Muscle Car Power
The July 2008 issue of Muscle Car Power magazine has a great article and cover photo of the Challenger. The article is titled "Smokin' Hot Dodge- Challenger's Return Heats Up the Muscle Car Wars."
It is not a road test (that will occur in a later issue), but a detailed summary of the 2008 Challenger's styling and engineering, including a neat full-page "History of the Dodge Pony Car."
Some excerpts from the article are as follows:
"The Dodge SRT8 is meant to deliver the kind of rear-wheel drive driving experience missing since the muscle car era, but in updated form."
"The Dodge Challenger SRT8's 6.1-liter HEMI V-8 gets more power out of less displacement than any naturally aspirated V-8 engine ever offered by Chrysler. Its 69.9-HP-per-liter rating exceeds that of the 1966 Street HEMI."
"The Challenger SRT8 puts power to the ground via an electronically-controlled five-speed automatic, with a lock up torque converter and AutoStick. AutoStick gives the driver the ability to select a higher or lower gear while the transmission controller calibration prevents fuel shutoff during power shifts."
"The W5A580 transmission is intended to provide the kind of performance feeling a muscle car should have...The setup is designed for smooth full-throttle launches, quick wide-open throttle up-shifts and quick two-step, kick-down shifts that are smoother than anything a hydraulic transmission could offer...Extensive use of an electronically modulated converter clutch improves fuel economy in normal, everyday driving conditions."
"Braking, a form of performance sometimes underestimated in the original muscle cars, is everything you would expect from a modern performance car."
"Unlike many of the cars in the muscle car era, which were designed to go fast in a straight line, the Challenger SRT is engineered with the current state of the art 5-link independent rear suspension. The decoupling of left and right wheels over road imperfections permits flatter tire contact with the ground and maintains ride comfort."