Last week GM turned a lot of heads with the surprise introduction of the 2014 Camaro Z/28, a lightweight, track-bred Camaro with a 500 horsepower LS7 engine. Muscle car enthusiasts all over the country are (for the most part) enamored with this new track-bred Camaro, though rival automakers are keen to keep this competitor in check.

This includes Chrysler, which according to Carscoops is working on a new version of the Dodge Challenger to rival the Camaro Z/28. But can the Challenger shed enough weight to be truly competitive?

If Dodge struck to the same script as Chevy, a Camaro Z/28 competitor would need to be a stripped down, de-contented Challenger that loses a lot of weight, gains a lot of power. For the Challenger, the heaviest of the three muscle car contenders at 4,371 pounds, getting under even two-tons would be a chore.

Then there is the fact that the Challenger SRT8 already has a 470 horsepower HEMI V8. To compete with the Z/28 would likely require forced induction and closer to 600 horsepower. Another option? THe Viper’s 8.4 liter V10 making 640 horsepower. But that would push the price way past the likely MSRP of the Z/28, and more into the realm of the ZL1.

Still, Chrysler might have the time and wherewithal to do it, as a replacement for the Challenger, the Barracuda, has been reportedly delayed. So maybe a Viper-powered Challenger, called the Challenger TA (after the Viper TA) really might become a reality, rather than a dream.