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PASADENA, CA – Chrysler LLC’s ’08 Dodge Challenger SRT8 is a retro-themed time warp back to the simpler times of the 1960s and early 1970s, before political correctness and the green movement sucked the swagger out of the much-loved, yet uncouth, muscle car.
And with our troops once again far away fighting an unpopular war, a pending energy crisis looming on the horizon and performance cars nearing their horsepower peaks, the return of this 38-year-old icon epitomizes the auto industry’s ability to gloss over the finer points of history’s lessons.
But the Challenger SRT8 is one of the cars for 2008, and its mere presence in the modern world marks the impact Detroit’s auto makers have had on the hearts and minds of enthusiasts.
Like the original ‘70 model, the new Challenger is based on the Dodge Charger (now a sedan), with 4 ins. (10.2 cm) hacked off the LX platform to accommodate the coupe’s profile.
It’s rorty 425-hp 6.1L Hemi V-8 and 5-speed automatic transmission are plucked straight from the Charger’s Street and Racing Technology parts bin and displayed in a SEMA-worthy engine compartment that’s as well detailed as the sheet metal surrounding it.
The multi-link short/long-arm front and 5-link rear suspensions are shared with the Charger, as well, with tuning and fiddling optimizing the setup for the Challenger’s long-hood, short-deck proportions.
