GM Performance to put Camaro under the knife

GM has released a batch of videos that tease us into submission leading up to SEMA '08. In the three videos, we witness a 2010 Camaro undergoing a teardown and buildup to turn it into a worthy showcar. Not that there's anything wrong with the stock Camaro, but when you're going to SEMA you have to present something a little more glamorous and unique for the show crowd.

Dodge Mopar Challenger Targa and Blacktop

If a V-10 powered Challenger or a 900hp Challenger are too unbalanced for your tastes, we present something that can carve some corners just as well as melt your tires. The Challenger Targa will debut alongside these other variations at SEMA, and will campaign in the Targa Newfoundland enduro.

Affectionately known as "Samantha," the Challenger began its existence as a Mopar Challenger drag race car, complete with a 392 HEMI V8 crate motor putting 540 hp and 490 lb.-ft. of torque to the rear wheels via a Tremec six-speed manual and a modified rear diff. The green hue of the Challenger Targa is pulled from the Viper, but the snake's influence doesn't stop at aesthetics. A KW race-ready suspension, six-piston calipers with 380mm Stop-Tech rotors (front) and 355mm, rear discs with four-pot calipers are all culled from the V10 'Ring-slayer.

In addition to the Targa model, Dodge and Mopar will debut the Challenger Blacktop at SEMA, retaining the 5.7-liter V8 and six-speed manual gearbox. Most of the modifications focus on style, including the black-on-black racing stripe paint scheme, custom spoilers and front brow. A Mopar coilover kit drops the Blacktop over 22-inch Viper wheels created by Factory Reproductions and wrapped in 265/35/R22 (front) and 305/30/R22 (rear) Dunlop rubber. A Mopar cat-back exhaust and cold air intake remain the only modifications to the engine, and if the V8's sound isn't intoxicating enough, a Kicker audio system will keep the Blacktop's driver entertained while bombing along Highway 15 on their way to the SEMA festivities in Sin City.

Viper powered Challenger SRT-10

The Challenger has been on sale all year, giving tuners plenty of time to spruce up the new/old musclecar and bring the fruits of their labor to SEMA. Dodge is no exception to this, as it plans to bring it's newest concept, the Challenger SRT-10.

Sporting an 8.4L V10 graciously donated by a Viper, it pumps out a gratuitous 600hp and 560 lbft of torque. As you can see in the pictures, traction is hard to come by. Other mods include a functional carbon fiber shaker hood that feeds air to the voluminous V10, a carbon fiber front splitter and rear deck lid, a new rear spoiler, BILSTEIN shocks at all four corners, larger wheels, bigger brakes and quad exhaust tips out back. More carbon fiber trim can be found in the cockpit along with new sports seats and a red engine start push-button just like in the Viper.

How serious is Dodge about building this car? The engine appears to fit nicely in the Challenger's bay. Could this be an answer to Ford's GT500KR? Time will only tell.

PRESS RELEASE

Dodge Challenger SRT10 Concept

Auburn Hills, Mich., Oct 14, 2008 - The opportunity for SRT engineering to "one-up" itself comes to fruition with the 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT10 Concept. Power for the 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT10 Concept comes from the Dodge Viper 8.4-liter, all-aluminum V-10 engine with 600 horsepower and 560 lb. ft. of torque. It's a vehicle that delivers the well-known SRT credo of benchmark performance. The Dodge Challenger SRT10 Concept includes a fresh coat of Tornado Red paint with a carbon-fiber deck lid and hood. The "shaker hood" is a nostalgic representation of the 1970 HEMI Cuda, giving the 600-hp Viper V-10 engine room to breathe. Brakes have been upgraded and BILSTEIN® shocks at all four corners improve handling balance. The interior boasts sport seats and carbon-fiber accents throughout and, of course, true to the Viper-powered vehicle lineage, a red engine start push-button in the dash.