The base 1971 Dodge Challenger came equipped with a 198ci inline-six engine with a single barrel carburetor, an 8.4:1 compression ratio, and a single exhaust. This smaller engine could produce 125 horsepower, which was more fuel efficient but lacked the potent capability the muscle genre was known for. Slightly larger, the 225ci inline-six bumped up the horsepower to 145 but still offered meager performance compared to other options. Basically, if you went with one of these inline-six versions of the Challenger, you had the look but not much under the hood to back it up.
There were also four small-block V8 engine options, which considerably enhanced Challenger’s power, but some noted a disappointing change from prior models. To conform to stricter emission requirements, Dodge began reducing the compression ratio of some of their engines, much to fans’ dismay. In fact, the 383ci Magnum V8 available in the R/T model saw around a 30 horsepower reduction in 1971. There was a 318ci, 340ci, and 383ci V8 option that went from 230 horsepower to 300. The 340ci and the 383ci Magnum featured a 4-barrel carburetor and dual exhaust, with the 340ci featuring a 10.3:1 compression ratio.
