TheHEMI.com

If there's one perk to being headquartered in Southern California, it's that we're never far from more auto-related activity than we could ever hope to cover. It also means that folks like Steve Saleen can drop by any time with a brand new SMS 570 Challenger.

The Dodge Challenger is a menacing car in black, and an SMS Signature Series body kit only makes it look meaner. SMS Supercars completely replaces the front and rear fascias with new custom pieces, meaning a new grille and air inlets in front and a new rear diffuser along with customized taillights. The kit also adds several functional vents, new side skirts and their signature Red Butterfly Induction Hood, whose twin butterfly valves open as you depress the gas pedal. All of these parts are built in-house, as are the custom wheels, suspension and monster ABS brakes.

More importantly, SMS works its magic on the 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 bolting up a twin-screw supercharger and intercooler along with a cold air intake system. The result is "a little over" 500 horsepower on just 4.5 psi of boost SMS claims, leaving plenty of room for further upgrades. SMS starts with the 5.7-liter engine to keep costs down and reuses most of the Challenger's stock drivetrain.

Inside, the Challenger gets new gauge faces and a custom gauge pod on the center stack with boost pressure and air charge temperature gauges. A short shifter makes quicker work of rowing your own and the re-stuffed, retrimmed seats offer plenty of support . Altogether, this package will run you $64,995 for a complete car, and there are of course options including a 700-horsepower 570X model if you're so inclined (and financially endowed).

On the throttle, a rich V-8 rumble permeates the cabin, drowned out only by the blower whine. Despite its power, the Challenger is still quite street friendly and docile enough to be a very cool daily driver. How does it perform on the track, you ask? We'll just have to ask Steve if we can keep it and find out.

The car performed in solid muscle-car character throughout my weekend with it. I found it surprisingly easy to drive for such a powerful beast. Never has 500 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque come so easily in a car whose roots are in street racing in a straight line instead of road racing around Le Mans.

SMS Supercars, the name of the company which Steve Saleen helms (the company called Saleen is now owned by others) threw almost its entire catalog at this. Central to the car's improvements is the SMS 296 supercharger bolted on top of the 5.7-liter Hemi. The belt-driven Lysholm compressor with six unique finned, cylindrical intercoolers packs enough air into the V8 to boost peak hp from 376 at 5,150 rpm in the stock Challenger V8 to a claimed 500 hp at 5,700 rpm in the SMS. Torque goes from 410 hp at 4,300 rpm to 500 hp at 3,800 rpm.