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Dodge Challenger
SRT8 Review: Sitting in the driver's seat of this car, it
doesn't feel like I'm in a real vehicle. It's more like a cartoon car, a
clown car, an outlandish and overly exaggerated caricature of the
genuine article.
That's because this
car, the Dodge Challenger SRT8, is such an over-the-top vehicle that it
couldn't possibly be real.
Just look at it. Like
all Challengers, it's an unabashed throwback to the 1960s with its low
roof, ridiculous fenders and a hood that stretches to Miami. Unlike most
modern cars with their Japanese-inspired amorphous blob styling, the
Challenger says "I'm American and proud of it."
This isn't a car that
arrives meekly. It's like driving Mark McGwire's biceps around town, all
snorting and snarling and looking comically masculine.
It's so exaggerated, in
fact, that I couldn't help but laugh, partially because it's such a
silly car, but also because I love it. It's a wonderful toy, a Hot
Wheels car for grown-ups.
Interestingly, while it
gets a lot of attention for looking different from all the other cars on
the road, it's actually one of the least original cars ever built. It's
a recycled car from the '60s with all the same proportions and styling,
only with a slightly cleaner, more modern execution.
That also means lots of
people, especially people who don't know much about cars, who will
confuse it for the new Chevy Camaro. They're both pulled from the same
retro recycling bin.
The neck-straining
styling on the Challenger is only part of its over-the-top personality,
though. The other comes from those four letters at the end: SRT8.
Those letters indicate
this Challenger is a special high-performance version that is so loud
and rumbly, so quick and scary, that it really ought to be committed to
a mental institution. It's that crazy.
The recipe is actually
quite simple: Take a huge, 6.1-liter Hemi V8, a dump truck engine, I
like to call it, and firm up the suspension to make use of all that
extra power.
The result is
absolutely wild. The dump truck engine makes 425 horsepower, and it's
not just from grain-fed, meek, farm-plow horses. Based on the sound, I
figure they're horses that have been fed nothing but Red Bull and chili
peppers.
It's no surprise then
that an engine this big would rumble like the voice of God, but it is
surprising to see just how well this car handles. It generates so much
grip in the corners that it's disconcerting because you never expect a
car this big and heavy to be able to go so frighteningly fast around a
bend. Physics shouldn't allow that.
The Challenger has a
monster engine, bold styling and good grip, but it's far from perfect.
For one thing, the steering is biblically awful. It feels like the
steering wheel is loosely connected to the front tires by bits of
worn-out rope and rubber bands.
It also doesn't have
the refinement of a modern car on the inside, especially when you
compare it to the Camaro. While the Camaro has subtle lighting accents
and Honda-like construction, the Challenger feels more like it's
assembled from pieces of old Ram trucks and bulldozers that have been
covered up by brittle plastic.
As a whole, though,
it's been a long time since I've driven something with this much appeal.
Despite its imperfections, and perhaps because of them, I enjoy driving
a Challenger more than a Camaro. It has more personality, more
character, more roughness. It's just so lovable, and so exciting, that
it's easy to look past its flaws.
What was tested?
The 2010 Dodge Challenger SRT8 with a base price of $41,230. Options on
the test car: Bright Yellow paint for $225, the customer preferred
package for $275, a Kicker stereo upgrade for $695, power sunroof for
$950, the navigation system for $590, upgraded 3-season tires for $100,
plus the gas guzzler tax of $1,700. The MSRP price as tested including
the $725 destination charge is: $46,490.
Why avoid it? It
has sloppy steering and an unrefined interior.
Why buy it? It's
a thrilling, bold, attention-getting car that is reminiscent of
America's automotive heyday in the 1960s.
By Derek Price ©
AutoWire.Net - San Francisco
The Bottom Line
The Dodge Challenger evokes the spirit of all the 1960s American muscle
cars. It's big, long and low-slung, with amazing acceleration in the
Hemi SRT8 version. Inside, the Challenger has a nice retro theme to the
gauges and controls, and it screams, “Look at Me” in a very big way.
Bottom Line Review provided by: Tony Leopardo © AutoWire.Net
Dodge Home Page
“Tony the Car Guy”
is an automotive writer, editor and publisher in the San Francisco Bay
Area. If you have a question or comment for Tony send it to
TonyLeo@pacbell.net or visit AutoWire.Net at
www.autowire.net
And remember: “ You Are
what you Drive ”
Column Name:
Big, powerful Challenger SRT8 turns heads
Topic: The 2010
Dodge Challenger SRT8
Word Count: 862
Photo Caption:
The 2010 Dodge Challenger SRT8
Photo Credits:
Dodge Challenger Internet Media
Series #:
2010 - 35
Download
the Microsoft Word version here:
2010 Dodge Challenger
Download the Original Image File here:
2010 Dodge
Challenger
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