Dodge is a bullet

Just one limited edition $125,000 Dodge Challenger SRT8 is left to buy in New Zealand. Photo / Supplied

American muscle car fans in New Zealand have snapped up four of five special-edition models of the Dodge Challenger.

The left-hand-drive cars have just landed in Auckland, wearing SRT8 392 go-fast badges and priced at $125,000 each. Four have names attached and the fifth is waiting for a buyer.

Chrysler/Dodge NZ divisional manager Todd Groves said the limited-edition Challenger provided customers with "their very own slice of muscle-car heaven".

"Being such a small market on the international scale, New Zealand is often overlooked for allocation of exclusive vehicles like these, but this time we managed to make it happen for our SRT fans," he said.

Chrysler is limiting production of the two-door Dodge Challenger to 1492 examples - 1100 for the United States and 392 for Canada. The car's full moniker is Dodge Challenger SRT8 392 Inaugural Edition.

Dodge allows a small number of exports of left-hand-drive cars like the Challenger to countries where they can be legally registered for road use. New Zealand will get five only.

"The rules are for new special limited-production models," said Groves. "If the factory did, say, a Viper under the same rules, we would definitely look at it for New Zealand."

The Dodge Challengers will be registered in New Zealand as "new" under revised Land Transport laws. The same rules require the owner to hold on to the vehicle for at least four years.

In the past, a New Zealand owner had to register the car under his or her name in another country for at least 90 days before it could be landed here.

The Challenger SRT8 Inaugural Edition is powered by a 6.4-litre V8 Hemi engine codenamed "Apache". It delivers 351kW of power and 637Nm of torque to the rear 20-inch wheels via a standard five-speed automatic gearbox or a Tremec six-speed manual unit.

Chrysler claims a zero to 100km/h sprint time for the Challenger of about 4.5 seconds and a top speed of 290km/h. It says the Challenger's hydraulic steering system uses a heavy-duty pump and revised gearing to sharpen the helm.

The car comes with the choice of two exterior colours with full-body stripe: deep water blue with standard stone white stripes or bright white clear coat with standard Viper blue stripes.

For the first time, the front grille features a body-colour surround.

The same colours are found inside on the leather-trimmed seats, along with a silver metal brush finish on the instrument panel and console. There's also a plaque with the car's individual build number. Each of the front seats features an embroidered "392" just below the headrest.

Drag, of a kind

The 392 (6.4-litre) Hemi engine first appeared in 1957, replacing the original 354 cubic-inch Hemi of 1951. It was quickly adopted by US drag racers and soon became known simply as the "92". It was dropped from production in 1958 but lived on in motorsport for many years. In 2007, Mopar - Chrysler's service, parts and customer-care brand - launched a modern version of the 392 to celebrate the engine's 50th anniversary. It is this engine that sits under the bonnet of the Challenger SRT8 392.