Lovers of the new Dodge Charger will look upon the few styling cues that remind Dukes of Hazzard fans of the beloved General Robert E. Lee and say that the new four-door sedan is a travesty of the original two-door vision, but that will not stop Chrysler from building the new model later this year.
The German firm is anxious to keep the momentum from the Chrysler 300 (recently named North American Car of the Year) and Dodge Magnum rolling with a variation on a theme aimed at young family men who used to have posters of Daisy Duke in her cutoffs on their bedroom walls.
Except for the styling changes, the Charger is pretty much a rear-drive Chrysler 300 and it will start rolling off the assembly line at DaimlerChrysler's Bramalea plant northwest of Toronto in April, with an appearance in dealerships shortly thereafter.
Chrysler likes to say the 2006 Dodge Charger is coming ''out of the past and into the future,'' using ''modern coupe styling with four-door functionality.'' Needless to say, it will have a Hemi if the customer has the money.
The base engine will be Chrysler Group's ubiquitous 3.5-litre V-6, tuned to put out 250 hp.
The 5.7-liter V-8 produces 340 hp and 390 lb-ft of torque, though given the firm's penchant for jacking up the power on a regular basis we can be reasonably certain more powerful models are already rolling around the firm's test ground in Chelsea, Michigan.
Charger is a car that ''evokes power and performance under the hood,'' says Craig Love, the vice-president of the rear-wheel-drive product team at the Chrysler Group. ''yet provides everyday functionality and convenience. We have the proven technologies and the legendary Hemi engine that allow us to produce a modern rear-wheel-drive muscle car.''
That is Love's way of saying that the modern Charger is a much better car than the brutish model of song and late night reruns, specifically in terms of performance, safety and security, and technology.
Though Charger will still have the traction issues endemic to all over-powered rear-wheel-drive cars in bad weather, Love maintains that the new model's 50/50 weight distribution and advanced technologies will ''offer superb ride and responsive handling in all surface and traction conditions.''
The key to this will be the Dodge Charger's standard Electronic Stability Program (ESP), which Love says is ''designed to electronically detect and assist in critical driving situations. It enhances driver control and helps maintain directional stability in adverse driving conditions -- automatically. ESP constantly compares the driver's intended course with the vehicle's actual course and compensates for any differences.''
Love maintains that ESP combined with anti-lock brakes and all-speed traction control ''improves the Dodge Charger's traction, maneuverability and stability in all weather conditions.''
In his opinion, the ABS keeps the car straight and retains steering capability when braking on slippery surfaces by preventing wheel lock-up, while the all-speed traction control enhances mobility and prevents wheel slip when accelerating on slippery surfaces.
The German firm is anxious to keep the momentum from the Chrysler 300 (recently named North American Car of the Year) and Dodge Magnum rolling with a variation on a theme aimed at young family men who used to have posters of Daisy Duke in her cutoffs on their bedroom walls.
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Chrysler likes to say the 2006 Dodge Charger is coming ''out of the past and into the future,'' using ''modern coupe styling with four-door functionality.'' Needless to say, it will have a Hemi if the customer has the money.
The base engine will be Chrysler Group's ubiquitous 3.5-litre V-6, tuned to put out 250 hp.
The 5.7-liter V-8 produces 340 hp and 390 lb-ft of torque, though given the firm's penchant for jacking up the power on a regular basis we can be reasonably certain more powerful models are already rolling around the firm's test ground in Chelsea, Michigan.
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That is Love's way of saying that the modern Charger is a much better car than the brutish model of song and late night reruns, specifically in terms of performance, safety and security, and technology.
Though Charger will still have the traction issues endemic to all over-powered rear-wheel-drive cars in bad weather, Love maintains that the new model's 50/50 weight distribution and advanced technologies will ''offer superb ride and responsive handling in all surface and traction conditions.''
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Love maintains that ESP combined with anti-lock brakes and all-speed traction control ''improves the Dodge Charger's traction, maneuverability and stability in all weather conditions.''
In his opinion, the ABS keeps the car straight and retains steering capability when braking on slippery surfaces by preventing wheel lock-up, while the all-speed traction control enhances mobility and prevents wheel slip when accelerating on slippery surfaces.