The Dodge Challenger was born just in time for the 1970s and, despite a short stint as a rebadged Mitsubishi later in the decade, was one of the last holdouts of the muscle car “golden era.”
Heck, even in the first-gen’s final year of 1974, you could still get a Challenger with a 360 small block good for almost 250 horsepower—not too shabby when you consider the 1974 Corvette was only getting 270ish from its LS4 454 big block.
So for this year’s SEMA show, Dodge decided to honor the 50th birthday of the 1970 Challenger with a special concept that harks back to those early years. (Yes, we know the 50th was technically last year, but since SEMA was cancelled for 2020, lets’s give Dodge a break here.)
Based on a 2020 Challenger R/T Scat Pack Widebody, Dodge’s “Holy Guacamole” concept wears avocado green paint, along with a plaid interior and complementing woodgrain inserts—the only thing missing is a Steve Miller 8-track jammed in the deck.
But the delightful 1970s aesthetic is only part of the appeal here.
Holy Guacamole is bringing the goods in the form of a 392 cubic inch HEMI engine. Thanks to a Mopar Performance cold air intake kit, it’s got a functional Shaker hood too—accented by “Gold School” custom detail paint.
The Challenger rolls on 20 inch Forgeline wheels that mimic that classic Magnum look. And it’s got a slight drop, courtesy of a Mopar Performance coilover suspension kit.
It’s tough to blend retro and modern, especially when we’re talking green and plaid, but we think Dodge nailed it here.
In fact, the only thing that would make this Challenger better, is one of these.
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