I think that on paper it makes sense for Dodge to offer a V-6. There's a lot of people like me that can't afford the top of the line V-8's but like the idea of a sporty 2 door rear wheel drive car and they need to offer something affordable to "move metal" and re-coup the cost of the Challenger specific tooling.

That said the fuel economy ratings on the V-6 is only 1 m.p.g. better in the city and the same on the highway as the RT V-8's. What is the point of offering the V-6? And with $3 to 4 dollar gas there's a viable market for manual transmissions for extra economy. I was really hoping that a manual tranny was available with the V-6.

I'm new to modern Dodges so before I go off on a totally uninformed rant along the lines of WHAT WERE THEY THINKING!!, I have a few technical questions.

1. Are the 4.7, 5.7 and 6.1 V-8's all basically the same engine block with just different bores and strokes?

2. Is the V-6 the same basic block as the V-8's with 2 cylinders shaved off? Or is it a totally different animal? The fact that the V-6 comes with a 4 speed auto and the V-8's get a 5 speed auto tells me that maybe the bellhousings are totally different which would explain this but I really don't know.

The Challengers are now available in the K.C. area Dodge dealers and driving by one last Saturday I got caught in the tractor beam and pulled in to have a look. All but one Challenger (out of 8) was a V-6.

On the positive side the Challenger is a cool looking car that lives up to the concept hype. Apparently the bean counters that screwed up the Charger were all "court marshalled, shot and sent to the Russian front" by the parent company in Germany in the Challengers' case!