2006 Dodge Charger SRT8 Road & Track Test...
There are a lot of reasons for wanting to live in Southern California, from the laid back left coast culture to the seemingly endless sunshine and sandy beaches, Hollywood celebrity sightings and famed car culture, but one of the most enticing prospects would be regular jaunts up the circuitous Angeles Crest and Angeles Forest highways to the equally appealing Willow Springs raceway.
Such was the day I just experienced during a full-line SRT ride and drive event that started from and ended at the Ritz Carlton in Pasadena, the aforementioned roadways tempting immature, reckless, albeit most enjoyable behavior in between. I started the drive in Jeeps new Grand Cherokee SRT8 (read about it Dec 1), filled in the middle of the day with on-track stints in the new Viper Coupe, various other SRT cars and worlds fastest SUV (at least for the time being), and capped it all off with a drive on the track and then back through the mountains in the new Charger SRT8.
This is the meanest looking LX car of the bunch, which in case you have been off continent for the last two years include Chryslers adrenaline inducing 300, and the equally tantalizing Dodge Magnum sport wagon. Charger has been positioned to take on mid- to full-size models of all sorts, and with a range beginning at $22,320 it offers a lot of car for the money. The same business proposition holds true throughout the line, with the range-topping SRT8 possibly offering the best "bang-for-the-buck" in the auto industry - period!
What grounds do I have for such a bold claim? Well, the majority of sedans that its up against offer very little bang at all, so it kind of stands alone in its field. Even sport coupes, such a Fords Mustang GT pale in comparison, and when it comes to handling corners even the blue-oval brands supercar-defying Shelby Cobra GT500 will most likely be left eating the SRT8s proverbial dust. What makes it so good?
Thats easy. Start with a fully independent suspension system derived from Mercedes-Benzs previous E-Class, a steering rack, robust five-speed automatic transmission with Autostick manual functionality, and other components pulled (after being reworked for their new application) from the same premium vehicle, and then stuffed under the hood, one of the most powerful naturally aspirated engines the world has to offer, also, along with various go-fast suspension parts such as SRT-tuned dampers, specially designed spring rates and suspension bushings, and large-diameter anti-sway bars, as well as larger wheels and tires, aerodynamic add-ons and sport-oriented interior enhancements, and then wrapping it all up in a package that has a similarly intimidating visual presence to Dodges outrageous Viper supercar, and finally, topping it off with a completely approachable $35,320 price tag, nothing can compare dollar for dollar.
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