ENGLISHTOWN, New Jersey — There has been lots of speculation about the speed of the new 2009 Dodge Challenger R/T with its 375-horsepower 5.7-liter V8, and we were able to conduct our own independent testing at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, New Jersey, the site of the official introduction of the 2009 Dodge Challenger lineup.

This is the very first chance to test the performance of Chrysler's new muscle car in R/T trim. Our data includes 0-60-mph acceleration, quarter-mile performance, braking distance and slalom speed, as well as insight from IL's test-driver.

Chrysler based its introduction of the 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8, R/T and SE at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, a traditional stop for the NHRA's professional drag-racing championship. Thanks to our portable Racelogic VBOX III testing gear, we were able to use the track for performance testing, although the lack of a suitable plot of pavement precluded skid pad evaluation.

The 2009 Dodge Challenger R/T with its 375-hp 5.7-liter V8 and six-speed manual transmission accelerated to 60 mph in 5.9 seconds (5.5 seconds with 1 foot of rollout like on a drag strip), then reached the quarter-mile in 14.1 seconds at 100.8 mph. In comparison, the 315-hp 2008 Mustang Bullitt we tested late last year with a 4.6-liter V8 and Tremec five-speed manual transmission ran to 60 mph in just 5.2 seconds. The Bullitt also ran a 13.8-second quarter-mile at 102.1 mph.

At 4,041 pounds, the R/T weighs about 100 pounds less than a 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8 with a six-speed transmission. In fact the R/T is only fractionally slower to 60 mph than the SRT8's 5.5 seconds (5.2 seconds with 1 foot of rollout). The difference lies in the higher redline of the SRT8's 425-hp 6.1-liter Hemi, which enables the car to pull past 60 mph in 2nd gear. In comparison, the R/T requires a shift into 3rd gear.



Full performance data is listed below:

Acceleration:
0-30 mph 2.5 seconds
0-45 mph 4.0 seconds
0-60 mph 5.9 seconds
0-75 mph 8.4 seconds
1/4-mile 14.1 seconds at 100.8 mph
0-60 mph with 1 foot of rollout 5.5 seconds

Braking:
30-0 mph 29 feet
60-0 mph 126 feet

Slalom (600 feet) 62.4 mph

Test Driver Comments
With its Goodyear Eagle RS-A tires, the R/T is a little trickier to launch than the SRT8 with its sticky Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar tires. The grip of the RS-As disappears quickly, so only the first two or three launches are worth measuring. Still, a 3,200-rpm launch worked well enough to bag consistent runs to 60 mph in less than 6 seconds. The Tremec six-speed with its pistol-grip shifter feels robust but is still easy to operate. During braking tests, the first stop was the best at 126 feet, growing to 132 by the end. Pedal effort remained moderately firm throughout testing and only a little hot-brake odor was evident. Despite a button and light indicating to the contrary, the ESP is not all the way off. As we would expect, the R/T offers more grip, better turn-in and yaw response compared to the V6-powered SE, but nowhere near the capability of an SRT8.

What this means to you: We've got a full test of the 2009 Dodge Challenger R/T due to arrive any minute now. — Kelly Toepke, News Editor

Get the test numbers for the other Challenger models:
2009 Dodge Challenger SE
2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8