Dodge Challenger - News
Review: '08 Dodge Challenger, Fast and Fun Muscle Car
A 21st-century muscle car leaves its past in the dust
It's obvious why Chrysler would want to go back to
the '60s and early '70s - an era when Honda was just a motorcycle maker to most
Americans and almost everyone bought American cars. But - automotively, at least
- you don't want to go back. Trust me, I was there.
The indifferently assembled cars of the era with their single-digit fuel
economy, sloppy steering, bad brakes and suspensions that were either brutish or
marshmallowy are fun to admire at car shows, but most are easily out-handled by
even the most modestly priced 2008 model - and usually out-accelerated by modern
performance machines. When it comes to cars, it's good that they don't make them
like they used to.
It's also good, then, that the new Dodge Challenger SRT8 muscle coupe on which
we focus today looks but doesn't drive like the original Challenger of 1970-74.
While this summer's $4-a-gallon gasoline makes the timing unfortunate for
introduction of a car with a 6.1-liter V-8 engine, the new Challenger is a
21st-century car: fast, fun and safe to drive hard (and stop quickly) with
reasonable fuel economy. Its suspension is firm and delivers flat cornering and
good control over uneven surfaces, yet it doesn't beat up the car's occupants.
There are anti-lock brakes and traction control as backups. And, of course,
frontal and side air bags.
The steering could be tighter. There's some instability in the rear, even though
the suspension is independent. The blind spots caused by the upswept window line
and thick rear roof pillars mandate extra care in lane changes. The gauges glare
badly in direct sunlight. At 4,100 pounds, this intermediate sized coupe feels
heavy.
Zero to 60 mph takes under five seconds, with 425 hp. on tap. Buyers of '09
models will be able to opt for a six-speed stick shift; the '08 came only with
an automatic, which might seem odd for a muscle car, but Chrysler expects most
buyers will want the auto anyway.
I averaged about 18 mpg during seven days with the tester - on the high end of
the EPA estimated range of 13 mpg in city driving, 18 on the highway. Premium
fuel is recommended.
Buyers got socked with a $2,100 federal gas-guzzler tax for '08, which will drop
to $1,700 in '09.
The '08 models, all 6,400 of them, are sold out, at $39,995 with freight to
start - plus options and any dealer gouging.
More sedate variants with a smaller V-8 and a V-6 just went on sale, starting at
$21,995 with freight.
Like the current generation Mustang and the upcoming Camaro, the Challenger
trades on the fond memories of the early muscle cars, which came along at a time
of cheap fuel and happy prosperity for most Americans but were killed later by
high insurance rates, pollution-emissions limits and more expensive gasoline.
Early owners of the Challenger can expect lots of attention on the road; I was
photographed at least twice by other drivers with cell-phone cameras. Gawkers
habitually hung in those aforementioned blind spots, sometimes for miles, to
take a leisurely drink of the Challenger's beauty.
Neither the federal government nor the private Insurance Institute for Highway
Safety has published safety ratings for the Challenger.
Nor is there any information yet about its relative reliability. Chrysler
Corp.'s record is mixed; it continues to be a bottom dweller in various J.D.
Power and Associates owners surveys, but Consumer Reports finds two of the
Challenger's mechanical relatives - the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger - good
enough for its "recommended" designation.
2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8
Vehicle tested:
Engine: 6.1-liter V-8, 425 hp.
Fuel: Premium recommended
Transmission: Five-speed automatic, rear wheel drive
Safety: Dual front and curtain-type air bags; 4-wheel disc brakes with antilock
and stability control, fog lamps
Place of assembly: Brampton, Ontario, Canada
Trunk: 16.2 cubic feet
EPA fuel economy estimates: 13 mpg, city; 18 highway
Price of tester: $41,310 with freight and $2,100 gas-guzzler tax
- Tom Incantalupo, Newsday,
Friday, June 27, 2008
Dodge Challenger To Start At $37,995
The return of the Dodge
Challenger pony car is set for Spring, with the hottest SRT8 version leading the
way.
The 2008 production Challenger was previewed as a concept car on the show
circuit in 2006, and it resembles the original Challenger sold 1970-74.
In releasing a few teaser photos, Dodge announced the base price for the
Challenger SRT8: $37,995. Dealers have been accepting orders since Dec. 3,
the carmaker said.
Prices for other versions will be announced later.
The Challenger SRT8 has the same 6.1-liter V-8 as the Charger SRT8, which in the
latter delivers 420 hp. But Chrysler won't announce any technical
specifics for the Challenger until the production model is unveiled in February
at the Chicago auto show.
The Challenger shares basics with - and will be built in Canada alongside - the
Dodge Charger and Magnum and the Chrysler 300.
- Tom Incantalupo, Newsday,
Friday, December 14, 2007
Chrysler Meets Its Challenge(r)
Chrysler Group says it will
build a production version of the concept Dodge Challenger shown here, to go on
sale in 2008.
Reprising a name and a few styling cues from the early 1907s, the two-door
Challenger is expected to hold true to the American muscle car formula, with a
big V-8 driving the rear wheels.
Chrysler provided no technical details, but the concept vehicle has a 6.1-liter
Hemi producing 425 hp and a zero-to-60 time of 4.5 seconds.
At 197.8 inches, the concept Challenger is slightly longer than the Chrysler 300
and Dodge Charger sedans, with which it shares basics. It debuted in the
fall of 1969 as a 1970 model offered in hardtop and convertible versions.
It shared basics with the Plymouth Barracuda, although the Challenger's
wheelbase was 2 inches longer, creating more interior space. The last
Challenger was produced in April of 1974.
- Tom Incantalupo, Newsday,
Friday, July 14, 2006
This page was last updated on
02/27/10
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