 |
| Remember the Dodge MAXXcab pickup truck concept from the 2000 Detroit auto show? It was the first to sport the bold angles now getting the green light for production as the Magnum SRT-8. |
Think back a few years to the MAXXcab pickup truck concept and Super8 Hemi sedan concept that followed shortly thereafter and it's easy to detect the Magnum SRT-8's design heritage. The new machine's bold crosshair grille could easily intimidate a Hummer driver while the bulging hood doesn't hint, but shouts its message of ultimate power lying beneath. The new concept is long and looks it, especially enhanced by its low roofline and narrow side windows. Massive 20-inch alloy wheels mated to wide, low-profile rubber protrude from under its muscular fender flares, there's no subtlety here at all.
"Consistent with the bold, in-your-face philosophy of the Dodge brand, our design objective with Dodge Magnum was to break away from the pack," stated Trevor Creed, Senior Vice President, Design, DaimlerChrysler. "With a rear-wheel-drive architecture and a HEMI engine inside, we created yet another package with proportions unlike any other in the marketplace."
 |
| Dodge's Super8 Hemi sedan concept is a forerunner of the Magnum's edgy new design philosophy as well. Will cues from this concept car make it to the next generation Dodge 'LX' sedan? |
The Magnum doesn't disappoint when stepping inside either. A combination of high-quality leathers, machined metal accents and luxury features create an ambience heavy on the tech side but still warm and inviting.
"Dodge Magnum SRT-8's interior delivers on the promise of the exterior making a strong statement with machined aluminum accents, tunneled gauges and drilled pedals which complement a spacious leather interior," said Creed. "And in a time when people are used to the flexibility and taller seating packages of sport-utility vehicles, Dodge Magnum seating is raised two-and-a-half inches from our current passenger cars and combined with spacious cargo capacity."