The 2011 Challenger SRT8 392 on the dyno. Images: Edmunds Inside Line

The horsepower wars are on in Detroit, especially with the retro styled (but modern performing) Camaro, Mustang, and Challenger. It would appear that the Mopar camp is using a trick from back-in-the-day though with the new 2011 Challenger SRT8 392 by underrating their engine performance statistics. Back in the 1960’s manufacturers would use this trick to surprise the competition and to try to get around high cost insurance problems.

We do not know completely why ‘Ma Mopar is playing this same trick today with the Challenger SRT8 392, but if the data our friends over at Edmunds Inside Line pulled together is true then there is no question that the factory rated 470 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque of new 392 HEMI is actually on the low side of reality!

You can call it a white lie, an exaggeration, or an accident, but we love everything about the return of the horsepower wars, especially when the manufacturers use the old “under-promise and over-deliver” trick!

According to Edmunds data on the chassis dyno the Challenger made 452 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque at the wheel. That would mean that after accounting for attrition losses of the transmission, etc., that the engine itself was putting out far greater than the factory 470/470 rating, with both numbers obviously being north of 500 each (we’re guessing more like 520hp as the crate version is advertised).

As a contrast, Edmunds compared the new Challenger to a V8 2010 Camaro that had been run on the same dyno and the difference was staggering. The factory rated 426hp Camaro was closer to 370hp at the wheels, and almost 100 lb-ft of torque less as well. That being said, it’s not quite an apples-to-apple comparison. It’s likely that the upcoming supercharged Camaro Z/28 will be more in the competition range of the Challenger SRT8 392 as both of those offerings would be the top model from Chevy and Dodge respectively.