The second big FCA debut at the 2017 Chicago Auto Show is the Mopar 17 Challenger , the eighth Moparized vehicle from Dodge, Ram, or Chrysler. The latest factory-customized muscle car was designed to help celebrate the 80 th anniversary of Mopar .


The Mopar-branded car has the interior and exterior appearance upgrades that we would have expected, but the big news with this Mopar Challenger is under the hood.


For the first time, a Mopar-branded production vehicle is powered by the 392 cubic inch Hemi with 485 horsepower and 475 pound-feet of torque, making this limited edition Dodge Challenger Shaker the most powerful Moparized vehicle in the history of the program. Other than the Mopar 13 Dart, every Moparized vehicle has been powered by the 5.7L Hemi.


In addition to the basic features of the 392 Shaker engine setup, the Mopar 17 Challenger has a Mopar cold air intake paired with a driver’s side Air Catcher headlight, but there is no word of any added power from the extra cool air. On the other hand, the Mopar strut tower braces improve handling performance, in addition to looking cool in the engine bay.


The 392 cubic inch Hemi might be the biggest news with the Mopar 17 Challenger, but buyers can get that powerful mill with a handful of different trimlines. Where the Mopar 17 stands out from, say, the 392 Scat Pack Hemi Shaker which shares the same drivetrain and cold air induction hood system, is in the interior and exterior design.


On the outside, the Mopar 17 Challenger is available in one of two unique, two-tone paint schemes, with either Contusion Blue or Billet Silver from the topline of the body while the upper portions of the car (hood, roof, pillars, trunk lid) are painted Pitch Black. The Mopar 17 also has unique, silver 392 decals on the fenders along with machined-face 20 inch Scat Pack wheels with black painted pockets. Finally, the package adds the exhaust tips from the SRT Hellcat and a Mopar badge on the rear spoiler.


On the inside, the Mopar 17 Challenger Shaker has SRT performance seats with suede centers and leather bolsters, all in black with Tungsten embroidered Mopar logos on the seat backs. The rest of the stitching throughout the cabin – from the sides of the seats to the center console to the door panels – are all stitching with Tungsten thread to match the embroidery on the seat backs. There is also plenty of black leather trim throughout the cabin, along with the premium UConnect infotainment system. There is also a unique serial badge announcing the number out of 80 for that particular car.


Finally, buyers of the Mopar 17 Challenger will get a unique owner’s package, which includes a Mopar welcome letter, a “birth certificate” with the build date for that car, an autographed Mopar 17 rendering from the design team, a Mopar 17 book with information on the vehicle, an acrylic “memorabilia showpiece”, Mopar valve stem caps, a Mopar 17 keychain and a Mopar 80 th anniversary badge.


The only real bad news is that the Mopar 17 Challenger will be limited to just 160 cars – 80 in Contusion Blue and 80 in Billet Silver. When these cars begin reaching dealerships in the second quarter of 2017, they will have an MSRP starting at $55,790 (not including destination).

For more photos and a video, see our permanent Mopar 17 Challenger page .