2023 is a bittersweet year for muscle cars—Dodge’s HEMI V8-animated brothers are retiring, and the Camaro’s fate is still hanging in the air, but at least the 2024 Mustang has entered the game for a new generation. And various parts of the world are deciding on deadlines for making the sale of new cars powered by internal combustion engines illegal-nothing major there. Meanwhile, there’s one part of the globe where muscle cars, along with other performance vehicles, enjoy more freedom: the Middle East. And hey, they even have a muscle car off-roading subculture over there.
Given the relationship between Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates and dinosaur juice, as well as the magnetic effect of muscle cars, it’s no surprise these beasts are so popular over there. As for the freedom I mentioned in the intro, that region seems to have multiple definitions for when somebody customizes a muscle car to run on unprepped surfaces. So they can refer to asphalt or sand.
Dubai organizes dune racing in areas like Moreeb Dune and Tilal Swaihan, while Saudi Arabia has been hosting the world-famous Dakar Rally since 2020. And that’s just the tip of the dune, with many enthusiasts enjoying amateur motorsport out in the desert.
And while some of them go for SUVs that can top 2,000 hp, there are some drivers who prefer to turn muscle cars into sand-taming creatures. Think of these jacked-up American machines as the opposite of the insanely quick SUVs they sometimes take to the drag strip over in the Middle East.
The Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato and the Porsche 911 Dakar made jacked-up two-door thrills official last year. But these are people taking power into their own hands, usually on a reasonable budget.
You’ll find such projects on social media, and I’ve brought along a few for today. Given Mopar’s said HEMI V8 axing (Dodge’s first EV Charger is coming in 2024), I’ll start with a pair of such machines, in no particular order.
Lifted Dodge Challenger SRT8
Sure, Ram was kind enough to push the Hellcat into the engine bay of the TRX, but having a Dodge Challenger that can tackle rugged terrain hits differently, even if the coupe doesn’t pack a supercharger. Cue to the Challenger of Emirati racing driver and drifter Ghaith Al Falasi, aka ghaith_79 on social media.
This Dodge packs the 392 (6.4L) HEMI, which, in stock form, churns out 470 hp for this pre-2015MY facelift version of the Gen III Challenger. And while the big coupe is still RWD, it’s got a lift kit that makes the new wheels and tires relevant. Speaking of which, the vehicle now sports beadlock wheels shod in tires that are more appropriate for desert runs.
There’s a bull bar and a skid plate up front, with the protection hardware running from underneath the vehicle to the edge of the hood, while the lower part of the factory bumper has left the building. To keep the sand from flying everywhere, we have rounded fender flares, albeit with these integrated into the body rather than visibly attached like the factory widebody offered for some of the 2019+ models I’ve included on this top collectible Gen III Challengers list.
High-riding Challenger R/T
Next, there’s the also-pre 2015MY Dodge Challenger of a Dubai-based enthusiast known as f7_team_riders_car on Instagram. The project is similar to the one above, but I’ll list some key aspects that set them apart.
For starters, this is a Challenger R/T, which means there’s 5.7L HEMI under the hood (here’s all you need to know about maintaining this Eagle entry-level V8), breathing through a K&N air filter. From the factory, the unit is rated at 372 hp.
The skid plate up front skips the bull bar, albeit featuring generous cooling holes, while the lower part of the bumper has once again gone away. However, the roof rack seems more generous here, while there are larger overfenders. The configuration? RWD manual, so we can talk about maximum driver engagement.
Saudi Arabian shop building Dune-bashing S197 Ford Mustangs and more
Unlike the two Instagram accounts mentioned above, the one belonging to Saad Almasoud shows the accomplishments and adventures of a Saudi Arabian shop working on such lifted muscle cars (the handle is gt3cyber).
Their most prominent projects to date include a Gen V Camaro and multiple S197.1 Ford Mustangs, one of which is a convertible. However, the one that seems the best documented is an S197 Coupe. And, despite the Mustang 4×4 decals on the doors, the vehicle only works the rear axle in multiple hillclimb videos.
Baja Camaro 4×4
I’ve saved the most extreme build of today for last. Coming to you from a Saudi Arabian aficionado known as abo_turki_m_, the Motivation for this lifted Gen V Chevrolet Camaro sporting a ZL1 nose comes from an LSX. The V8 works with two turbos, whose shortie exhausts aim directly at the sky.
And there’s no need to worry about all that power being put to good use—this is a Camaro 4×4 with proper off-roading tires and heavy-duty suspension (there are rigid axles at both ends). The soundtrack? Just as savage as you’d expect.
While this last monster may no longer belong in the somewhat affordable category, it’s clear that it can give the Middle East’s ubiquitous modded Nissan Patrols a run for their money.
Oh, and if anybody was wondering how you could challenge an YouTuber off-roading a factory-spec Ferrari F8 for “durability testing”, the treatment seen here might just do the job. And now, it’s time for some of those brutish muscle-on-sand shenanigans, which await you in the videos below.