Dodge Challenger SRT8

we had a 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8 (the SRT stands for Chrysler's Street and Racing Technology group, a bunch of engineers who, if the SRT8 is any example, are not spending their time on gas-sipping little shopping cars.)

The new Challenger is a pretty faithful, if 21st century replication of the famed 1970 Challenger, a car that was a member of the "pony car" class, named for the original pony car, Ford's Mustang, which came out in 1964. The cars were a big hit, beloved for their long hoods and truncated trunks. As the Sixties moved along, the cars got hotter, and by the end of the decade the Big Three -- Chrysler, GM and Ford -- were stuffing monster engines in cars that were still relatively small.

But the auto industry is nothing if not evolutionary, wedded to constant change as the handmaiden of marketing. Stay the same and you die. Change and you live, even thrive. Something, of course, went wrong over the past several years, and so we have now have the supreme irony of the Big Three -- two of which have tasted the bitter roots of bankruptcy -- turning out three really charged-up go-fast cars in an age when that is not exactly the soup du jour in the horribly bruised and nearly fractured auto-selling business.

Still, these hot coupes are out there, and the Challenger SRT8 is one hunk of attractive muscle -- and that's not really me saying it; it's the people who stopped me on the street, or rolled down their windows at a stoplight to ask about it. And what is it?

It's a two-door coupe whose design characteristics make you really feel as if you're in a 1970s version of this car. The windshield is smaller and more vertically oriented than the current vogue. The trunk has a high liftover -- back when the Challenger originated, the auto makers didn't realize that people don't want to lift a heavy suitcase over a high bridge of the car's rear end steel.

The inside has sumptuous leather bucket seats, but is otherwise pretty plain-spoken -- intentionally so, I think, given the car's orientation to performance. With a sop to current marketing demands, the SRT8 had all the mod cons we're used to -- navigation, super stereo, power everything, automatic trunk-lid opener -- but the main thrust of the car (so to speak) is performance. And that's where things like radios and power windows become superfluous.

First off, the six-speed stick shift is really worth it. I normally am not a fan of rowing a gear stick back and forth in urban traffic jams, but this one is so slick and, well, hot-roddy fun, that it didn't matter. (You can also get the five-speed automatic, but the manual tranny will make you think you're 10 years younger. Or something like that.)

Starting off, you will find that 425 horses in a two-ton coupe will move you down the road with alacrity. The engine has so much torque that you can easily skip a gear -- shift from first to third to fifth -- and you could tool around town all day using second and third.

In the hills, the SRT8 is not going to handle like a Porsche Boxster or Honda S2000, but that's not why you're driving it. The fun of this big hot rod is the overall sense of it -- you can hear those deep, throaty exhaust noises, you can feel that big engine rocking the car -- and the feeling of being in a new iteration of something that was a honking great auto experience some 40 years ago.

Of course, Chrysler is not alone in this revival of hotted-up pony cars -- Ford has its Mustang Shelby GT500 (5.4-liter, 540 horsepower) and Chevrolet has the Camaro SS (6.2-liter, 426 horsepower).

None of these cars is something designed for our current age of caution, this time of economic and resource turbulence and mild paranoia.

No, they're not making hybrid versions of the SRT8 now and for all we know, this car may be history a few years down the road, given the absolute shipwreck that is the U.S. auto industry these days.

So enjoy it while you can.

SPECIFICATIONS:

2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8; front engine, rear-wheel drive two-door coupe.

Price: test model, $45,525 (Base price: $39,820)

Power train: 6.1-liter V8 425-horsepower engine. Six-speed manual transmission.

Curb weight: 4,140 pounds.

Seating capacity: five.

Fuel consumption : 14 mpg, city; 22 mpg, highway.

Fuel tank capacity: 19 gallons.

Length: 197.7 inches; width: 75.7 inches; height: 57.1 inches; wheelbase: 116 inches.

Warranty: three years/36,000 miles.

Dependability: Dodge ranks 24th out of 37 brands (below industry average) on the J.D. Power and Associates 2009 Vehicle Dependability Study.

Safety: for vehicle safety ratings, visit the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Source: Chrysler Group LLC; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Chrysler Group LLC

Chrysler Group LLC

Chrysler Group LLC

Chrysler Group LLC

Chrysler Group LLC

Chrysler Group LLC

Dodge adding supercharger to 2009 Challenger

November's SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) show will play host to Chrysler's unveiling of a supercharger it plans to fit to the 2009 Dodge Challenger. Available through dealers as a Mopar aftermarket kit, the supercharger will boost power and torque with little additional weight or fuel economy penalty.

The Challenger that will house the first example of the Mopar supercharger will also get a full range of bolt-on upgrades, as befits any SEMA show car. A cold-air intake, improved exhaust and new wheels will be part of the package, reports Edmunds InsideLine. The additional power provided by the supercharger or other modifications hasn't yet been revealed.

A supercharger for the Challenger SRT8 has already been built by Speedfactory. The company says the kit will take the standard Hemi's power from 425hp (317kW) to 630hp (470kW). That output brings the Challenger's 6.1L V8 power figures in line with the Corvette ZR-1's 6.2L supercharged V8,

2009 SMS 570 Dodge Challenger

Another beast from steve saleen automotive icon steve saleen and his late organization sms supercars launched the production version of the sms 570 challenger to media and customers. the lifestyle unveiling at “tentation” nightclub in newport littoral proved to be the perfect venue for the automotive enthusiast audience. “we hold an exciting late vehicle and wanted to
Shake up the olden usual introduction at an auto show” explains steve saleen.

After its late night launch the sms 570 challenger began its lengthy trip to a Great Deal Of us destinations
And dodge dealerships. basic stop final weekend was the barrett-jackson auction in scottsdale , az ,
Where it was on exhibit for attendees to admire.

“scottsdale was plainly a stopover en route to the nada convention in late orleans” , paper Money steve , “i volition confer the car to dodge dealers at the convention january 24-27”. the car then continue on to a Number of locations in the south east where it volition be shown to customers and dealers. a us press trip with both production models volition chase at the purpose of the basic quarter of 2009.
The 500 hp sms 570 challenger and the 700 hp sms 570 x challenger can be ordered through all dodge dealers at this time. in addition to the patented sms supercharger atop the ultra high-performance engine , both production models feature totally revised aesthetics , aerodynamics and performance countenance including; sms series 4 suspension and towering performance sulky drilled brakes with six pistons up front and four pistons at the rear. the interior countenance the sms signature series chevron seats with deep bolsters , wealthy leather and alcantara suede for high-performance ease. aerodynamic countenance include a front fascia with towering volume radiator intake , a “gtx” inspired front grille , a towering downforce front splitter with intercooler ducting , side skirts with rear brake ducting , a vented rear fascia with an extended blackout taillight enclose , a towering downforce rear diffuser and rear myrmidon , as desirably as steve saleen’s late signature sms red butterflytm dual side induction hood. sms 570 challenger pricing starts at $64 , 870.00.

2009 Dodge Avenger SXT

Dodge's midsize sedan competitor, the 2009 Avenger, has a surprising set of features to recommend it, most notably cabin conveniences you don't expect to find on a model starting in the low $20,000s. A Stone-Age transmission is what really keeps it from being an effective Camry killer, although many will like Dodge's muscle-car design language. Dodge packages its cabin tech options for Bluetooth and navigation under the UConnect name, but our Avenger lacked these extras.

On the road
We used the 2009 Dodge Avenger SXT for a 1,000 mile trek from San Francisco to Los Angeles and back, and when we first got into the car we couldn't help but think we'd gotten a rental. Fleet sales over the last couple of decades inured us to cars with bland interiors made from hard plastics, of which the Avenger is a prime example.

Ready for a road trip, we have a TomTom clamped to the windshield.

Lacking a navigation system in our car, we clamped a TomTom to the windshield, programmed in our Los Angeles destination, and started counting down the miles. As the leading, lower edge of the windshield was far forward, using the TomTom's touch screen while underway was not possible. Further, that severely slanted windshield subjected the TomTom to plenty of glare.

Audio for our trip came from an MP3 CD in the six-disc changer, an iPhone tapped into the car's auxiliary input, and Sirius satellite radio. It's not the most advanced audio set-up, but it does provide some options.

Our Avenger SXT was fitted with a 2.7-liter V-6, an upgrade from the standard 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, transversely mounted and powering the front wheels. Although this is a flex-fuel engine, we didn't encounter any E85 at the pumps during this road trip.

While passing big trucks on the Interstate, the V-6's acceleration was less than satisfying, often because it had to wait for the four-speed automatic transmission to step down, which didn't happen promptly. And when the transmission finally realized passing gear, the tach needle would shoot up to 6,000rpm with the power train making a terrible straining whine.

The four-speed automatic transmission makes the engine strain when it steps down to passing gear.

However, during the steep climb up the mountains on the northern border of Los Angeles, we put the shifter in third gear and the Avenger easily maintained power, passing up other cars that were wheezing on the steep grade.

There are more comfortable cars to take over long distances, but the Avenger proved adequate. As a bonus, our total mileage for the trip, which included high-speed freeway driving and Los Angeles traffic, came in at 27.8 mpg, just a little over the EPA highway number of 27 mpg (19 mpg city).

In the cabin
Arrows in Dodge's cabin tech quiver include UConnect GPS, UConnect Phone, and UConnect Tunes, branded terms for a hard drive-based navigation system with live traffic, Bluetooth phone support, and onboard music storage. Although our 2009 Dodge Avenger SXT wasn't equipped with these options, we tested them earlier in the Dodge Challenger, and found they worked very well.

The simple display on the stereo shows channel information for satellite radio.

The major features lacking from this tech line-up are iPod integration and a USB port for the audio system. The Avenger has an auxiliary audio jack in the stereo face plate--not the most elegant solution, but there is a convenient cubbyhole at the bottom of the stack where you can keep an MP3 player.

For the six-disc changer and satellite radio, the two-line radio display shows information such as album, artist, song title, and channel. Navigating through the folders on an MP3 CD requires you to go through one at a time. There is no list function.

The audio system in the car is pretty basic, with four speakers in front and two in back. The sound quality is helped by the large diameter door speakers and loud amplification. But don't expect crisp highs or much nuance.

The cup holder has buttons for cooling and heating.

A Premium Convenience package brought in a lot of nice features you don't normally see in cars like the Avenger. LED map lights provide bright and targeted cabin illumination, while automatic headlights and front windows add a note of luxury. And as a surprise feature, one of the front cup holders has cooling and heating elements.

Under the hood
For power, our 2009 Avenger SXT had a newly available 2.7-liter V-6, offered as a compromise between the standard 2.4-liter four-cylinder and a 3.5-liter V-6 available in the Avenger R/T. The 2.7-liter V-6 makes 186 horsepower and 191 pound-feet of torque. That's 13 more horsepower than the four-cylinder engine, which is not a big gain. It does offer 25 more pound-feet of torque, but sacrifices about 3 mpg. A bigger advantage of the smaller engine is that, in states following California Air Resources Board regulations, the Avenger is rated as a PZEV, or Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle, meaning particularly clean emissions. The 2.7-liter V-6 hasn't yet been rated.

For 2009, Dodge is offering this 2.7-liter V-6, getting a little more power and torque than the standard four cylinder.

The four-speed automatic transmission in the Avenger, standard on all models and engine choices, was the least impressive. The large gap between fourth and third gears leads to big rpm changes when the transmission steps down a gear for passing power, with an attendant cacophony from the engine. Although there is no manual-gear selection, the transmission has two low ranges, plus Drive mode, which effectively lets you choose third and second gear.

Steering-wheel response is good, with the power set to provide enough resistance to easily keep the car in a straight line. Handling displayed the kind of understeer we would expect in a car of this class, but body roll wasn't severe.

In sum
The 2009 Dodge Avenger SXT has a base price of $21,500. Our review car was optioned up with the Premium Convenience package for $1,495, electronic stability and traction control for $425, and the 2.7-liter V-6, which also brings in front- and rear-stabilizer bars, for $1,300. A $225 paint job and $740 for the destination charge brought the total price to $25,685. Expect the really good UConnect tech options to add about $2,500 to the price.

Although the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry might seem the obvious competitors among midsize sedans, the Ford Fusion makes for a better comparison. Both the Dodge Avenger and Ford Fusion have superior cabin tech to the Honda and Toyota models.

In rating the Avenger, we gave it credit for the available GPS and Bluetooth systems, considering it excellent for cabin tech. For the power train and handling, while we liked the fuel economy and the fact you can get it as a PZEV, we could only call the performance good. The design gets a similar score, as we like the muscle-car touches, but note that it doesn't have enough power to qualify for that classification.