392 Challenger Scat Pack - what’s holding it back?

Non-forced induction ways of improving power at altitude are sort of all forms of turd polishing.  The flip side is that once you make the jump to boost, you are actually at a larger advantage vs the rest of the NA cars than you would be at sea level. 

Main caveat to using boost to compensate for altitude is it does require the turbo to spin faster and go to a less efficient part of its compressor map then the same car at sea level. So, the turbo has to have a little 'headroom'. A turbo car that is maxed out at sea level will still lose power at altitude. 

I had one as a rental once. It looked like the one in 84FSP's post. It was ludicrous. Tire smoke at command. Launch control was used three times a day.

Did you get handed the valet key? Or maybe it is the altitude.

You was given the valet key.

Pete

I don’t think it has a valet “key”.  This video shows a valet “pin”.  Evidently I’m not in valet mode because I can disable traction control, put the trans in pista mode, steering in “pista” (Spanish for track mode), enable the paddles, etc.  These mode changes make a huge difference in how the car drives and yes it can put down some rubber.  I just thought a Scat, even at 8000’, would boil the hides until you took your foot out of it.  This one won’t.  

I just filled it yesterday but forgot to ask for “super” Pemex.  I don’t know what she put in it.  I was too busy watching her and her other pump jockey friend practicing dance moves for a wedding while the Pemex slowly poured in.  

https://youtu.be/ExJ1WoNyUmw

edit: mine sounds a whole lot more like his when he’s not in valet mode.  

 First off you can’t see out of the Berking thing.

Lot of people glanced right over this.

In reply to pilotbraden :

I used a horsepower-at-altitude calculator.

Nugi said:

You can run crappier gas at altitude (lower compression) without knocking, so if its knock based its likely not the gas. Power might be down as much as 20% from sealevel. 

Anyone know of any good non-forced induction ways of making more power at alt? I live at 8500, and its brutal to power. Bigger intake? Bigger exhaust? 

All I can say about that is that I remember being around Leadville, CO once with my 4.0 Jeep XJ.  It felt like its tongue was hanging out.  A dude pulled up beside me at a light in a stock sounding VW Combi bus and when it turned he dusted my butt.  And no, my XJ was not “broken”.

An SRT at that altitude is probably worse than a regular 5.7 at sea level. I drove a 5.7/8spd Charger home tonight to do an oil pressure sensor tomorrow and it definitely doesn't knock your socks off even at 600 feet alt (i mean it's fast, but just regular fast ) so i can see where the disappointment could come from. 

Isn't regular Pemex only 80 octane? Don't know if that's RON or MON or (R+M)/2

Have also driven a Scat Pack Charger and it was no disappointment for sure; I was giggling the entire time.

Pemex Magna which is the lower of the 2.

canoe

Canoe reported. 
 

also, rented "my truck" in denver. I owned a 2012 frontier 4x4 pro4x, i rented a newer frontier 4x4 pro4x in denver. Same motor. My truck in Florida at near sea level was a absolute beast, the newer, far less mileage truck in denver was sadly slow. 

Also worth noting, do NOT spin the tires on rental performance cars. They check the tread depth after each rental and your credit card on file will be buying the rental car a new set of rubber if they find the tires were "abused". 
 

I got a rental camaro SS once by luck. Fun, but i knew better than to roast the tires. Also like the challenger apparently, the back window is decorative only. It has HUGE terrible blind spots.