When the Dodge Scat Pack came to dealership showrooms in 2015, the name Scat Pack was already enshrined in Mopar lore. Dodge had given birth to the Scat Pack in 1968 to denote a group of special performance cars that were capable of running the quarter-mile in under 15 seconds—a considerable feat for any car of the muscle car era. These Mopar muscle machines came from across the Dodge product stable and encompassed the compact A-Body like the Dodge Dart GTS and Dodge Swinger 340, the mid-sized B-Body models like the Coronet R/T, Super Bee, and the Dodge Charger R/T, and the ponycar segment with the E-Body based Challenger R/T.
Perhaps unfairly, the second generation of Scat Packs was introduced to the market in 2015 at the same time as the paradigm-shifting 707-hp Hellcat Hemi Challenger. Overshadowed by SRT’s newest ground-based fighter jet, the 392ci Hemi-equipped Dodge Scat Pack Challenger and Charger would be the successors to the SRT 392 Challenger (2011-2018) and Charger (2012-2018) which would fade quietly from view in spite of the SRT 392’s superior brake package, more aggressive tire footprint, and flatter high-speed handling. Most agree that the SRT 392’s loss was more than compensated for by the advent of SRT’s Hellcat-powered variants, but the plain-Jane 392 SRTs represent a growing used-car value, as we shall see.
Scat Pack Precursor: the SRT 392
Even though the digital footprints of the 2011-2018 SRT 392 Challenger and Charger have been largely ignored by the internet, it’s instructive nevertheless to review the Scat Pack 392’s precursor here. SRT was tasked with developing the 392ci “Apache” Hemi—rated initially at 470 hp—as a replacement for the 425hp 6.1-liter Hemi, which was exclusive to SRT vehicles from 2008 to 2010. The 392ci Apache Hemi is considered the defining feature of the 2015-present Dodge Scat Pack. Code-named Apache, the third-generation reincarnation of Chrysler’s 392 Hemi V-8 offered more displacement and better-flowing cylinder heads, and would eventually spawn the workhorse Ram-exclusive 392 BGE Hemi (2014) and Hellcat Hemi V-8s (2015). Further breathing improvements increased the Apache 392’s output to 485 hp when it debuted in the Dodge Scat Pack Charger and Challenger in 2015.
Dodge Scat Pack Charger & Challenger
The allure of the 392 Hemi-powered Dodge Scat Pack Charger and Challenger, relative to the over-achieving SRT 392 models, was largely one of price. By scratching such items as the SRT 392’s larger and more expensive Brembo six-piston brakes, Nappa leather interior, 900-watt Harman-Kardon speaker system, and Bilstein adaptive dampers, the cost of a 392 Hemi-equipped Dodge could be brought down significantly. As an example, in 2015, the first year both the SRT 392 Charger and Scat Pack Charger were offered at the same time, the base price of an SRT 392 was $48,380 compared to the $40,990 MSRP for a Scat Pack Charger, a difference of $7,390.
What was pointed out by Dodge’s president Tim Kuniskis in a recent interview, and has since been borne out in the sales success of the Dodge brand, is that customers more readily relate to drag racing than road course racing. Even when prospective customers don’t participate in any form of racing, it is drag racing that is the common aspirational denominator among would-be enthusiasts, and the sales success of the 392 Hemi-powered Scat Pack (a throwback to Dodge’s historical success in drag package cars) and its raw performance numbers make the Dodge Scat Pack in all its guises (Scat Pack Challenger, Scat Pack Charger, Scat Pack Widebody Challenger, Scat Pack Widebody Charger, Scat Pack 1320) an unmitigated success in the showroom and on the drag strip.
How Much Horsepower Does a Scat Pack Have?
All 392 Scat Pack Dodges share the same Hemi V-8 architecture and tune and have a rated output of 485 hp (6,100 rpm) and 475 lb-ft of torque (4,100 rpm). When the Dodge Scat Pack debuted in 2015, HOT ROD had the opportunity to independently verify the power output on a Dynojet chassis dyno at Kenne-Bell Performance in Rancho Cucamonga, California (see the story here). The model tested was a Scat Pack Challenger with the eight-speed TorqueFlite transmission and peak power measured 432 hp at 5,900 rpm at the rear wheels. It is also fun to note that, along with the 392’s increase in output from 470 hp to 485 hp, Dodge also upgraded the transmission from the five-speed automatic (the Mercedes-derived NAG1) to the eight-speed TorqueFlite in 2015. This allowed the enthusiast/drag racer to keep the engine at or near the engine’s power peak through judicious use of the steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters.
What Does Scat Pack Mean?
The Dodge Scat Pack was initially a collection of three 1968 Dodge models: the Dodge Charger R/T, the Dodge Coronet R/T, and the Dodge Dart GTS. After the success of the non-factory Mr. Norm’s Grand Spaulding Dodge big-block Dart GSS and Dodge’s Dodge Rebellion ad campaign of 1967 (a series of ads loosely promoting Dodge performance vehicles) the Dodge Scat Pack became a recurring fixture for Dodge through the 1971 model year, though none of these cars were actually given the name “Scat Pack.” Within the original group of Scat Pack cars are the two names central to today’s Dodge Scat Pack: the Charger R/T and the Challenger R/T, both available in 392 Hemi-equipped Scat Pack trim. The name Scat Pack is a play on the “Rat Pack,” a revolving group of postwar Hollywood entertainers known for their partying antics. Substituting “rat” with the rhyme “scat” emphasized the speed with which those partying antics could unfold. The term “scat” imparts additional meaning from the free-spirited improvisational vocalizations of jazz singers like Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, and Cab Calloway, and is echoed in Chrysler’s flamboyant color pallet popularized by the youth anti-establishment art and culture movements of the 1960s.
Dodge Scat Pack Widebody
After the introduction of the widebody Dodge Demon in 2018, Dodge quickly migrated the widebody treatment throughout the Dodge passenger-car line-up. The move was a styling and performance breakthrough that became available on the bargain-oriented Scat Pack and, later on, even the 5.7-liter Hemi-powered R/T Charger and Challenger. At the center of the widebody treatment are wider 20×11-inch wheels mounted with 305/35R20 tires. These are covered by wider fender flares and house larger Brembo six-piston brake calipers with 14-inch rotors. Aerodynamic splitter/spoilers are fitted to both ends of Widebody-equipped models, and overall ride height is lower as the result of a stiffer suspension for additional stability at high speed.
Dodge offers the Scat Pack Challenger and the Scat Pack Charger in both narrow-body and widebody versions, and the cost of the widebody treatment adds about $6,000 to the MSRP. Though the bill of materials that comprise the widebody treatment option seems minimal (you can read about how to convert your existing narrow-body Challenger to a widebody here), the aesthetic effect is transformational. The LX platform on which the Charger and Challenger is based has a characteristically high cowl height relative to its narrow track width, empowering the widebody treatment to extraordinarily flattering effect. The stylistic windfall of the widebody option is quite independent of its significant lateral-g handling benefit (.94g for widebody versus .92g for narrow-body). The only Scat Pack model that is not offered in widebody form (yet!) is the Scat Pack 1320.
What Is the Scat Pack 1320?
In 2019, Dodge announced it would be building a drag-specific version of the Scat Pack Challenger called the 1320, named for the number of feet in a quarter-mile. For drag racing cognoscenti, the Scat Pack 1320 contains many of the powerful drag racing tools found on the Dodge Demon, with the important exception of the Demon’s supercharged 840-hp Demon Hemi V-8. Dodge president Tim Kuniskis has said about the Scat Pack 1320: “I wanted to build a car that was prepped and plumbed for nitrous, which of course we can’t do. It’s a joke, but I always joke around that the 1320 was the ‘power-adder prep package.’ Because it’s ready to go, right? You’ve got the suspension, you’ve got the tires, it’s a really cool package. If you ever repeat this, you have to say, ‘He said he was kidding!’”
If you’re wondering what on earth Kuniskis is talking about, you’re probably not a 1320 customer, but if you are, consider this: The 1320 contains factory Nexen drag radials at all four corners, the Demon’s indestructible 41-spline rear half-shafts, the Demon’s line-lock for burnouts, the Demon’s trans brake, and the Demon’s drag-oriented active suspension. Of course, there’s also the Scat Pack’s capable 485-hp 392ci Apache Hemi, which has proven amazingly adept at responding to the aftermarket’s many power parts, including smog-legal supercharger kits. The Scat Pack 1320 is hard to spot in traffic unless you know what to look for; the enameled chrome-plated emblems on its fenders portray the Scat Pack Bee looking forward (not behind, as if watching an opponent catching up), and she’s wearing a serious race helmet with the number “1320” just below her.
How Much Is a Dodge Scat Pack?
In normal times when there isn’t a lack of inventory in dealer showrooms, the price of a used car is significantly less than that of a new car, but a survey of used 2015-to-2020 Dodge Scat Packs on eBay Motors relative to the cost a new one on Dodge.com provides some surprising insights. The first broad-stroke observation is that used standard-body Scat Pack Challengers are by far the most prevalent in the used-car market compared to all other Dodge Scat Pack models (widebody variants, 1320, and Charger). We found the average used price for a 2015-2020 narrow-body Challenger Scat Pack to be $39k (A brand new one configured on the Dodge.com website rings in at $42,895 for a base model and $56,725 for a well-optioned narrow-body). Moving up to a widebody Challenger Scat Pack produces even more bizarre results with the average cost for a used widebody running at $50k where a new base-model widebody Scat Pack Challenger rings in at just $48,220 (A well-optioned widebody Challenger Scat Pack tops out at $59,135). We found no used Dodge Scat Pack 1320s for sale the day we checked on eBay but a special-order quote for a Scat Pack 1320 on Dodge.com came in at $44,410 (well-optioned at $49,660).
You may well ask, what’s happening here? Inventory is depleted due to a shortage of microprocessors leaving only a smattering of used inventory which can then be marked way up. As high-performance vehicles like the Dodge Scat Pack are almost always an impulse buy, few buyers elect to special-order a car with a hefty down payment then wait another three months to get delivery. This, however, is turning out to be the smart move, especially as the curtain is about to come down on the Hemi V-8 forever come 2024.
So what about the Dodge Charger Scat Pack, the four-door sedan version of the 392 Scat Pack family? Used Scat Pack Charger sedans (versus used Challenger coupes) are more than twice as rare and the average asking price on the day we checked was an insane $50k—for a narrow-body Charger Scat Pack. This compares with just $42,895 for a new base Scat Pack Charger and $56,725 for a well-optioned unit (You basically save seven grand by buying a new one and waiting for it to arrive).
As for the Widebody Charger Scat Pack, we found zero used units for sale on eBay Motors and nearly zero inventory of new units on showroom floors, so if you can even find one, the cost of same-day delivery will be predictably high. Nevertheless, if you tough it out and special order a new widebody Charger Scat Pack and wait a few months for delivery, you can expect to pay just $48,795 for a base unit and about $62,745 for a highly optioned one. If a widebody Scat Pack Charger is your forever dream car, the wait will seem insignificant and the money you save could be many thousands of dollars—enough perhaps to pay for a blower kit.
The Best Deal on a Scat Pack … Isn’t a Scat Pack
There is one bright light at the end of the Charger Scat Pack tunnel: if you search instead for a used 2015-2018 Charger or Challenger 392 SRT (the 392-powered version with SRT’s bigger brakes, wider tires, Nappa leather interior, 900-watt stereo, and suspension) there are quite a few available under $40k. Why is this? In this case, a larger but arguably less-informed customer base flocked to the viral Scat Pack model, not realizing that a more well-equipped version already existed. Another explanation as to why the SRT 392’s $8,000 premium has been erased in the used-car market is because prior to the Hellcat’s release the SRT 392 was the top performance model. Many of these owners opted to take a loss in trading-up quickly to a Hellcat. Their loss is your gain! Time to grab a pampered SRT 392 before everyone else figures it out.
Is a Scat Pack Worth It? What Else Compares?
If you’re looking for a good ol’ slice of American V-8 muscle-car pie, with room for American-sized people on wide-open American-sized roads, there really is no other choice than a Hemi-powered Dodge. Other domestic manufacturers nibble at the edges; a Cadillac can do the same thing, but at what cost? A Mustang GT is arguably a faster car for the same price but forget about taking the family on a longer trip. The same goes for a Camaro (which recently became available in LT trim with a 455-hp 6.2-liter V-8 and an MSRP of $35,195). To be honest, there is no substitute for what a Dodge Scat Pack does. For the moment, the best deal seems to be special-ordering a new Scat Pack ($43k gets the job done) and waiting however long it takes. Alternatively, one can bite the bullet on whatever remains of dealer inventory (usually full of bloat options) or getting a used one and paying a smidgen less. We’re at the end of the road with high-powered ICE engines, so if a Hemi is what you’ve always craved and you like the value proposition of the 485-hp 392ci Hemi-powered Dodge Scat Pack, what are you waiting for?
Dodge Scat Pack Highlights
- 485-hp 392ci Hemi V-8 developed by Dodge SRT mated to either a six-speed Tremec manual transmission (Challenger coupe only) or eight-speed TorqueFlite automatic with paddle shifters.
- Dodge Scat Pack is available in five configurations: Challenger narrow-body coupe, Challenger widebody coupe, Challenger 1320 Scat Pack (narrow-body only), Charger narrow-body sedan, Charger widebody sedan.
- Similar to the Dodge Scat Pack is the lesser-known Dodge SRT 392 that was offered from 2011 to 2018 and has additional hardware not found on Dodge Scat Pack including larger Brembo six-piston brakes, Nappa leather interior, 900-watt Harman-Kardon speaker system, and Bilstein adaptive handling suspension.
- The Dodge Scat Pack at 485 hp sits in the middle of the Dodge passenger-car lineup with the 372-hp 5.7-liter Hemi-powered R/T Charger and Challenger just below it and the 717-hp 6.2-liter Hellcat Charger and Challenger just above it.
- The Dodge Scat Pack Challenger and Charger were first offered in 2015 and will end after the 2024 model year.
- The Dodge Scat Pack 1320 Challenger has most of the heavy-duty drag racing hardware that was installed on the 2018 Dodge Demon, with the exception of its 840-hp supercharged Demon Hemi.
- Scat Pack performance: 0-60 in 4.3 seconds, standing quarter-mile in 12.4 seconds, top speed is 174 mph.
Keyword: What Is a Dodge Scat Pack and How Much Is It?