Pony car to quarterhorse in 35 years

A picture is worth a thousand words, but not if it doesn't do justice to the subject.

The production version of the new Dodge Challenger SRT8 has been revealed (more here), but the pictures don't tell the full story.

Specifications for the new coupe do indicate that the 2008 Challenger will be about six inches (150mm) longer than the original -- which is not apparent from the images -- but the new car, with all its creature comforts, safety equipment and emissions-defeating plumbing, will weigh 1878kg, hundreds of kilos more than the original cars from the 1970s.

As against that, Dodge has announced that the new Challenger -- with its 6.1-litre Hemi V8 -- develops 425hp, which is about lineball with the power output for the 1970 car with the 426 CID Hemi V8. Torque, converted to metric, is about 570Nm for the new car. Dodge expects the Challenger to reach 100km/h from a standing start in the vicinity of 5.0 seconds and dispatch the 400m drag in under 14 seconds.

Unlike the original, the new Challenger should be able to achieve a 0.88g lateral force measurement on skidpan.

The Challenger will capture the look of 1970s muscle cars, with three colour options: Hemi orange, Bright Silver Metallic and Brilliant Black Crystal Pearl.

Production cars will be equipped with leather seat trim, titanium-weave finish for the instrument panel, a 13-speaker audio system, 20-inch alloy wheels, five-speed automatic transmission, IRS, Brembo brakes front and rear, side curtain airbags, ESP, traction control, remote central locking, alarm, xenon headlights, tyre pressure monitoring and Bluetooth connectivity.

There are no plans to bring the Challenger to Australia at this stage. American buyers can expect to pay up to US$37,995 for the car when it goes on sale.

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