Classic Design Concepts Group 2 Widebody Challenger

The Challenger SRT8 marked the official return last year of the musclecar to the Dodge lineup, and its retro styling, 425-horsepower V8 and tire-shredding capabilities had Mopar enthusiasts giddy with excitement. What, you say, could be much better? Enter Classic Design Concepts. The Novi, Michigan-based company has been adding its visual touch to cars since 1990, and recently tried its hand at Dodge's new musclecar. The result? The Group 2 Widebody Challenger that made its debut at SEMA in 2008. We were instantly smitten with the car's aggressive appearance on the show floor, and were determined to get a closer look if we ever had the chance. Jumping forward a couple of months, we recently learned that the car would be out in Southern California for a Mopar gathering. A phone call to CDC later and we were fortunate enough to land an afternoon behind the wheel of this 575-horsepower bona fide modern musclecar.

First off, let's get one thing straight: Classic Design Concepts isn't your typical body kit manufacturer. The fit and finish on all of its products is at or above OE quality, which is why companies like Ford, Saleen and Roush have relied on CDC to supply parts for their cars. Remember that cool functional hood scoop on the Mach 1 Mustang built in 2003? It was designed and built by Classic Design Concepts. All products also come with their own three-year warranty on manufacturer defects.

You might wonder – as did we – why they don't build and sell a complete car of their own. We asked, and were told that CDC prefers to simply provide components and let customers create cars for themselves. Even so, the Group 2 Challenger has the look of a production car and we could easily picture it on a showroom floor.
Just like the stock Challenger, the Group 2 Widebody gets inspiration from Mopar models past. The overall theme of the car comes from a variety of 1970's Chrysler road racers, including five Hemi Cuda race cars that were campaigned by Chrysler of France from 1970 to 1973, and more famously, by the Challenger T/A driven by Sam Posey in the 1970 Trans-Am season. Each competed in a Group 2 classification – the Cudas in FIA and the Challenger T/A in SCCA, hence the name. Other visual cues, like the rear quarter panel extensions, have a direct link to the 1971 Plymouth Hemi Cuda.