‘Plum Crazy’ Colour For Dodge Muscle Cars

by Keith Morgan on Friday, August 28th, 2015

“Since 1970, Plum Crazy has been one of the most desired paint colours for the Dodge Challenger and Charger.”

2016 Dodge Challenger 392 HEMI® Scat Pack Shaker (left) and Charger R/T Road & Track (right)

Back for a limited-production run, the iconic Plum Crazy exterior paint will be made available on 2016 Dodge Challenger and Charger models.

“With our strongest muscle-car arsenal ever, we knew it was time to reach into our Dodge paint code archive and offer our high-performance R/T Scat Pack and SRT Hellcat models in one of the most iconic exterior colors of all time,” said Tim Kuniskis, President and Chief Executive Officer – Dodge Brand and SRT Brand, FCA – North America.

Earmarked for the eye-catching paint job are the 707-horsepower SRT Hellcat models and 485-horsepower naturally aspirated R/T Scat Pack models.

Since 1970, Plum Crazy has been one of the most desired paint colors for the Dodge Challenger and Charger. Today, the enthusiast demand for this heritage hue is stronger than ever – as the signature paint color is directly associated with high collectability and the famed “Mopar-or-no-car” legacy. Add in the widest performance range ever for the 2016 Challenger and Charger, and there hasn’t been a better time to paint the Dodge brand’s iconic muscle car arsenal in the nostalgic color.

Limited edition models and limited production paint colours add collectibility, accounting for less than 11 percent of the entire global production of Dodge Charger and Challenger to date.

Contact the writer at keith [dot] morgan [at] drivewaybc [dot] ca

The Top 5 Most Macho Classic Cars… Ever

by Rob Sass on Wednesday, December 11th, 2013

I have no desire to wade into the minefield that is the eternal “chick car vs. dude car” argument.

But it’s self-evident that the cars on this list most definitely have a “Y” chromosome. In fact, they positively ooze testosterone:

1. 1966-67 Shelby Cobra 427

Many people aren’t aware of the fact that the fire-breathing Cobra actually started out as a rather delicate British sports car, the AC Ace. Carroll Shelby saw the potential, installed a 260-cubic-inch Ford V-8, and it was good. But a 427-cubic-inch NASCAR engine was even better along with side-pipes and fat fenders. Performance was blistering and so was the noise.

2. 1970-71 Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda

The new (back then) Mopar E-body forever broke the association with the old economy Valiant, and the Barracuda and its stablemate, the Dodge Challenger, were low, wide and particularly menacing.

The 426 Hemi V-8 made it one of the baddest of all time.

3. 1968 Corvette L88

This is the Corvette that ordinary civilians weren’t supposed to be able to buy. It was designed for the track at a time when GM was observing an official racing ban. L88s had no creature comforts (not even a heater) and overheated in the briefest of traffic jams. To further discourage non-racers, GM underrated the horsepower of the 427-cubic-inch engine, reporting it at around 400 hp. In reality, it was well over 500 hp.

4. 1969-73 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 “Daytona”

The Ferrari Daytona was one of the last V-12 front-engine Ferrari GTs that Enzo Ferrari personally had a hand in.

For almost every year it was in production, it was the fastest road car available in the U.S. with a top speed of more than 172 mph. Racer Dan Gurney and journalist Brock Yates won the infamous cross-country Cannonball Run in a Daytona going coast-to-coast in just under 36 hours.

All of the controls from the ultra-heavy clutch to the unassisted steering are like a workout machine set on maximum resistance.

5. 1976-89 Porsche 930

The 930 was like a 911 on steroids. Literally.

Choose your favorite juiced ballplayer from the ‘roids era and compare his forearms to the 930’s aggressively flared fenders and you’ll get it. Performance was otherworldly for the time with 0-60 times of under four seconds and sub-14-second quarter-mile times, bettering all but the most muscular of Detroit muscle cars (albeit at a very steep price).

The 930 could also bite back hard. Its rear-engine and “on or off” turbocharger made it easy to spin.