The tester came with an intelligent key, heated leather and suede bucket seats, a subwoofer-equipped audio system and auto-dimming rearview mirror. There's plenty of storage space in the cabin--including two compartments in each door and a perfectly designed centre console. The trunk is impressive too--its small opening accesses a deep, wide cargo hold.
Visibility when reversing is challenging, and the turn-signal stalk also contains windshield-wiper controls. This makes it awkward to use--not to mention being mounted about an inch and a half too low on the side of the steering column. Other than these issues, Challenger's very much a comfortable, easy to use, everyday car. It doesn't ride half bad either, considering its track-readiness.
What a performance
Steering, handling and brakes are upgraded to SRT specification here--meaning Challenger exhibits some unmistakable manners when the roads get twisty or a sudden stop is required. With Brembos clamping down at all four corners, deceleration comes quickly and repeatedly with good pedal feel and minimal fade. The big steering wheel and slightly lazy ratio combine with Challenger's heavyset frame to create a very involving handling dynamic on a course.
Drivers work hard to control the car's hulking body, and it's not shy about making its weight felt in certain situations. It lacks the precision you'll find in Playstation cars like the Lancer Evolution and WRX STI--though Challenger is more than willing to hot-lap a course with an evil grin on its face.
Make no mistake--everything is in place here and the Challenger will hold its own on the track--it just feels less naturally agile and more like a wild animal controlled by a thin leash.
A pleasantly inappropriate engine
The 6.1--litre SRT V8 engine isn't much for revving, and fuel delivery calls it quits at just over 6,000 rpm. Below that, massive gobs of torque are available anywhere, accompanied by the full-out bellowing snarl only a big V8 can produce. It sounds like the seventies, and the ever-present exhaust sound drops jaws.
The six-speed manual shifter is a joy--complete with the handgun-styled pistol-grip shift knob. It puts three short gears to work for lightning acceleration, followed by three longer gears for lower-rev cruising. Shifting is a manly experience, with the longish lever and slick action inviting authoritative use of one's entire right arm.
The T56 box is an ideal partner in crime for this engine, but watch your speed--as it's very, very easy to get carried away while firing off tire-chirping gearshifts like it's the seventies.
Worth the wait?
Has the wait been worth it? Oh yeah. Turns out, Challenger's a devastatingly wicked car with a relatively reasonable sticker price and a powertrain that reminds us why we have ears.
This could well be simply the coolest machine on the road for the money--the end.
photo:Justin Pritchard, Chrysler
Visibility when reversing is challenging, and the turn-signal stalk also contains windshield-wiper controls. This makes it awkward to use--not to mention being mounted about an inch and a half too low on the side of the steering column. Other than these issues, Challenger's very much a comfortable, easy to use, everyday car. It doesn't ride half bad either, considering its track-readiness.
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| The Challenger is very much a comfortable, easy to use, everyday car. |
What a performance
Steering, handling and brakes are upgraded to SRT specification here--meaning Challenger exhibits some unmistakable manners when the roads get twisty or a sudden stop is required. With Brembos clamping down at all four corners, deceleration comes quickly and repeatedly with good pedal feel and minimal fade. The big steering wheel and slightly lazy ratio combine with Challenger's heavyset frame to create a very involving handling dynamic on a course.
Drivers work hard to control the car's hulking body, and it's not shy about making its weight felt in certain situations. It lacks the precision you'll find in Playstation cars like the Lancer Evolution and WRX STI--though Challenger is more than willing to hot-lap a course with an evil grin on its face.
Make no mistake--everything is in place here and the Challenger will hold its own on the track--it just feels less naturally agile and more like a wild animal controlled by a thin leash.
A pleasantly inappropriate engine
The 6.1--litre SRT V8 engine isn't much for revving, and fuel delivery calls it quits at just over 6,000 rpm. Below that, massive gobs of torque are available anywhere, accompanied by the full-out bellowing snarl only a big V8 can produce. It sounds like the seventies, and the ever-present exhaust sound drops jaws.
The six-speed manual shifter is a joy--complete with the handgun-styled pistol-grip shift knob. It puts three short gears to work for lightning acceleration, followed by three longer gears for lower-rev cruising. Shifting is a manly experience, with the longish lever and slick action inviting authoritative use of one's entire right arm.
The T56 box is an ideal partner in crime for this engine, but watch your speed--as it's very, very easy to get carried away while firing off tire-chirping gearshifts like it's the seventies.
Worth the wait?
Has the wait been worth it? Oh yeah. Turns out, Challenger's a devastatingly wicked car with a relatively reasonable sticker price and a powertrain that reminds us why we have ears.
This could well be simply the coolest machine on the road for the money--the end.
photo:Justin Pritchard, Chrysler
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