blackS197

Cant wait untill the Challenger and CAmaro pull up next to me. Im am ready locked and loaded.

VaporDude

Make sure you have a big enough rear view mirror so you can see as you pull away. The Challenger handles nice and a nice ride but it really lacks the power hipe that the media has put on these cars.

VaporDude

Tell me what you think...what would you rather drive?


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Cobra Boy

Okay, let me thank 05blueGT soon to be known as VaporDude, for bringing his Shelby down to use inthe comparison. we had a ton of fun.

Now here's my review...hope this helps everyone's opinion...

First, let it be known that I love cars. Mostly American cars, but my soul appreciates the romance that’s involved in the styling of every automobile. I long for the days when the weekend meant driving down the street on a Saturday afternoon watching everyone carefully polish their cars getting them ready for evening cruises or whatever lay in store….I love em all.

Today I was given the opportunity to drive the latest entry into the modern day muscle car race, the 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT 8 Limited Edition. Being given the keys to a $40,000 muscle car just for the privilege of review is not something most folks get to experience. The car I drove today was finished in rich “Hemi Orange� with black carbon fiber hood stripes. The outside of the car pays great homage to a time when Mopars were something to be feared on the street. The body lines, and front and rear ends have plenty of modern appeal but wreak of retro Challenger styling.

Inside the cockpit, extremely comfortable leather seats accented with orange SRT8 emblems greet your body. The dash panel appropriately designed to provide its driver access to all informational panels and visibility of the broad, mean hood. The leather wrapped steering wheel made to provide its pilot with plenty of control. My test car was listed as having preferred customer package, which basically means “every option available�. The 13 speaker sound system provides more volume than this write prefers to utilize but who wants to listen to music when you can listen to the car anyway. There is plenty of room for the driver, his passenger, and whatever else they need on their trip. The back seat is as expected…minimally designed for extra passengers but functional nonetheless. The trunk space boasts plenty of room to get you through those stylish trips to the grocery store. This car would be a pleasure to drive a long trip in if it handled okay. So how does it handle???

Well my first round in the Challenger was driving at comfortable speeds accelerating to 80 miles an hour at smooth, but seemingly labored rates. The car rounded normal highway corners fine and proved that someone could easily drive 5-6 hours without feeling that they were riding in a lumber cart. The exhaust note in the cabin sounded like one mean V8, very deep but not too loud and seemingly no drone. Braking was easy with the large four disc brake system engaging smoothly and quietly. Most of my recent high performance experience has been in a stock 2007 Ford Shelby GT500. The Challenger is as smooth, but perhaps not as nimble as the Shelby as it was a bit “edgy� feeling around tight corners. The disappointing 3.06 gear ratio aren’t nearly as exciting as one would expect with Dodge’s new flagship muscle car. Slow off the line was the general consensus until………

My second round in the Challenger was highlighted with the use of the “Autostick� feature. Having someone that has read the owner’s manual point some things out to you never hurts, although it can be quite embarrassing. Down the road again we went using the Autostick to run through the 5-speed transmission as fast as we could. The Challenger felt like a different car. Acceleration became noticeably more enjoyable (although a better set of gear would still have made it better…you folks at Dodge get the hint???). The Challenger now was capable of laying a very respectable set of black tracks and ringing out the old days when the 440 Six Pack was every Mopar lover’s dream. Brute acceleration felt more like a rekindling of its vintage namesake than the Shelby GT500. The Challenger responds like a vintage muscle car and although feels and sounds very authoritative, feels very solid and a little heavy. Being able to shift from 5th to 3rd gear when negotiating corners is maybe the biggest benefit of the Autostick feature. Without the Autostick feature the Challenger is a sadly subdued cruiser with an over governing rev limiter. Engage the Autostick feature, and the Challenger becomes something that most men only wish they could drive just once. Dodge did a fantastic job of styling the new Challenger. Retro is in fashion and really, the only right thing to do when resurrecting a fine name. So far Dodge and Ford are the only two to do it right. The disappointing GTO and the up and coming Camaro have yet to carve their spots in the world. The folks at Chevy better be ready for some tough competition when the show up late to the game with the Camaro.

Overall, the Challenger was more than a real pleasure to drive. Stickered at $40,145, this car would be a delightful addition to anyone’s garage. Driving the Challenger will have your mind wandering back to the early 70’s when gas was cheap and the nights were long. Cruising or racing, this car will satisfy. One can only dream of the day that the 6-speed manual becomes available and companies start making aftermarket performance parts available. An amply tuned supercharger would make the Challenger a true contender with the Shelbys and Corvettes currently prowling the streets. What the future will hold…..

Now for my Shelby driving brethren….

Having driven both cars, I can tell you that I would have to choose the Shelby GT500 hands down. The Shelby accelerates better, handle better, and is part of a better legacy than the Challenger could ever dream of. While the Challenger’s interior may be a bit fancier, the Shelby makes up for it with the sound of that wonderful supercharger and that bold exhaust note. Pound for pound, I would have chosen the Ford Shelby GT500. When you break it down looking at weight, acceleration, style, transmissions, price, and legacy, the Shelby GT 500 packs more of that stuff than the Challenger.

Looking at the Challenger and even comparing it to the Shelby makes me smile and think how nice it is in the face of rising gas prices it is that we have some real pride and romance coming back into the world of American muscle cars. Here in America, we haven’t seen a real, honest to goodness muscle car for sometime but those days have now past. Let us all rejoice…. the race is on once again.

redcobrasc

Has anybody seen a Challenger upfront, I went to 2 Dodge dealers (San Diego) today and they havent recieved chit , they said that they will be asking 10k over MSRP. and wanted to know if i wanted to be called when one comes to their showroom, I told them no, that I have a Cobra and I just wanted to test drive one..................I cant wait to see one on the road, Im smokin that fool.


Cobra>Challenger>Camaro

Motor Trend is full of $hit.........................If you option the Challenger its an extra 10k on top of MSRP.

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...fications.html

Cobra Boy

I can tell you from experience (having driven a Challenger) that a stock Shelby GT500 with an experienced driver would put a considerable amount of dictance between him and the Challanger. TheDodge looks godd and has some redeeming qualities but IT AIN"T NO SHELBY.

VaporDude

Here are some pictures of both the Shelby and Challenger. CobraBoy is lacking knowledge on how to post up pictures here.

redcobrasc

Thanx for the upfront pix, it does look good but bulky. Ford did the mustang right. As far as horsepower the gt at 300hp is a good match to weight ratio, with a few bolt-on/ supercharger you can get the numbers you want. 3 years later dodge finally came out with their challenger and up-ed the ante on horsepower, and the Camaro will probably do the same. But for the price you can get the add-on's to your gt and be under priced and over powered then Dodge.

But comparing the Challenger to the GT500 is like comparing the GT500 to the Z06 , Apples to Oranges. The GT is a closer comparison to the Challenger. By the way the Charger SRT/8 has the same HP and weights over 4100 Lbs and its real close to the Challenger. I took a couple of SRT/8's already , there quick but no challenge to the Cobra, so I feel I maybe disapointed in the Challenger and may have to wait for the Camaro if they ever make one.http://autos.yahoo.com/dodge_charger_srt8-specs/?p=all

I like what Ford did with the S197 from the V-6 to the V-8 and priced right, it will be very hard for Mopar and GM to stay competitive with ford and dont believe they will be going to much higher in HP due to gas prices and the break even point on new development cost if there car doesnt sell.




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Vapour Trails

Of all the 3 new muscle cars, the Mustang looks by far the best IMO. Of course I'm biased, but the styling success of the mustang in 65-66 cannot be deined, and the S197 is a reincarnation of the styling between 65-69.

Stangula

Both Great looking cars but i like the smaller lower look of the ford better and i dont like dodge gauges or steering wheel i think it is plain and belongs in gramas car how they used white face gauges and still couldnt say sports car is beyond me what i like about the gt500 interior is it is a mustang interior thats unique to the gt500 not the mustang focus explorer taurus dash where as the challenger dash is same as 300c charger magnum "sport" wagonand every other piece of crap in dodges line up i dont think its that nice or very comfortable I was stuck with a magnum rtrental after mine car was wrecked and it was a horrible experience as is driving in everything dodge has made since 1980 not fancy or comfortable Chevy is at bat now with the camaro and hopefully it not thesweep in under the carpet attempt to clean up that dodge has unleashed on our poor soulscause i wanna be able to smoke a real car in my gt500 the mustang is the only car to last 40 years continuously and is the worlds number 1 selling sports car for a reason better luck next year dodge