS, and also in the Pontiac Solstice GXP and Saturn Sky Red Line, the turbo DI Ecotec does now what Ford promises its EcoBoost engines will do in a few years. That is, produce V6 power with four-cylinder fuel economy. Case in point, the Cobalt SS Turbo returns 30 mpg on the highway.

Peak torque arrives early at 2000 rpm. Turbo lag is scant, and power builds early and linear until the redline is reached at 6,250rpm. Chevy claims the SS runs to 60 in 5.7 seconds.

The turbo SS gets a much revised suspension that doesn't feel like one lifted from an economy car. Clutch feel is firm, and the five speed shifts with precision and authority.

The new SS Turbo also gets wider P225/40ZR18 tires mounted on a set of flattering 18-inch, Corvette-inspired wheels with five split-spokes and larger brakes wearing one of the biggest names in the business of battling inertia: Brembo. The front stoppers are 12.4 inches in diameter and clamped by four-piston calipers while the rears are 11.5-inches large and get single-piston pressure.

All of this adds up to quite a well performing machine. Car and Driver ran a massive performance car comparison test in a recent issue, with each car making laps around Virginia International Speedway. The list of cars that were slower than the SS is astounding:

Mitsubishi Lancer EVO MR
Lexus IS-F
Audi S5
Honda S2000 CR
Dodge Challenger SRT-8
Lotus Elise SC
Subaru Impreza WRX STI
Dodge Caliber SRT-4
Volkswagen R32
Honda Civic Mugen Si

The Cobalt SS Turbo is clearly outgunned in the engine department by a few of these vehicles, besting only the Civic Mugen Si, R32, S2000 CR and the Elise SC with its 260-hp engine. But c'mon, is the Cobalt SS Turbo really quicker than the legendary Lancer, the 416-hp IS-F, and the 425-hp Challenger SRT-8 around VIR's 4.2-mile track? Apparently so says C&D, who were just as stunned as were by the Chevy's particular brand of canned whoopass.

Of course, the best part of this performance in an unsuspecting package is price. The Cobalt SS starts at $22,775. Depending on options, the price can be jacked up a little bit. But we've seen several selling for less than $20,000 new, given the poor market conditions right now.

The Chevy Cruze will be rolling off assembly lines before long to take the place of the Cobalt, but at least the little econo car will go out with a bang.