2007 Dodge Charger SRT8 Super Bee

Charger is a nameplate that has long belonged in the Dodge family. In the 1960’s and 70’s it was given to the sleek, evil looking 2 door muscle car that was popularized in both the film ‘Bullit’ and the television program ‘The Dukes of Hazzard’. The Charger also enjoyed some success racing in NASCAR and other series’. In the 1980’s, the Charger name was brought back from the grave and given to a small, 4-cylinder economy coupe that had about as much to do with performance as it did with style and comfort. While there were a few Shelby editions of this generation of Charger that had a little bit of turbo ‘oomph’, the model did not last long, and purists were happy to see it relegated to the mists of history.

However, these same purists became quite vocal when it was announced that the Charger name would once again adorn a Dodge product. While the new Charger would not have to suffer the indignity of having a tiny four banger under the hood, neither would it be a two door as tradition dictated. Rather, it was to be a four-door sedan based on the same platform as the highly successful Chrysler 300C. To fans of the brand, this was a heresy worse than that which had occurred in the 80’s, and a public outcry was raised to no avail.
Many of those who spoke out so strongly against a four-door Charger probably never got a chance to drive the 2007 Dodge Charger SRT8 Super Bee. This 425 horsepower monster stuffs a 6.1 liter Hemi V8 under the hood and sends 428 lb-feet of torque to the rear wheels through a 5-speed automatic. No mere grocery getter, this sedan shoots to 60 miles per hour in 4.9 seconds and runs a blistering 13.3 second quarter mile at 108 miles per hour – all on street tires. To keep all of those horses from running away from you, ventilated Brembo disc brakes are mounted on all 4 corners and can drag the car down from highway speeds in a very short distance. Dodge has also outfitted the vehicle with sport suspension and electronic stability control, in order to make this large car feel like something half the size from behind the wheel.

The ‘Super Bee’ appended to the SRT8 name is a reference to another ghost from Dodge’s performance past. The original Super Bee was a special performance version of Dodge’s Coronet sedan, available around the same time as the original Charger. For the 2007 Dodge Charger SRT8 Super Bee, it refers to an exclusive color and trim package, with ‘Detonator Yellow’ being the pigment of choice. A modified ‘hockey stick’ stripe extends from just over the rear door handles to down on each side of the rear fender flanks, and in the middle of the fender stripe is a large ‘Super Bee’ logo. The vertical trunk lid is also blacked out, along with the hood. A smaller Super Bee badge can be found on the front fenders just behind the wheel well. This package has also been previously offered on the Dodge Ram pickup trucks.

It remains to be seen whether this special option will be popular amongst SRT8 buyers. With its eye-searing color, the 2007 Dodge Charger SRT8 Super Bee definitely stands out in a crowd, but will that be enough to drivers who may be looking for more from a package than a few extra stickers? Perhaps future editions of the Super Bee will allow for minor horsepower or other performance upgrades that might make the vehicle more appealing overall.




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June 25, 2008, 8:59 am