2009 Dodge Challenger R/T and SRT8: Best Of The New Ponycar Breed?

I am going to preface this article by first saying that when it comes to musclecars, I am a die-hard Mopar fan. Normally when you offer your opinion on subjects that are as much subject to opinion as they are fact, maintaining some sort of impartiality is expected. Well, your fresh out of luck with me, because I am about as big a Mopartisan as you will hope to find when it comes to old-school muscle. That being said, I currently drive a 2007 Ford Mustang GT.

But that’s neither here nor there.

Unless you’ve been dwelling in a cave, you have no doubt read the many reviews of the current generation of pony cars from the Big Three. In each test, the results are typically the same, with either the Camaro SS or Mustang GT edging each other out by a few points one way or another, with the Dodge Challenger R/T bringing up the rear. While the Mustang is easily the bang-for-the-buck champ, and the Camaro offering up 426hp for just a tick over $30 large, the Challenger might seem like the weak sister of the three.

 

Weak? Hardly.

Hottest sister ever? Definitely.

It has some time since we’ve seen the Challenger name applied to a vehicle worthy of that name. Say – 35 years or so. While it was the last one to the ponycar craze in 1970, it was one of the last to leave in semi-respectable state in 1974.

The nameplate was resurrected once again in the early 1980s, and applied to an abomination of a car built in conjunction with Mitsubishi. That was one Diamond Star Motors car that most definitely laid an egg.

While the S197 Ford Mustang set the standard for retro madness when introduced in 2005 when introduced in 2005; its first complete chassis overhaul in over 25 years. Right about that same time, Chrysler pancaked themselves when they introduced the Dodge Charger. For many Pentastar loyalists, it was nothing sort of sacralidge and just one step remove from heresy, to apply the Charger nameplate to what resembled a Chrysler 300 with a Dodge Ram front end. The new car bore virtually no resemblance to anything Bo and Luke launched over a creek bed, or the machine that Peter Fonda used to elude a determined deputy and a helicopter in Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry.

Don’t even get me started with Bullitt.

By the grace of God and Mike Accevitti, the Dodge Challenger was done right the first time. The car that was the recipient of rave reviews following the unveiling of the concept back in 2006, looks remarkably similar to the one that you can buy at any number of (remaining) Dodge dealerships. The only real difference was the welcomed deletion of the corporate crossbar grille, in favor of the original 1970 chrome-looped piece.

Note to Dodge, Chrysler, Fiat, or whatever czar may be reading this: not everything has to look like a truck.

While the Charger caused some sneers and grimaces upon its introduction, the 2009 Challenger was penance personified. Like Harry Doyle told Lloyd Christmas in Dumb & Dumber, “…then you go and do something like this….and totally redeem yourself!”

 

The Challenger R/T puts up numbers that typically rival those of the Mustang GT, but tread a few paces behind the Camaro SS: 0-60 in 5.3 seconds, while the ¼ mile is usually good for mid 13’s at around 106mph – though some have gone faster in the hands of some actual owners. The SRT8 machine mimics the performance of its fellow SRT8 cousins the Charger and Chrysler 300 – 13.0 @ 108mph+ is typical of those machines. All of these cars are held back by one oppressive hindrance – their own mass. The Challenger is the lightest of the bunch, but still has the scale crying uncle at a portly 4150lbs. That would be the Mustang GT’s weight if cruising around with all of its seats occupied with three of your average-sized friends.

                                                                                                                           

Or two fat guys.

It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise though – they are all built from the same architecture, a key sticking point to the main criticism of the Challenger: a dour interior. Having owned a 1972 Plymouth ‘Cuda, as well as my father, uncle, and cousin all having owned Challengers of 1970-73 vintage, the interiors in those cars were not necessarily a work of art. It was straight forward and functional: a 150mph speedometer, 7,000rpm tachometer (though I’d hate to see what would have happened had I pegged that 440 to seven grand), gauges for gas, oil pressure, temperature, battery, and most importantly, a giant clock that 2/3 of the time worked half of the time.

 

While the Dodge Challenger might not be the fastest or most nimble of the current trio of retro ponycars, it is arguably the prettiest, and most true to its original formula. Besides, if it’s all out performance you’re in need of, the aftermarket is awash with simple bolt-ons that will wake up your Mopar, and further restore the honor and dignity of the

                    When in doubt, peel out. Photos courtesy of Chrysler Group, LLC

Challenger name. If you simply want a fast, comfortable, cruiser that begs for attention wherever you go, then you’d be hard pressed to do much better than this one. 

Have a thing for NASCAR stockcars as well as musclecars? Check out Vito Pugliese’s weekly column Wednesdays, at www.frontstretch.com for the latest news, insight, and commentary on America's hottest sport.