Yankee

Well, my new Inferno Red R/T has been with me about 24 hrs now, and here are my thoughts thus far:

POWER: I had the Hemi in my 04 Ram 1500, but this new Hemi is a completely different animal. This car is every bit as quick as my 04 GTO was, and looking forward to it loosening up after break in. The pistol-grip shifts like a hot knife thru butter - nice, tight pattern, barks the hell out of the 1-2 upshift, and even the 2-3 upshift leaves marks as well. Well worth the price of admission. If you're contemplating on getting it, GET IT.

EXHAUST: Boy, does this thing have an exhaust note! This thing is really rumbly and throaty - if I didn't know any better I'd swear it already has a Borla catback system on it. And the Hemi has a VERY sweet induction roar at full (and even part) throttle. I would have easily expected this on an SRT, but it's nice to know us R/T owners didn't get shortchanged in this department.

SEATS: I have the base 27J package without leather, but those seats are really comfortable! I picked the car up in Ft Worth and drove it back to Shreveport last night (about a 3 1/2 hour drive) and I didn't want to get out of the thing. Very snug and near-perfect fit. Nice to know I didn't have to spring for the 28J leather package to get comfortable seats.

LOOKS: Oh my god, need I say more? This thing gets more attention than a Ferrari. Dodge so outdid themselves on this car - hard to believe this is the same company also designed the butt-ugly Jeep Compass and Chrysler Sebring. [sm=bangbang.gif]

QUIBBLES: A few, although very nitpicky. To wit: Why doesn't the driver's seat fold forward? Also... a prop-rod for the hood? I'm guessing these were cost-saving measures, but seriously - how much can a folding seat or hood struts cost? [sm=smiley5.gif]

Also, it'd be nice if the outside temperature could be displayed without having to push the trip odometer button. And why can't the base radio display the time AND the radio station at the same time? [sm=wtf.gif]

But... I shall quibble no more. The "grin" factor is in full force - get me behind that wheel, let me row the pistol-grip, give me my 8 jumping Hemi pistons and get the hell outta my way!!!!! [sm=gears.gif]

RoswellGrey

A fine writup, Yankee. One word of caution: You have to be careful of what others are doing when you're driving. Usually, they're too busy looking at your Challenger to be careful and sometimes have a tendency to drive right toward you.

Paladin06

The drivers seat not folding forward is a safety measure not a cost saving. The lack of a hood struts is because it's an R/T and not an SRT.

Rudy61SRT8

Congradulations despite the fact you slammed the $$$$ out of me on the other board !!!

It's goinna get better every day trust me!@!!!!!

Yankee

Hey, it's all good man (and BTW, the "other board" is where the pics are). [sm=ts.gif]

JJMPB

glad to hear your review

brucer41

Congrats dude! Always nice to see a bro get their car! Its almost like Xmas reading everyones impressions and seeing pics when they get their car.

Thor77

Pardon my ignorance, but what is the safety advantage? If it is something to do with the integrity of the seat, shouldn't the passanger be safe too? If it is to keep people from getting out on the "wrong" side of the car, that's just silly.

I'm sure there's something I'm missing.

RoswellGrey

It's probably because the driver's seat is a power-operated seat, and likely the same model already in use in the 300/Magnum/Charger. Those cars, obviously, would not need a seat that folds forward, since they are 4-door vehicles. Remember one key fact about the Challenger: Dodge used as many pre-existing parts for it as humanly possible.

Frankly, I wish they would have made the power seat optional and instead spent a few more cents per car on things like having the driver's seat fold forward manually (like the passenger's seat), having a keyhole for the trunk (I still worry about having to swap out a dead battery) and having a center interior dome light (the interior of the Challenger is way too dark at night when you're getting stuff out of it).

Speaking of dark, I really wish they would have mounted the trunk light on the inside of the trunk lid itself rather than on the panel behind the trunk lid. While you can see what's waaaaaaaaayyyyy in the back of the trunk at night, it's the stuff near you that's hard to see.

I sometimes wonder how much "real world" testing cars get. Or if any attention gets paid to anyone who points things like these out.

For a good look at the penny-pinching that goes into the production of an automobile, check out a novel by Arthur Hailey (the guy who wrote the book that became the movie "Airport") titled "Wheels." I remember reading when that book came out that he had spent months talking to people in the auto industry and the situations he portrays involving ways to cut costs were all based on real events.

FAD1

I sat in a Chally at the L.A autoshow. It was really nice, it was sexy, but I wish they had the six speed there.