Jeremiah 29:11

I think these reporters need better editors.......what is with the title of his article.

All-wheel-drive option......that would be interesting.

Audi S5........I don't think so.


2009 Dodge Charger


Let the Ponycar wars begin!
By By Malcolm Gunn
Wheelbase Communications

Originally published 04:07 p.m., February 24, 2008
Updated 04:07 p.m., February 24, 2008

Has it really been that long?

Has it actually been nearly 40 years since the Dodge Challenger first attempted to muscle its way onto the scene for a share of the Ponycar pie?

For a certain segment of the population that grew up during the last great horsepower battles fought between Ford, General Motors, Chrysler and American Motors, the new Challenger will seem like a time machine that leads straight to the early 1970s.

In those heady days, they're were no fewer than eight vehicles in the Ponycar class, so called because the Ford Mustang was the leader of a herd that spawned similar long-hood, short-rear-deck models available with pavement-tearing V8 power.

As retro looking as the new Challenger is, the clock isn't exactly being turned back. Instead, key styling elements have been brought forward from the original car to find their way into a completely new and modern two-door model. Whether they realize it, this is exactly what nostalgia-laden boomers want it: to just get in a drive and look cool doing it.

As the current retro-styled Mustang has demonstrated, close physical ties to the past are more than just a good idea: they're mandatory. The Challenger's headlights are round, just like they were always intended to be. The full-width taillamp and rear spoiler have a familiar look and the outside mirrors are actually based on molds pulled from the originals. One obvious difference is that there's far less chrome showing now than on the original, giving it a bumper-free, slab-sided appearance.

The Challenger is actually built using a shortened version of the Dodge Charger/Chrysler 300 rear-wheel-drive platform, with four inches removed between the front and rear wheels.

The version of the Challenger initially heading to Dodge's salivating dealers, and only in limited numbers, is the high-performance SRT8 iteration. Anyone familiar with Chrysler's other SRT8 products, such as the Magnum wagon or Charger sedan, will recognize the Challenger's interior treatment, especially its thick, heavily bolstered front bucket seats. Other SRT standard equipment includes a tight suspension package that includes stiff springs, shocks, anti-roll bars and an SRT-specific stability-control system that helps keep the car pointed in the right direction and its over-exuberant drivers out of trouble.

For that final SRT flourish, the Challenger rides on 20-inch wheels and will thankfully stop far better than the original with 14-inch disc brakes at all four wheels.

In true SRT8 tradition, a 6.1-liter V8 "Hemi" with 425 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque is the sole source of motivation. The engine is connected to a five-speed automatic transmission with manual shift controls that provides at least some simulation of a good-ol'-days manual gearbox, but without the fun of banging the cogs at the redline.

Chrysler states that the Challenger will nail 60 mph from a standing stop in the low-five-second range, run the quarter-mile in less than 14 seconds and can be hauled down from to a stop from 60 m.p.h. in around 110 feet.

At the outset, the Challenger SRT8 will arrive with a full range of standard equipment - air, cruise, keyless remote entry, power-controlled accessories and the like - along with a 322-watt, 13-speaker premium audio system and plenty of safety gear.

After the serious gearheads with a spare $38,000 (list price) kicking around get their fill, you can expec

thenatural

Not to be picky but... isnt it 520 watt speaker system?

Jeremiah 29:11

520 Watts is the total wattage of the sound system and so I think he is giving the power rating without the subwoofer which is 200 watts.

MGDMike

Wow.. great article about the Charger Malcolm Gunn... now where can I get that 2 minutes of my life back now.

mopar2ya

So would that the put the HP rating at 318 HP... that is without the rear two cylinders of course

AND... now I'm really confused... am I buying a Charger or a Challenger... better check with my dealer this morning just to make sure...

Jeremiah 29:11

He titled it Charger and it should have been Challenger. Need better editors.