2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8

The current muscle car craze began with the introduction of steroidal pickup trucks in the late 1990’s. Since most of the domestic manufacturers had firmly committed to front-wheel drive platforms that were unsuited for high-horsepower V8’s, pickups represented the only cost-effective way of getting big power numbers onto the street. The Ford F150 Lightning and the Dodge Ram SRT-10 were joined by the Dodge Dakota R/T as affordable, drag-friendly trucks with lots of power under the hood.

At the same time, automotive design had begun to trend towards retro influences, and the PT Cruiser and Ford Thunderbird led the way towards new vehicles that heavily mined past designs when it came to exterior appearance. Given that some of the most memorable cars to come out of Detroit were the muscle cars of the late 60’s and early 70’s, this trend dovetailed nicely with the muscle craze, and soon it seemed as though almost every manufacturer had their own special muscle project.

Joining the Ford Mustang and the upcoming Chevrolet Camaro in this group of vehicles is the 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8. The Dodge Challenger was a pony car from the early 1970’s that was brother to the popular Plymouth ‘Cuda. Dodge designers decided to base the 2008 model on the vehicle’s predecessor, and the result was an updated Challenger that looked remarkably like the original. Even detailed such as the quad round headlights and the crease in the side sheet metal that extended from the front fender all the way to the rear deck were retained. This delighted muscle car purists, but making them even happier was the 6.1 liter Hemi V8 under the hood of the 2008 Challenger SRT8. Echoing the Hemi engines of old, the 6.1 liter produces 425 horsepower and 420 lb-feet of torque – more than enough to hold its own in the world of modern muscle machines.

Dodge claims that the SRT8 version of the Challenger can hit sixty miles per hour in under 5 seconds, and that the quarter mile will zip by somewhere in the 13’s. Since many people will be bringing their Challengers to the drag strip, these are some important numbers for the car. However, Dodge is also stating that the 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 wasn’t just designed to run in a straight line; the handling and braking of the vehicle were also paramount concerns, and they have been upgraded to exceed the expectations that most people have for a typical muscle car. Given that the Challenger sits on the same LX platform that underpins the Dodge Charger SRT8 and the Chrysler 300 SRT8, it is no surprise that the vehicle’s performance through the twisties will be excellent. Those sedans have drawn significant praise from testers who were surprised at how well they moved for their large size.

With high fuel prices looming on the horizon, the fate of such high-horsepower, V8 muscle cars might seem to be a bit cloudy. Chrysler has done their best to give the engines the best fuel mileage possible through the use of active cylinder management technology, which shuts down banks of cylinders while cruising at highway speeds. However, this option is only available with the automatic transmission, and so will disappear from some cars for 2009. Even still, given the $40 000 price tag associated with the 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8, it would seem that anyone who could afford to purchase such a vehicle would also theoretically be comfortable with the increased gas cost associated with its daily operation. One thing is certain: the Challenger has become an instant hit with car fans around the world, and Dodge should have no trouble selling out the initial run of these vehicles.






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June 25, 2008, 9:01 am