Speed TV Review
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Speed TV Review
2008 DODGE CHALLENGER SRT: Smokin’ HotWritten by: Howard Walker
RACER Magazine
http://www.racer.com Date: 04/30/2008 - 01:13 PM
Location: Los Angeles, Calif.
Yeah, you’d want one. Maybe even sell a vital organ for experimental medicine for one. Certainly cash-in your kids’ college fund to put one in your garage.
Don’t worry, you’re not alone. When Dodge announced there’d be an initial, limited run of 6,400 Challenger SRT8s for the ’08 model year, they sold out before you could say “Eat My Mustang.”
And why wouldn’t you lust after this piece of throbbing, tire-fricasseeing, Hemi-powered American muscle? Especially when it comes with a 6.1-liter pushrod V8 up front delivering 425 horses and a whole hunka burnin’ torque.
The concept Challenger you saw a couple of years back is essentially what you’ll get when the first cars get delivered to eager Mopar addicts next month.
See this new Challenger in the metal and it’s 1970 Vanishing Point all over again. Open the door and you can almost hear Kowalski’s dulcet tones talking to his DJ buddy Super Soul – before he inserts the car into the blunt end of a Caterpillar bulldozer.
There are some lovely design cues going on here. That kicked-up, Coke-bottle waistline, the hooded headlights, the tucked-under lower front end. The Dodge suits even OK’d the original grille design instead of the present trademark Dodge cross-hairs that was on the concept.
The exterior design of the production version is the work of Jeff Gale, son of legendary Chrysler design guru, Tom Gale. Jeff has all of his dad’s muscle car passion, having a 1970 Road Runner in his garage.
He’s an enormous fan of the ’70 Challenger so incorporated as many of its design cues into the new car as he could. Like those big, post-mounted door mirrors, which were created from moulds taken from an original Challenger.
And while you can’t help but salivate at those 20-inch forged Alcoa rims at each corner, look closely and you’ll see they mimic the look and style of the original Magnum 500s.
My favorite bit? That would be the big, chromed fuel flap with the word “FUEL” writ large in the center. It’s a piece of automotive sculpture. And amazingly in these days of Chrysler penny-pinching, the whole piece is made of solid metal instead of cheapo chromed plastic.
Beneath that sexy body, this new Challenger rides on a shortened Dodge Charger SRT8 platform – four inches were taken out of the wheelbase – with all the Charger greasy bits underneath.
That was key for two reasons; firstly to keep costs at rock bottom – the full-house SRT8 stickers at an affordable $37,995. Second, Dodge had to have the Challenger pounding the streets well before Chevy unleashes its Camaro next year and Ford refreshes its Mustang.
While the Charger makes a terrific organ donor, the downside is size; the Challenger takes up a lot of space. Park it next to a Mustang and it dwarfs the Ford ponycar – it’s almost 10 inches longer and two inches wider.
But no one can complain about the heat this new Challenger SRT8 comes packing. The mega 6.1-liter pushrod Hemi V8 was made for this car, with 425 horsepower and a whopping 420 lb-ft of twist. It’s still the highest naturally aspirated specific-output V8 ever offered by Chrysler – its 69.8 horsepower per liter rating exceeds even that of the legendary 1966 “Street Hemi” lump.
Not all is perfect however. These first 6,400 cars only come with a five-speed slushbox –a six-speed manual, modified from the Viper transmission, won’t be offered till the ’09 models land in late summer.
That said, the five-speed auto is a fine ’box; it comes with Autostick manual control, and the SRT engineers have thrown in an aggressive first gear ratio to fire the car off the line and enhance those smoky burnouts we love so much.
Climb aboard and prepare to smile. With a limited budget, Chrysler’s designers have done a spl
RACER Magazine
http://www.racer.com Date: 04/30/2008 - 01:13 PM
Location: Los Angeles, Calif.
Yeah, you’d want one. Maybe even sell a vital organ for experimental medicine for one. Certainly cash-in your kids’ college fund to put one in your garage.
Don’t worry, you’re not alone. When Dodge announced there’d be an initial, limited run of 6,400 Challenger SRT8s for the ’08 model year, they sold out before you could say “Eat My Mustang.”
And why wouldn’t you lust after this piece of throbbing, tire-fricasseeing, Hemi-powered American muscle? Especially when it comes with a 6.1-liter pushrod V8 up front delivering 425 horses and a whole hunka burnin’ torque.
The concept Challenger you saw a couple of years back is essentially what you’ll get when the first cars get delivered to eager Mopar addicts next month.
See this new Challenger in the metal and it’s 1970 Vanishing Point all over again. Open the door and you can almost hear Kowalski’s dulcet tones talking to his DJ buddy Super Soul – before he inserts the car into the blunt end of a Caterpillar bulldozer.
There are some lovely design cues going on here. That kicked-up, Coke-bottle waistline, the hooded headlights, the tucked-under lower front end. The Dodge suits even OK’d the original grille design instead of the present trademark Dodge cross-hairs that was on the concept.
The exterior design of the production version is the work of Jeff Gale, son of legendary Chrysler design guru, Tom Gale. Jeff has all of his dad’s muscle car passion, having a 1970 Road Runner in his garage.
He’s an enormous fan of the ’70 Challenger so incorporated as many of its design cues into the new car as he could. Like those big, post-mounted door mirrors, which were created from moulds taken from an original Challenger.
And while you can’t help but salivate at those 20-inch forged Alcoa rims at each corner, look closely and you’ll see they mimic the look and style of the original Magnum 500s.
My favorite bit? That would be the big, chromed fuel flap with the word “FUEL” writ large in the center. It’s a piece of automotive sculpture. And amazingly in these days of Chrysler penny-pinching, the whole piece is made of solid metal instead of cheapo chromed plastic.
Beneath that sexy body, this new Challenger rides on a shortened Dodge Charger SRT8 platform – four inches were taken out of the wheelbase – with all the Charger greasy bits underneath.
That was key for two reasons; firstly to keep costs at rock bottom – the full-house SRT8 stickers at an affordable $37,995. Second, Dodge had to have the Challenger pounding the streets well before Chevy unleashes its Camaro next year and Ford refreshes its Mustang.
While the Charger makes a terrific organ donor, the downside is size; the Challenger takes up a lot of space. Park it next to a Mustang and it dwarfs the Ford ponycar – it’s almost 10 inches longer and two inches wider.
But no one can complain about the heat this new Challenger SRT8 comes packing. The mega 6.1-liter pushrod Hemi V8 was made for this car, with 425 horsepower and a whopping 420 lb-ft of twist. It’s still the highest naturally aspirated specific-output V8 ever offered by Chrysler – its 69.8 horsepower per liter rating exceeds even that of the legendary 1966 “Street Hemi” lump.
Not all is perfect however. These first 6,400 cars only come with a five-speed slushbox –a six-speed manual, modified from the Viper transmission, won’t be offered till the ’09 models land in late summer.
That said, the five-speed auto is a fine ’box; it comes with Autostick manual control, and the SRT engineers have thrown in an aggressive first gear ratio to fire the car off the line and enhance those smoky burnouts we love so much.
Climb aboard and prepare to smile. With a limited budget, Chrysler’s designers have done a spl
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 543
Likes: 0
From: New Milford, Ct.
RE: Speed TV Review
Stories like this make me itch all over and sweaty just dreaming for when I get my behind in my Challenger and see how well all of these stories come true.
I feel like I am 16 all over again waiting for my 09...too many months to ponder but soon enough that 6.1 will be purring in my driveway attracting neighbors and calling for me to take her out and give her the attention she craves!
I feel like I am 16 all over again waiting for my 09...too many months to ponder but soon enough that 6.1 will be purring in my driveway attracting neighbors and calling for me to take her out and give her the attention she craves!
When was the last time a car did that for you? This car instills passion
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 433
Likes: 0
From: Massachusetts
RE: Speed TV Review
Lol....GOOD ONE!
ORIGINAL: mopar2ya
OK... let me rethink this... one additional dealer mark-up on a 2008 Challenger SRT8... [:@]
ORIGINAL: DK challenger
If you're lucky it might bring about 20K.
If you're lucky it might bring about 20K.
