Mopars at the Strip

It was a relatively new concept for us. It was a chance for us to get involved with the readers of Mopar Muscle by getting them involved with their cars. We decided to pick 11 cars that were entered in the Mopars at the Strip show and see just how far some people were willing to go with their cars. At the registration deadline, we had received 47 entries into the first (hopefully annual) Mopar Muscle True Street Challenge.

One thing we did not want in this competition were gussied up, quote-unquote street cars that run mid-eight-second quarter-mile times. Let's face it, how many guys with blown, alcohol-ingesting 600-cubic inch engines actually use their cars to go get groceries? What we were looking for were nice-looking, comfortable cars that could drive into town and then run a respectable e.t. at the track. By respectable, an 11-second car would be fast. The plan was to not present any one car as better than the rest. The drivers weren't competing against each other, but rather against the challenge we put before them. We were going to let each car stand on its own merits, and let the points fall where they may.

A small miscommunication in directions made the driving portion cover about 45 miles, and we hadn't planned to cover the gritty pavement and traffic of downtown Las Vegas, but our True Street crew was up to the task. They all handled it well and eventually, we got to the newly paved open road. They proved their cars are true street cars. So, here they are, the 11 charter members of the Mopar Muscle True Street Challenge. For more details about the performance of these cars, check out the complete True Street Challenge coverage in the September issue of Mopar Muscle.