Network
Well-known shifter company, Hurst, is about more than just changing gears. In 2008, Hurst introduced the Hurst Challenger at the national SEMA show. An impressive car up close and personal, a lot goes into creating these beauties. Thanks to Autoblog, we take a look at just how the Hurst Challengers are made through their Hurst facility tour photo gallery.
In order to have a Hurst Challenger created for you, you must provide Hurst with the Challenger you want to be transformed- whether it be an R/T or an SRT8. To create the signature Hurst look, each Challenger’s front bumper, rear fascia, hood and trunk are stripped down and painted with the Hurst gold stripes.
There are five Series of Hurst Challengers with Series 1 being the most basic and Series 5, the top of the line. For a Series 5 Hurst Challenger, the entire car is stripped down and painted in White Pearl before the Hurst stripes are put on, just like the one that was debuted at SEMA. Hurst decals are painted on each Challenger.
After the painting is complete, Challengers go into a separate area to get upgraded engines, suspension and interiors. The engine upgrades that each Challenger gets depends on what series the customer chooses for their car. For the Series 4 and 5 Challengers, a Vortech supercharger is added- giving the HEMI engine a boost to 572hp with 528 pound-feet of torque. Suspension upgrades are provided by Eibach and include sway bars, adjustable shocks and springs. Steel Magnaflow cat-back exhaust systems are also added to the Challengers.
Gold stitching on the center console, doors and seats, as well as gold perforated inserts, are used to transform the interior of the cars. Custom Hurst 20-inch polished forged wheels with BFGoodrich KDW tires are put on every Hurst Challenger. And don’t forget the shifter! Each Challenger gets a gold-handled Hurst shifter.
Completed Challengers are given a dash plaque with the car’s Hurst serial number. There is also a registry for the cars to be kept track of by. Individuals that order their Hurst Challenger can either pick it up at the Hurst facility or have it delivered to any Dodge dealer in the country. Along with their ride, each Hurst Challenger owner receives a photo book or their car’s transformation.
While a lot of work goes into transforming an ordinary Challenger into a collector Hurst car, we think it’s worth it- especially for the Series 5 cars. So if you ever come across one of these unique Challengers, you’ll know just how much work went into creating it. To see the whole photo gallery, check out Autoblog’s “How It’s Made: Hurst HEMI Dodge Challenger.”
