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 In just a matter of weeks the all-new 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 will go on sale, promising to be this year’s car du jour. Inspired by its iconic namesake, the 1970 to 1974 Dodge Challenger, the new Challenger updates the formula, culling design cues from the past and combining them with a highly efficient modern drivetrain. The question remains: will we find the combination irresistible or an arrow that misses the mark? We’ll have 3,000 miles to find out on a very special road trip as our backdrop.
 If ever there was a specific musclecar inexorably linked to a particular movie, it has to be Barry Newman’s white 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T in the 1971 cult classic “Vanishing Point” (with apologies to Steve McQueen’s Highland Green Mustang in Bullitt).
This story has its genesis about two-and-a-half years ago, when I first saw the 2006 Dodge Challenger Concept in the styling dome at the Chrysler Technical Center in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Since then, I’ve felt a very close kinship to the car. This was almost two months before it was unveiled at the 2006 North American International Automobile Show and I knew that if the car ever made it to production – which seemed a foregone conclusion from the very start – I’d have to duplicate Kowalski’s epic adventure.
First, let’s look at the styling: In its transition from concept to reality, Chrysler’s designers -- in this case, exterior designer Jeff Gale (son of former Chrysler designer Tom Gale who participated in the design of the original 1970 Dodge Challenger) and Brian Nielander -- subtly refined Michael Castiglione’s original concept exterior design. "We had to pull in the A-pillars 2 inches on both sides," says Jeff. “A number of styling tricks were employed to create the classic long-hood/short-deck ponycar look on a contemporary floorpan. The front overhang was pushed out 2 inches, the windshield was raked back, and the lower thrust line was raised to pull the weight of the look upward.”
 I’m certain there will be a lot of carping from the press about the interior. While it’s not nearly up to the standard set by the exterior (or Alan Barrington’s outstanding execution on the concept version), it’s functional and livable -- if not generic Chrysler, dominated by the high cowl and the heavily bolstered SRT seats. If you’re broad in the beam, they might seem tight, but for me, it’s an incentive to eat lighter so I’ll fit better.
The rest of the interior is typical Chrysler LX platform, middle of the pack, but clearly better than many of their recent introductions, like the Dodge Caliber. In back, even with four inches removed from the wheelbase from the Charger donor platform, the rear seat is surprisingly roomy (three seat belts are provided), albeit dark in our car with its black interior. With the thick C-pillar and the B-pillar that sprouted from the true hardtop of the concept, this vehicle does have a measurable blind spot.
 Where Chrysler didn’t skimp was under the hood; if having to deal with a sub-par interior is what allows Dodge to offer the SRT8 version for $40,000, then we can live with the decision. It’s all about the fun pedal connected to 425 horsepower – especially when the ESP button is depressed for five seconds and the electronic nannies are minimized.
The big problem, as it is with many contemporary vehicles, is weight: the Challenger SRT8 weighs in at 700 pounds more than a Mustang GT, offset and partially compensated by more horsepower (425 vs. 300) and a modern multilink independent rear suspension. In our drive to Denver en route to our Vanishing Point dream drive, Team Performance’s Heath Nelson and I both tried to figure out ways to lighten the load. The first step would be to remove the rear seat (a la the 1965 Shelby GT350) and hope that someone will quickly tool up a lightweight aluminum or fiberglass hood and rear deck. Shedding 200 pounds will accomplish quite a bit towards correcting the weight issue.
Push the dash-mounted start button and you’re on your way. Once on the road, acceleration is instantaneous with 60 mph coming up in exactly five seconds, which is quick by any standard. But it’s when you get the Challenger up to extra-legal speeds that things really settle in. Above 120 mph, the Challenger felt glued to the ground in spite of its blunt aerodynamics, an aspect that received special attention in the transition from concept to production car reality.
 It was up near the limit where we were most pleasantly surprised; at 160 mph, we detected a bit of lightness up front, but attribute that to a substantial head wind at our undisclosed test location in Nevada, not far from the route of the mythical Kowalski. Our inability to get above 160 might have been the result of the fact that we were over 6,000 feet above sea level in the Nevada high desert. A second run -- later in the day at lower elevation, with no appreciable head wind -- resulted in the speedo touching 165. Given the right conditions, say my favorite stretch of Autobahn running from Karlsruhe south to Baden Baden, I have no doubt that it would crack the 170-mph barrier.
Handling is something of a mixed bag, again attributed to the substantial bulk -- over 4,200 pounds -- of the complete package. Subjectively, the Challenger felt as if it was sprung softly. Heath, who owns a Charger SRT8, had the same opinion I did, saying it was especially noticeable through low-speed corners where the steering was accurate but feeling a bit lethargic. No one is ever going to mistake a Challenger for a BMW M5 but putting things in perspective, you can buy his and hers Challenger SRT8s for about the price of a single M5. That is, after the initial feeding frenzy is sated and dealers can no longer command $20,000 in added markups.
One area where we were pleasantly surprised was in its modest fuel consumption given the overall performance envelope, especially in this era of $4.00-per-gallon petrol. On the 3,000-mile round-trip to Denver and back, we averaged an incredible 21.4 mpg, which compares favorably to its 13/18 EPA rating. (It should be noted that, with the exception of three very limited, very high speed runs, we stuck close to the posted limits; 65 mph seems to be the sweet spot). Conversely on our last tank of fuel, before turning the car back in, and driving mostly around town, mileage slipped below the 15 mpg threshold, typical of other SRTs equipped with the 6.1-liter Hemi.
Approximately 6,400 Challengers will be produced for the abbreviated 2008 model year. As expected, in 2009, Dodge will flesh out the lineup with a base SE model V-6 and an R/T model powered by the 5.7-liter/350-horsepower V-8. A six-speed manual gearbox is coming for 2009, to be paired with both V-8s. All of the 2008 models are paired with a five-speed automatic with manual override, calibrated for very quick shifts. Would we like to see steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters? Certainly.
The bottom line question remains: “Is the new Challenger SRT8 worth the wait, either two years from its 2006 revival or 34 years from its 1974 demise?” The answer is a qualified “Yes!” On the plus side, few cars, certainly none of them costing $40,000 can match its sense of exterior style and its overall performance capabilities.
Conversely, in SRT8 guise, it’s a package that can benefit from some additional refinement, especially on the inside where the upcoming Camaro is sure to raise the bar. But if Dodge is as serious as they say they are with regard to interiors, and the V-6 and 5.7-liter V-8s meet Dodge’s modest sales expectations – rumored to be about 60,000 units annually – then the Challenger should benefit from upcoming upgrades for its platform stablemates, the Charger and Chrysler 300C.
 The wild card is centered around $125-per-barrel oil. Certainly the V6 versions will be appealing, as has been the case with the Mustang. Maybe it would make sense for Dodge to offer a hybrid version? If Lexus can offer a luxury hybrid, why can’t Dodge offer the first musclecar hybrid? Dodge, are you listening?
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