WR TV: 2015 Dodge Challenger Scat Pack Shaker

Back in April when we drove the 2015 Dodge Charger Scat Pack, we also got some seat time in a Shaker-optioned Challenger Scat Pack, and while the dual-nostril air intake that sticks out of the hood of this Challenger doesn’t boost horsepower, it’s not without its nostalgic merits.

 

During the heyday of the muscle car craze of the late 1960s and early 70s, manufacturers brought a number of different hood scoop designs to market, from the non-functional types found on early Pontiac GTOs to vacuum-operated scoops like the Air Grabber on the Plymouth Roadrunner and GTX and the cowl induction systems used on models like the Chevrolet Chevelle.

 

What made the Shaker design stand apart from a traditional hood scoop was that rather than using the shape of the hood to direct air into the engine, a hole was cut into a flat hood instead, and the scoop was fastened directly to the motor itself. When the hood was closed, the scoop would then peek out above the bodywork, allowing it to grab fresh air. Since the Shaker was attached to the engine rather than the bodywork, a side benefit of the design was that the scoop would idle along with the lopey camshaft of the high performance motor it was attached to, so when you stabbed the throttle at a stoplight, you’d see the scoop shimmy and lurch around independently of the car itself.

 

It wasn’t until 2008 that we got our first hint at a potential return of the factory-installed Shaker scoop when Dodge showcased a Viper-powered Challenger SRT10 Concept at the SEMA show, replete with a pair of massive nostrils sticking out through an opening in the hood. The Challenger SRT10 and its shaker scoop never managed to get past the conceptual stage, and nearly half a dozen years went by with the aftermarket continuing to… fill the hole… left by Chrysler’s performance division. In 2013, Dodge finally brought back the scoop as a factory-installed option when it unveiled the new 2014 Dodge Challenger R/T Shaker trim package at that year’s SEMA show.

 

 

With the 2015 model year ushering in a refresh of the Challenger line, Dodge is now offering the Shaker option on both the Challenger R/T and the new Challenger R/T Scat Pack, and we recently got a chance to get some time behind the wheel of a six-speed equipped Challenger R/T Scat Pack Shaker at an event just prior to the 10th Annual Spring Festival of LX.

 

From a performance standpoint, the Challenger Scat Pack is essentially what the SRT “Core” model was for the previous two years – a stripped down version of the SRT model that boasts the same 4-piston Brembo brakes, performance exhaust, gearbox, and 6.4-liter V8 as the SRT model (making 485 HP / 475 LB-FT), but for substantially less money.

 

While the Scat Pack models do not share the supercar-level six-piston Brembo brakes, three-way adaptive suspension and other SRT-specific features included with the 2015 SRT 392 and SRT Hellcat, the Challenger Scat Pack offers a serious performance bargain starting at $39,890, or $43,490 with the Shaker package, which includes Shaker-specific body graphics and Alcantara interior trim.

 

Let’s take it for a spin:

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