Dodge Challenger SRT8 (6-speed manual) Review
April 21, 9:01 AM ·
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THOR’S Orange HAMMER!
“Why are we stopped?” asks my unsuspecting passenger. “Quiet - just hold on,” I say as I click the steering wheel controls over to the telemetry settings and locate the 0 to 60 setting. This will record my time and keep it for further reference.
My passenger is breathing heavy.
I snap the 6-speed manual transmission to 1st gear and rev the MASSIVE 6.1 liter HEMI which crackles, growls and shakes like the god of thunder. I dump the clutch and slam my right foot down. I chuckle like a mad man before shifting to 2nd just before the 6,400 rpm redline.
“OH MY GOD!”
My passenger is hyperventilating.
60 miles per hour comes in less than 5 seconds. This is one of my better times for I have had a hard time finding good testing roads as we just had a massive snow. Funny thing about Denver – most of the roads are completely dry 2 days later. I have to make up for lost testing time. Mind you, this is all in the name of objective testing for the consumer and by no means is it for self gratification.
I manage 0-100-0 in just a hair over 19 seconds. A better driver can do it in 17. My passenger is screaming something incoherent as we settle into a rolling rhythm in the test area.
"What's
WRONG with you!?"
My passenger yells as he exits the Dodge cursing. I remind him that this amazing machine costs about 45K loaded. He stops cussing for a moment.
The Dodge Challenger SRT8 is nothing short of a miracle in our time. Sure, it’s not the fastest car (it will certainly get your
blood boiling) and there are a few imperfections in the overall package – if you CHOOSE to see them. For me and some of my writing brethren, we see the Challenger SRT8 as a sledgehammer in a needlepoint world. Thank god for that.
The 6-speed
manual is one of the key points here.
425 horsepower (making 420 lbs feet of torque) needs to be filtered through a system that lets you get the most out this glorious HEMI. Using the fairly smooth 6-speed allows the driver to keep the power exactly where it’s needed, especially through corners. I like the pistol-grip shifter’s feel and the throws are just a hair longer than, say, the normal Corvette’s.
I begin to slide into corners and play with the gears until I find the right balance between cornering grip and acceleration. There is so much power and torque, I NEVER got the thing out of 3rd gear in the cornering sections. This is a heavy car and you feel that heft when you to push the corners. The balance is not too bad – IF you refrain from driving this thing like a Corvette or Porsche. That massive HEMI is part of the culprit as the Detroit iron is a heavy lump that makes the Dodge Challenger SRT8 nose heavy. I’m guessing that the R/T might handle a bit better – in the corners.
The limited-slip rear differential (with a 3.92 ratio) does a great job locking up when you get power-happy at a standstill. A slight tail-wag in a cloud of smoke and you lock up and scoot – REAL quick (AND you can completely shut off the ESP system!) Fat, 20 inch aluminum wheels cover awesome Brembo Brakes (14.2 inch front and 13.9-inch rear rotors with 4-piston calipers on each) all suspending a stout 4-wheel independent suspension.
As long as you’re willing to corner properly (slow in and fast out) and you’re not afraid to let the rear end step out and drift a tad, the Dodge Challenger SRT8 is pretty good on the corners. I think the new Mustang has more grip, but the Dodge’s independent rear should be far more forgiving. No matter how sideways you get, call up the
THUNDER and let the sweet HEMI burn enough rubber to get you pointed the right way.
It’s that
sound man… the HEMI beckons.
The sound is one of the most addicting I have ever experienced. The evenly spaced pedals allow my fat 13-inch feet to dance around with each pedal and even “heal-toe” with ease. I blip the throttle just for the hell of it. Normally, the massive HEMI will chug lazily along, all while getting surprisingly good gas mileage (if you behave, you can achieve well over 20 mpg on the highway).
It’s a great car for large drivers as I was genuinely comfortable, even on a long haul past Strasburg. For a “pony” car, the back seats are fine for kids and shorter folk. The trunk was another surprise as I was able to get a full Costco load inside and was even able to lower the 60/40 split rear seat for long items. It holds nearly as much as a Dodge Charger (the vehicle its based on) even with the subwoofer taking up space.
In fact, the whole car is rather tame around town. The sport-tuned suspension is far mellower than I was expecting. I never felt like my molars were about to shoot out of my face, even on pot-holed roads. On the highway, it is as comfortable as many commuters and there is no darty or nervous feel which comes from other sports machines.
It takes time getting used to the gun-slit windows as the interior seems like its had a custom chopped/cropped roof. You sit deep, low and cocooned in the Dodge and it feels extraordinary. Controls are simple and the sat/nav/stereo system is more than adequate. Most of the time, I kept the thing off just to listen to the baritone HEMI harmony.
Here’s something that will get many into trouble. The Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC) is a digital display that
shows: average miles per gallon, compass, miles to empty, trip odometer, elapsed times and maintenance intervals. More importantly, it has a setting that shows you: 0-60 times, digital speedometer, braking distance and timer, 1/4 mile and 1/8 mile timers and a G-force meter.
The interior is what many find to be a weak point. I do admit the setup is rather stark, and almost dull. Everything is within easy reach and the materials are decent; I mean, it’s no Audi, but it is functional and comfortable. Dodge should add some style to the interior, if for no other reason than to meet the expectations set by the delectable exterior.
There is just
ONE major flaw… the parking brake. It seems trivial to some, but I can’t stand foot brakes on performance machines. They should have an easy to engage and disengage hand brake – period.
As for the rest? My god, it’s cool – ALL of it is cool. The chromed gas cap that’s labeled “fuel” is silly – but cool. The hood vents which look like RAM air inlets (they are functional as cooling ports I’m told) are cool. The impossibly long nose, short overhangs and racing stripes are cool.
Most of all – the Dodge Challenger SRT8 LOOKS COOL!
There are no wasted lines in its design. It oozes sex appeal and makes you look over your shoulder SEVERAL times as you walk away. The retro look is tastefully done and no gear-head will confuse it for anything else. I can’t wait to see what other variants of the Dodge Challenger grace our roads.
Is it cartoon-like? Yup – and that’s the point. Does it sound unreal? You bet it does! Does it move like the devil? You bet your rosary it does! Will EVERYONE notice you? Without question – everyone will hear you, see you and want to BE you in this machine!
Here’s the bottom line. This car is fun in every way a car can be fun. I know its fun because my wife (who’s kind of hippy-ish, green, granola-like) absolutely, positively and completely HATES the Challenger SRT8. For Dodge, this is a ringing endorsement for building such a mighty machine.
I AM
MIGHTY – driving the Dodge Challenger SRT8!
http://www.dodge.com/en/2009/challenger/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sia9kErJT6o&feature=related
Photos: N.D. Adlen