Dodge Challenger T/A Concept Brings Old-School Muscle-Car

Dodge’s beastly Challenger has always been about raw, retro muscle-car style, and the company’s eye-searing Sublime Green–painted Challenger T/A concept takes that formula and cranks it up to 11. Whipped up to tickle show-goers at the 2014 SEMA show in Las Vegas, this special Challenger channels the spirit of racing driver Sam Posey’s original number 77 Challenger T/A, a track animal that defined ’70s-era pony-car racing.

Sure, the matte-black-over-lime-green color scheme may be a bit disco, but mechanically, the Challenger T/A concept is wholly modern. Chrysler’s familiar 6.4-liter Hemi V-8 sends power to the rear axle via a six-speed manual—the same drivetrain found in the 2015 Challenger R/T Scat Pack—provides motivation, and it breathes through a functional Viper-style hood scoop. For even more airflow, the Challenger’s running lights—the inboard units up front—have both been replaced with a hollowed-out Air Catcher ram-air intake tube. The mighty 707-hp 2015 Challenger SRT Hellcat utilizes an Air Catcher on the driver’s-side running light only.

The T/A’s lightweight 20-inch forged-aluminum wheels with a wicked matte-black finish come from the Mopar catalog, and they’re fitted over Brembo brakes with six-piston calipers and two-piece slotted and vented rotors. Other Mopar goodies include an active exhaust system, which can divert flow from the standard rear-exit mufflers to the considerably louder (and infinitely cooler) side pipes, as well as aero bits such as a front splitter and an aggressive decklid spoiler.

Feature: 10 Things You Need to Know About the Dodge Challenger Hellcat 2015 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack Tested: 6.4L Hemi, Six-Speed Manual Dodge Challenger Research: Full Pricing, Specs, News, Photos, Reviews, and More The Challenger T/A’s details are what really give this impressive car its ’70s Trans-Am flair, though. To wit, just check out those hood pins, the lack of rear seats, and the half roll cage with mounts for four-point harnesses. Everything is both functional and intimidating, a truly powerful combination, so forget that there aren’t 707 ponies under that unruly hood and tell Dodge to build the T/A for real.