Examining the Legendary Dodge Challenger R/T 426 Hemi: Wicked Wednesday Presented by the All-New Nitto Recon Grappler™ A/T
What makes the 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T 426 Hemi so special? A UK classic car expert explains the appeal of this American classic.
Many of us know that the 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T 426 Hemi is an iconic car. The Hemi engine is a big part of that but so is the rarity and a few other features. What is interesting to see, however, is the perspective of people who are not American and have an outside view of this beast. We love the car because it is our history. But what do the Brits think of it? Certainly, some epic sports cars have come out of the UK, but those cars are a bit different. A 1970 Austin Healy Sprite is not exactly the same type of car as a Challenger.
This week’s “Wicked Wednesday” presented by Nitto features a 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T 426 Hemi. We are treated to a unique perspective as Iain Tyrrell, a long-time classic car expert from the UK examines in detail this muscle car. The video is posted on the Tyrrell’s Classic Workshop YouTube channel. Check it out as you may learn something about this classic Hemi that you never knew before.
A Rare Challenger
A 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T 426 Hemi is not a car you see every day. Even at classic car shows, it is rare to spot one of these. Heck, even in 1970 it was not often that you would ever see this car. The car here is not only equipped with the big engine but it also has a 4-speed manual transmission. Only 137 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T 426 Hemi coupes with the manual transmission were ever made. Over 165,000 first-generation Challengers were produced so less than one tenth of one percent were this specification. So, rarity plays a big role in the appeal of this car. But it does not play the biggest role. That belongs to the 7L V8 engine.
426 Hemi
Tyrrell spends the first half of the video speaking at length about the 426 Hemi under the hood of this car. And that is for good reason. This engine did not start as a street engine that was hopped up for high performance. It was the opposite. This was an engine that competed in NASCAR, and it was detuned for use in the road car. Tyrrell explains that while the car officially was rated at about 425 horsepower, it likely produced a lot more in reality. In addition, if you were to perform just simple bolt on modifications, you could get this engine to crank out about 700 horsepower. That is a huge number even today, let alone 1970. Tyrrell also gives a detailed view of the Hemi combustion chamber and what really makes a Hemi a Hemi.
Road Test
There is something very satisfying to see this big Dodge Challenger on the tiny UK backroads. Tyrrell of course mentions the size, but he also mentions the speed. On a straight bit of road, he drops it down into second gear and gives it some gas. My goodness that sound! But it is not just the sound, there is of course real power here. In the day this car would rip to 60 mph in the mid-five second range. That might sound tame today, but it was one of the fastest accelerating cars in the world when it was released. On par with the much more expensive Ferrari Daytona. To see the reaction of a Brit driving this American classic is priceless.
The Video
A video of a rare Dodge tearing up the UK B-Roads. What more could you want? It is fun to watch plus it is educational. No one reading this would probably want to admit it, but there may be some out there that have no idea why the Hemi engine is unique. This video explains it all and gives you a close look at a special car at the same time. It is will worth the time and we think you will really enjoy it.
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