Driving Line VOLUME V ISSUE 2 | SPRING 2019 | Page 62
FROM DOMESTICS TO
IMPORTS AND BACK AGAIN
Jose Cruz-Lopez is one enthusiast who has had
no problem bouncing between domestics and imports.
Although his first car was a V6 Charger, he got his real
start in car-modding culture with a bright-yellow Honda
S2000. His priorities have always included both driveability
and aesthetics, so he starts with a great platform and
customizes it to look the way he imagines it should.
As much as he loved the sporty Honda, the Challenger
hadn't left his eye since he parted ways with his first Dodge.
The two-door had been out of his reach upon its release,
but when the planets aligned and Dodge released this
T/A model, he knew he had to make the jump back to
the domestics.
The Challenger T/A is Dodge's throwback to the Trans
Am–spec race cars of its history. The T/A model adds some
cool touches, such as the Hellcat's headlamp intakes,
OEM vintage-style hoodpins, a throwback houndstooth
interior, unique suspension and performance exhaust.
All of that power is controlled through a decidedly cool
six-speed manual transmission.
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