2012 Nissan Rogue SV FWD: RideLust Review
If you watched NHRA Pro Stock or Super Stock racing in the early 1970s, you know that Ronnie Sox and Buddy Martin owned the competition with their red, white and blue Hemi powered Plymouth ‘Cudas. Now, thanks to Mr. Norm’s Garage, you can own a modern version of the famed Sox & Martin cars.
Starting with a 6.1 liter, Hemi motored Dodge Challenger (since Plymouth and the Barracuda are no more), Mr. Norm’s Garage offers their version in three flavors. The Super Street edition (“mild”) gives you 625 horsepower, the Super Stock edition (“spicy”) gives you 725 horsepower and the top-of-the-range Pro Stock edition (“holy shit, I think I just swallowed nuclear waste”) gives you 900 horsepower to play with.
Each car gets a Sox & Martin customized interior, a unique fender plaque with a Sox & Martin serial number and Buddy Martin’s autograph on the dash (Ronnie Sox died in 2006). You can have your choice of any color, as long as it’s Sox & Martin red, white and blue. No pricing has been announced, but look at it this way; whatever they cost, it’s cheaper than owning an original Sox & Martin Hem ‘Cuda, and probably a whole lot more drivable, too.
I have dreamed of the day when the old-time race cars would be appreciated for the awe-inspiring machinery they were. I was a high-schooler back then, in an auto mechanics curriculum, fantacizing about the day I might just get the chance to sit behind the wheel of such a monster and blow the sox (pun intended) off Don Prudhomme or Doug Herbert and the like. Bg Daddy was in another class, but I was sure he would have taken notice of the young gun clocking 160 at the 330ft mark! Oh, the memories! Thank you guys for the trip down memory lane and, at least the outside chance that I might someday, be able to drive/own one of these beauties. (note to self: start saving in the Bucket List Bank…must hurry!)
I think the cuda / challenger looks amazing..it would be great if dodge brought it back for real!