Since 2005, retro style musclecars have made a comeback through the likes of the Mustang, Camaro, and Challenger. While these cars have retro styling and produce plenty of horsepower, they aren’t the aggressive no frills, V-8 rumbling, adrenaline inducing musclecars of the ’60s that gearheads have dreamed would return to us. However, the musclecar has returned thanks to the introduction of the Dodge Challenger Core.

The Challenger Core is a back to basics musclecar. This means it isn’t equipped with a stereo, TV, or a GPS. It contains only a basic interior. It’s stuffed with a high powered HEMI V-8, and the car has a focus on tire shredding as well as straight line performance instead of comfort or luxuries.

Under the hood sits the life of the Core: a 392 HEMI Engine. This 392 cubic inch piece of American engineering produces 470 Horsepower @ 6000 RPM and 470 lb-ft of torque. This torque is used to win stop light drags, and do big tire-smoking burnouts that leave a mile of rubber down the road.

The 392 is tied to a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic. According to SRT, the Challenger Core is able to turn a 0-60 time of 4.5 seconds and has a top speed of 182 miles per hour.

If you are worried about gas mileage (and you shouldn’t be if you’re buying a no frills musclecar) the Core averages 23 highway MPG thanks to it’s cylinder deactivation. With cylinder deactivation, the fuel to four cylinders is deactivated when power isn’t needed.

The complicated adaptive suspension of the SRT8 has been replaced in-favor of the simpler single-mode Bilstein set-up. This suspension is designed to survive the punishment endured from hard launches and burnouts.

The interior of the car is the “ballistic” cloth interior borrowed from the Dodge Viper. This replaced the cowhide leather of the SRT8. The touch screen has been deleted as has the XM radio. On the exterior, the flog lamps have been deleted, and the wheels are cast instead of forged. Black 392 badges sit on the front fenders and the car is available in either HEMI Orange or Plum Crazy.

The Challenger Core has captured the spirit of its 1970 ancestor. It’s fast, loud, and mean. It’s a punk rock reaction to the luxury climate controlled cages that get passed off as performance cars these days. You can relive the musclecar heyday with the Challenger Core for just $39,990. It’s time to fire up the engine, turn on some Black Sabbath, and go racing.