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New Models
DRIVEN: Charger SRT8 Muscle-Car Flashback
A younger driver experiences old-school performance blended with modern-day upgrades in a practical sedan that can still get you in trouble.
The latest Dodge Charger SRT8 received an aggressive restyling and added refinement. (Photo: Dodge)
Driving a car like the Dodge Charger SRT8 is so frustrating.
All that gurgling American muscle at your fingertips, and you’re stuck in stop-and-go traffic. Or watching the cop in your rearview.
But on those rare occasions when you can really step on, all those hours of puttering melt away in a blast of tire-squealing, engine-screaming glory.
In the tradition of the classic Chargers of the 1960s and ’70s, the SRT8 is a big car with big power, packing a 6.4-liter Hemi V8 that cranks out 470 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 470 pound-feet of torque at 4,300 rpm. It’s quite an understatement to say that it is very fast off the line.
But this is no midlife-crisis roadster, at least not completely. The four-door Charger’s ample back seat and full-size trunk make for a family friendly sedan (though again, the puttering). And its $45,000 starting price isn't too bad compared with the Corvettes and Porsches of the world.
The only downside to having all that space inside is that the Charger ends up feeling massive, making parking a trial and creating the sensation that you are taking up too much space on the road. Which is probably the point, but it takes away from the sporty feel.
As a 28-year-old, this car clearly wasn’t made for me. I didn’t grow up lusting after an American V8, so the Charger’s super-aggressive style and power seem a little over-the-top to me.
But after a week of driving it, I can see what all that lust was about.
Based on the 2011 redesign, the Charger is a masterwork of aggression. It’s one of the angriest-looking cars on the road, making it a favorite patrol car with police departments around the country. The extra power and roomy back seat don’t hurt, either.
The sharp fenders and deep side scallops echo the Charger’s past, while the stub-nosed grill brings a distinctly modern look to the proceedings. The rear loses the plot a little, sporting a line of 162 illuminating LEDs beneath the spoiler that’s an updated nod to the Chargers of the 1970s. But the modern incarnation looks cluttered instead of sleek.
If the standard SRT8 still looks too reserved for you, there is also a Charger SRT8 Super Bee edition that adds a host of vintage-inspired emblems and paint jobs paying homage to the classic muscle car.
Despite this hard-edge styling, the Charger isn't much of a head turner, (my test car was white, so that couldn’t have helped). But the lack of attention probably owes less to the style and more to the fact that the streets are flooded with V6 versions of the Charger, not to mention similar menacing machines such as Camaros and Mustangs. But if people could only see what lay beneath the SRT8’s angry hood…
All that gurgling American muscle at your fingertips, and you’re stuck in stop-and-go traffic. Or watching the cop in your rearview.
But on those rare occasions when you can really step on, all those hours of puttering melt away in a blast of tire-squealing, engine-screaming glory.
In the tradition of the classic Chargers of the 1960s and ’70s, the SRT8 is a big car with big power, packing a 6.4-liter Hemi V8 that cranks out 470 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 470 pound-feet of torque at 4,300 rpm. It’s quite an understatement to say that it is very fast off the line.
But this is no midlife-crisis roadster, at least not completely. The four-door Charger’s ample back seat and full-size trunk make for a family friendly sedan (though again, the puttering). And its $45,000 starting price isn't too bad compared with the Corvettes and Porsches of the world.
The only downside to having all that space inside is that the Charger ends up feeling massive, making parking a trial and creating the sensation that you are taking up too much space on the road. Which is probably the point, but it takes away from the sporty feel.
As a 28-year-old, this car clearly wasn’t made for me. I didn’t grow up lusting after an American V8, so the Charger’s super-aggressive style and power seem a little over-the-top to me.
But after a week of driving it, I can see what all that lust was about.
Based on the 2011 redesign, the Charger is a masterwork of aggression. It’s one of the angriest-looking cars on the road, making it a favorite patrol car with police departments around the country. The extra power and roomy back seat don’t hurt, either.
The sharp fenders and deep side scallops echo the Charger’s past, while the stub-nosed grill brings a distinctly modern look to the proceedings. The rear loses the plot a little, sporting a line of 162 illuminating LEDs beneath the spoiler that’s an updated nod to the Chargers of the 1970s. But the modern incarnation looks cluttered instead of sleek.
If the standard SRT8 still looks too reserved for you, there is also a Charger SRT8 Super Bee edition that adds a host of vintage-inspired emblems and paint jobs paying homage to the classic muscle car.
Despite this hard-edge styling, the Charger isn't much of a head turner, (my test car was white, so that couldn’t have helped). But the lack of attention probably owes less to the style and more to the fact that the streets are flooded with V6 versions of the Charger, not to mention similar menacing machines such as Camaros and Mustangs. But if people could only see what lay beneath the SRT8’s angry hood…
2014 Cadillac CTS
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