Dodge® wanted to bring back the nostalgic Shaker induction from the 1970 Challenger, paying homage to the muscle cars of years past, in a serialized limited run known as the “Buzz” model in 2014. The project challenged NAA: the top half protruded through the hood as a Class A exterior body component, while the lower half had to be a performance air induction system. NAA stepped up where others were reluctant to venture into this cross-functional realm, and developed the 2014 Shaker for the 5.7L.
It was so well executed, and so desired by performance enthusiasts, that it became a vehicle option on the Challenger 5.7L. NAA developed provisions for the 6.4L as well, and both models ran through the retirement of the combustion-engine Challenger in 2023.
This labor-intensive, low-volume production program brought together a multitude of manufacturing disciplines: sheet molding compound (SMC), injection molding, overmolding, insert molding, laser cutting, steel forming, high-temperature outgassing, CNC machining, robotic machining, exterior prime and paint, convection baking, hand sanding, custom material handling, vision systems, DC torque drivers and certified IATF 16949 assembly processes.
The system was manufactured entirely at our two facilities in Auburn Hills, MI, with 100% of components and tooling built in the U.S. Over the life of the program, NAA manufactured more than 50,000 Shaker assemblies with stellar quality, and not a single Shaker assembly was ever returned by Dodge for any reason.