Dodge Challenger SRT8

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How much?	$ 57506
Engine:	6059cc, 8cyl, 425BHP @ 6200, 420lb ft @ 4800
Transmission:	Automatic
Fuel Economy:	17 - l/100km
Performance:	4.8 sec 0-100kph , 270kph
How heavy?	1880kg

Isaac Bouchard
24 November 2008

Is history repeating for the Dodge Challenger?

In 1972, the first Arab oil embargo, mixed with new American safety and air quality legislation, created a toxic concoction that spelled the doom of the original. Just as its successor arrives, the US government fires off the first updating of Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards in decades, and gasoline spikes to over $4 per gallon, creating a fundamental shift in the buying habits of Americans.

But is there enough goodness in this musclecar to see it through? If you were to poll the man on the street, the answer would be an unequivocal yes. The Challenger – at least in hi-po SRT8 spec – is everything a piece of historical splendor should be: brash and bold, larger than life – literally, as it’s just over 5m long. Details like the era-correct overhangs help make it a match for most exotica.

If the Dodge’s interior is underwhelming after exposure to its wrapper, at least it’s very well assembled of quality materials, and offers real room for both front and rear occupation. The leather and suede SRT seats are lifted right out of the Charger – which is no bad thing as they offer supreme long-haul comfort combined with prodigious lateral support. But they do make twirling the period-correct sized tiller more difficult when you’re really trying for some tail-out antics.

Which you’ll want to engage in on a regular basis, such is the biddablity of the E-class underwear. It combines an exceptional level of compliance over urban scars with excellent resistance to pitch and roll in extremis. The sheer size of the Challenger provides it with a very manageable polar moment of inertia, which, combined with quick-witted steering, encourage broad powerslides that flatter even less than stellar wheelmen.

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