New York Auto Show Preview: Dodge Challenger R/T and V6 Models To Debut
CHICAGO — From the reading-between-the-lines department comes this little nugget: Dodge will unveil the R/T and V6 versions of its Challenger muscle car at the 2008 New York Auto Show in mid-March.
Asked repeatedly at the debut of the 425-horsepower Challenger SRT8 model at the Chicago auto show when we would see other variations on the Challenger theme, Chrysler Vice Chairman and President Jim Press said, "Just wait until New York."
We expect the R/T to come with a 340- or 350-hp 5.7-liter version of the company's Hemi V8 and a five-speed automatic transmission, just as R/T versions of Chargers and Magnums do. The V6 version will likely carry the 250-hp 3.5-liter six-cylinder and, if Dodge follows its own naming convention, will be dubbed the SXT.
One would hope that both will come to market without the "carbon fiber" stickers applied to the hood of the Challenger SRT8.
The SRT8 model starts at $37,995.
What this means to you: You'll soon be able to get the look without all the cost. — Daniel Pund, Senior Editor, Detroit