Dodge Charger SRT8 - Dodge charging ahead

Dodge is working on a new Charger for next year, and all indications are it will be a fantastic machine that offers all of the styling and performance for which the brand is known. But, there’s no need to wait until then when there is the current Charger SRT8 ready for the asking at your local dealer. Along with the Chrysler 300C, it is the car that antagonized Chevy and Ford with Hemi power and styling even True Blood’s Russell Edgington, Vampire King of Mississippi, could love.

SRT models all look like somebody stirred chili pepper into their Cheerios. The Charger’s angry brow furrows over a crosshair grille with body color inserts while SRT-specific 20” forged alloy wheels with low profile tires look ready to drain lesser machines. A giant hood nostril, rear wing, and body color mirrors complete the intimidation barrage. A little SRT badge in the grille should not be ignored.
It looks like an angry angel, but the SRT8 thumps pavement through Hell’s Hemi. SRT badges mean this Charger comes with the most powerful, 6.1-litre Hemi that shoves 425-HP through a five-speed AutoStick transmission to the rear wheels. A rated 420 lb.-ft. of torque insures you’ll feel the car in your backside as much as your underside. Dodge claims the full-size sedan can leap from 0-60 mph in about 5s and do the 0-100-0 mph gym challenge in a scant 17s, demonstrating the grippy sneakers and red caliper Brembo brakes stop the car as well as it goes. Fuel economy is rated a super car-like 13/19-MPG city/highway.

Blasting merrily along in the Charger’s cabin, you’ll hardly realize all that goes beneath. Big comfy heated leather and suede seats with thick side bolsters are long-distance comfortable, but grip your ribs on the track or while attacking on-ramps. A large-diameter leather steering wheel with carbon fibre-look woven panels, faux carbon door pulls, silver paint on the center control stack, and huge analog gauges mean business. I’m a big fan of the Mercedes-derived gated gear selector and thick turn signal stalk. Dual zone climate control, auto up/down front windows, 32-oz. McCup-capable drink holders, and tilt/telescoping steering column add comfort. SRT8s come with a touch screen to control the navigation, audio, and Bluetooth phone connections. Boston Acoustics Speakers, subwoofer, and rear seat entertainment system thrill the ears and eyes.

Germany’s Daimler partnered with Chrysler long enough to donate the excellent foundation that supported the Mercedes E-Class a couple of generations ago. While the multi-link four-wheel independent suspension system may not be quite state-of-the-art for the latest generation of E-Class, it is pure gold for any sedan in the Charger’s class. The car’s German genes are recognized through the heavy, well-damped feel from the chassis while still being athletic in the corners. Electronic stability control, traction control, and four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes are necessary to keep this power player moving in all the right directions – especially in poor weather, but even on dry roads.
I’ve driven these cars on long Interstate rides and around road courses like the one inside the Texas Motor Speedway. At times, the full-size sedan feels as though it is on the bloody edge of what should be tolerated for ride harshness, and then in an instant, you realize how capable it is when challenged by other cars in its class. Even on rippled city pavement, the chassis absorbs the shock. Solid-axle muscle cars from the past and recent times would shake their tail sideways over the types of pavement tamed by the SRT’s ample legs. A man can command a car like this, reminding him of performance vehicles that may never come again.

Characters on True Blood have ripped spines out of news reporters and collected bodies for meat statues, but the Dodge Charger SRT8 will simply devour competitors like the Nissan Maxima, Ford Taurus, Chevy Impala, and Acura TL. A base price of $38,180, and $47,155 as tested, including a 5-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, is a pittance for the level of performance that screams from under the Charger’s hood. It’s only going to get better next year!

If you want a preview of the redesigned 2011 Charger, check out the police vehicle Dodge recently unveiled. It will ride on the same basic vehicle architecture as the current model, but styling and interior quality will be dramatically enhanced. It will be yet another sign that Chrysler is on the mend.

2010 Dodge Challenger SRT8
Five-passenger, 4x4 SUV.
Powertrain: 425-HP 6.1-litre V8,
5-spd. auto trans.
Suspension f/r: Ind./Ind.
Wheels: 20”/20” f/r.
Brakes: Brembo discs with ABS.
Must-have feature: Power, chassis.
Fuel economy (city/hwy): 13/19-MPG
0-60 mph: 5.0s
Manufacturing: Brampton, ON.
As tested price: $47,155.