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[quote]
Inside the Dodge Challenger SRT8
Quotes and notes from the media launch
By PETE LYONS

PETE LYONS
Dodge Challenger SRT8
In the auto journalism biz, one of the most exciting times is the media launch of a new vehicle--especially when the vehicle in question promises to push the fun meter to 10, as with the new Dodge Challenger SRT8.

Media launches are also among the few times an automaker will take the muzzles off the people who give up months of their lives bringing the project to life. They usually have plenty to say, but not all of it fits into the space limits of a printed page.

Here, for autoweek.com readers, are comments from five members of the Challenger brain trust:

--Mike Accavitti, director of Dodge marketing

--Jeff Gale, exterior lead designer (and son of legendary Chrysler design chief Tom Gale)

--Kipp Owen, director of SRT Engineering

--Peter Gladysz, senior manager of SRT Powertrain

--Erich Heuschele, SRT vehicle dynamics supervisor (and multiple SCCA champion in Neons and Vipers)



Overview: Mike Accavitti
Regarding the 1970-'74 Challenger: "I used to get butterflies when I'd see them on the street. I used to chase 'em down on my Stingray bike. The problem is, Dodge quit making Challengers by the time I could drive. So to be here to launch this car, it's really a dream come true. I'm waiting for my mom to come rap on my door and say, 'Come on, Mike, it's time to go to school.'

"But this can't be a dream, because in my dreams, Cheryl Tiegs shows up about right now.

"This is a real dream come true, not only for me but for thousands of other car nuts who thought we would never make machines like this again.

"The time is absolutely right to launch this car. We have millions of baby boomers entering their empty-nester phase with a ton of purchasing power. At the same time, we have millions of Gen Xers and Millennials looking for a way to express themselves in a vehicle that's high-image and fun to drive.

"This specialty segment is growing and is going to continue to grow even faster, and now with some Dodge attitude.

"But this isn't just a pretty face with a great body. This vehicle is packing some serious technology . . . things that back in the day would be classified as Star Wars technology.

"And we're launching the SRT first. Now, that's a switch. Why? Come on, we had to. The Challenger's legend lies in its performance, and SRT is our performance brand."


PETE LYONS

Styling: Jeff Gale
"When you tell a designer that you have the job to take a concept car and put it into production . . . when we got that assignment at Studio 3, I don't think you could have peeled everybody off the wall with a stick, we were so excited.

"The '06 concept car was kind of the guide that we used to get to what you see today. I'm going to tell you a little bit about the theory and the line work versus the concept and, of course, how that relates back to the original 1970 car.

"We wanted to keep the front end aggressive--it had to be pure Challenger and pure Dodge. The full-width profile, the grille, the setback in the dual-quad headlamps, the black areas around the headlamps, which matches what's on the rear, the hood shape with the dual snorkels, even the graphics to some extent . . . it's sort of that mind's-eye view of what somebody would remember about the '70 Challenger.

"It's imperative for us to keep our vehicles stable at high speeds, so there's a lot of aero development that went into this car. The overhang, the slanted front end, might not be the best thing initially going into the program [because it may create front lift]. So the air dam, the surfacing around the front and even the bevels in the radii that lead around to the side were all developed in our wind tunnel.

"It's kind of nice hav