Introduction
Did you miss out on the original 1970-’74 Dodge Challenger? Or maybe you had one back in the day, sold it and now regret the sale? Well, thanks to the Dodge boys who share a similar nostalgic sentiment, you get a second chance with the 2008 Challenger.
Those familiar with the old Challenger know that it was a belated response to Ford’s wildly successful Mustang, which was launched some six years earlier. Size-wise, however, the brawny Challenger was closer in size and weight to a 2-ton muscle car than a lithe pony car. Big V8s were the engines of choice, including the legendary 426 Hemi V8. Unfortunately, this model’s life was shortened by the era’s gas crisis and more stringent emissions regulations.
Despite arriving into an eerily similar climate, there’s no need to worry about the 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 merely being a poser’s visual link to the past — it sports standard “Hemi” V8 power, rear-wheel drive and the right sound burbling from its rectangular exhausts. Initially, it will only be available in ultra-high-performance SRT8 form, meaning its 6.1-liter (around 370 cubic inches for you old-school types) V8 makes 425 horsepower. A less powerful (and less expensive) R/T model will debut next year.
The Challenger is based on Chrysler’s LX platform, which is also used for the 300 and Charger sedans. Its wheelbase is 4 inches shorter than the Charger, though with an estimated 4,140-pound curb weight, the new model is frighteningly similar to its forbear in sheer bulk. Of course, the ‘08 Challenger does come with features previous Mopar designers could have hardly dreamed about, such as stability control, side curtain airbags and an available hard-drive-based navigation system that can also store music and video files.
In addition to having more features, the new one also differs by being fairly athletic and able to go around corners without scraping the Goodyear lettering off the tires. And thanks to its massive Brembo brakes, it can also stop from 60 mph in significantly less than a football field’s length. Sadly, also unlike the old Mopar, you can’t get a manual transmission. Instead of a pistol-grip Hurst to grab gears with, you get a five-speed automatic with Chrysler’s AutoStick mode.
| Chassis | |
| Tires F/R | 245/45 R20 frt P255/45 R20 rr 3-season |
| Engine | |
| Horsepower | 425 bhp @ 6200 rpm |
| Torque lb-ft (Nm) at RPM | 420 lb.-ft. (310 N/m) @ 4800 rpm |
| Type | 6.1-LITER HEMI® V8 |
| Displacement cu in (cc) | 370 cu. in |
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