2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8

Did you guys (GRM) actually write this? It seems so much more... corporate... then your usual, honest reviews.

And you wonder why we haven't been able to borrow a Genesis Coupe yet...

It's a heck of a hotrod, but I agree with the review. I'm the lead facilitator for the SRT Track Experience (every SRT comes with a day at the track as part of the purchase of the car) and as we've pushed the Challenger on the track, we were surprised to find we actually prefer the Charger SRT8 at the limits.

However, as a cruise-mobile on Gratiot Avenue, there are few cars that have the visceral oomph of the Challenger SRT8. I'll take mine in Hemi Orange with an intake & exhaust kit!

Sorry Johnhammer, it still looks like a fat chick who's been in the ho-hos. In any of the bland colors (white/silver/black) it blends into the background as anonymously as any other boring car. It's too heavy to be fast or particularly good at any sort of track driving, and it's too gargantuan to be cool for more than 2 seconds. I'd rather spend the money on a real Challenger (71 440 R/T thanks) and still have enough left over for an SRT4 Neon.

Sorry but GRM is normally brutally honest about cars and I find it a very, very hard pill to swallow that the lightweight-lovers have nothing but praise for this obese pig. I'm a muscle car guy and I don't even like it!

Sadly, some of us on staff have already posted our comments. Why they're not appearing, I don't know. Hopefully they'll show up soon.

JG always makes me chuckle.

And P71 has driven one when? I have not driven one. It sure seems like you're asking GRM to E36 on a car before they even have the chance to do so themselves. I didn't think the initial review was all that positive.

As to the "fast and more urgent" argument--- JG, I think you're one of the best automotive journalists in the business, but what did you expect? The challenger is not an M3. It's a musclecar. Of course the Vette is going to be faster and more urgent, it weighs 800lbs less. The MS3 weighs 1000+ lbs less. They can't help but be more urgent.

Yeah the Vette and the MS3 weigh almost half a ton less, but they also have over 100 less horsepower. I expected 425hp to have some snap, even if it is carrying around two tons of fun. Maybe it's like the 944 where all it needs is a recalibrated throttle curve to wake it up. There's just an overall sluggishness to the package. Infiniti, Lexus, BMW, Audi and others all seem to know how to make a 4000lb car seem at least somewhat nimble. Heck, even the Charger felt sportier than the Challenger.

Two tons is disgusting, period.

Ok, now I understand a little better what you were talking about. I was thinking an urgency like a mini has (handling etc).

Two tons is disgusting- agreed, but I don't think it was ever pretending to be anything other than what it is: a yank tank, straight line stoplight cruiser. It does surprise me that 425hp isn't urgent thrust, even in a 4000lb package.

I would have to disagree with P71, the Challenger did stand out in its pedestrian silver paint. In the short 3 hour time-span I had the car running errands and grabbing dinner. I was approached and asked about it by four people and at every stop light it was getting checked out.

I have driven one actually. Not the SRT8, but a 6-Speed R/T which still has a very healthy HEMI V8 in it. The car was just too damn big. Like David said, it needs to be 7/8th scale. I'm a big guy at 230Lbs and the seats were so wide it felt like sitting on a sofa. We actually measured the width at the shoulder and they're wider then the pseudo-benches in my P71. I feel like a teenager who hasn't quite reached the pedals yet in that thing.

Watching the Silver V6 one try to autocross earlier this year was so funny some of the corner workers actually cried.

Even big for a big guy? Holy smokes. I only sat in one at the auto show- did seem pretty big but I didn't get the whole feel without driving it. I guess that's why I admire them for what they are, but always felt that smaller/lighter cars were the answer. Less weight requires less tire, requires less brake (and less weight in turn), etc etc.

If you all care to compare late 60s/early 70s Camaros & Mustangs with the Challengers of those days, you will find that Challengers were always larger & heavier. If you like small light cars, stick to Miatas.

It doesn't have to be Miata-size to know that it can lose some weight and tighten up the electronics. I may be wrong, but the whole idea of the muscle car era was to put a big engine in a smaller than midsize car at a really cheap price and have some fun. Excluding the Mustang (Ugh!) all of these later versions miss the point. They are all T-bird makeovers. It is a shame that no one makes a 200hp rwd 6spd for 25k or less at the weight of say a Civic or Corolla.

It is a stunning car. I really want to get behind the wheel of one and see what they are all about. There was a vendor at the NY auto show with a couple of 750 and 850 hp versions of the car. I asked him how much weight they took out... he laughed and said they were looking into that for the next version.

Meh. If you want a lighter muscle car, buy a Mustang or Camaro (or M3). Or a Monster Miata. And they're not aiming at cars like the Corvette anyway with this car. That's what the Viper is for, right?

You guys drove it, so you know the story. If I'm average Joe American, I'd say they pretty much got it right from the sound of it (especially after some engine spunkification). I hear it will go 170 right from the factory.

Nice article. I thought it sounded fair.

When our crew returned to the office from The Mitty a few weeks back, a brand-new SRT8 was waiting patiently in the parking lot. The drag-ass Monday that typically follows this demanding event was instantly revived; our staff turned into schoolchildren as we chattered about the Challenger's impressive specs and handsome lines.

We've been hearing about the new Challenger for what seems like years. Aside from triggering our nostalgic and patriotic buttons, the promise of rear-wheel drive, a 425-horsepower V8 and a six-speed transmission made the SRT8 a very attractive prospect on paper.

Speaking of attractive, this driveline is housed in one of the best-looking bodies to come out of Detroit since Madonna, especially given the offerings from the Auburn Hills-based Chrysler corporation in recent years. The Challenger has all the right lines to recall the original without seeming trapped in the past.

With its towering pro column, everybody wanted to test out this modern muscle car. From the first turn of the key, the crisp exhaust note promised performance that would live up to the hype. We were surprised to see the car equipped with a hill-holding clutch, especially with 420 lb.-ft. of torque available, but the system worked and wasn't terribly intrusive.

There's little doubt that SRT8 makes an eye-catching, comfortable cruiser. However, we were a little underwhelmed at the car's overall performance when pushed. It's fast enough, but it isn't the road bully that we were expecting. It doesn't take a magazine editor to figure out that this is due, at least in part, to the 4000-plus-pound curb weight. The car also feels massive to park and drive around town.

There's nothing to hate about the SRT8, but it doesn't quite live up to its world-beating promise. It's available today and has the potential to be highly collectible, so if you have the space to park one for a few decades, it could be a solid investment. As far as a reborn muscle car with modern performance, however--let's just cross our fingers for the Camaro.