Up front, there are amenities that a Hemi Charger owner couldn’t have even dreamed of back in 1969. The seats are smartly contoured to the human back with firm side bolsters and an attractive combination of leather and suede upholstery. The front buckets are both heated and cooled, and the steering wheel is heated as well.

The SRT8 comes loaded with sophisticated features and such niceties as a 900-watt Harman-Kardon audio system. (Photo: Dodge)

There are the requisite techno toys and doodads to intrigue buyers, including a 19-speaker, 900-watt Harman-Kardon audio system; a sophisticated touch screen command center to handle audio/climate control/navigation/communication functions; optional adaptive cruise control; and enough air bags to make the Charger a top safety pick of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

The interior is ergonomically sound as well, with controls that are both easy to read and logically arranged. Of particular note is the touch screen, which works a lot better – and by better I mean, easier – than these gadgets typically do.

But what really makes the Charger SRT8 easy to live with are the things you don’t see from behind the wheel. At all four corners are massive, four-piston vented Brembo brakes, which work spectacularly well in slowing this car down from high speeds. Likewise, while there is a fair amount of road noise and vibration in the suspension, the SRT8 handles like it’s on rails, which is a more than acceptable tradeoff.

It’s also worth noting that the Charger looks the part of a seriously bad-ass muscle car, fast and purposeful. It never failed to draw a crowd whenever I parked it, drawing strong reactions from onlookers.

All told, 2012 Dodge Charger SRT8 does a lot of things awfully well and few things poorly. And with a base price of $47,295, it’s a pretty decent bargain. The ’60s might be long gone, but the new Charger SRT8 is still representing.

Details

Vehicle type: Four-door sedan, front-engine, front-wheel drive.
Engine: 6.4-liter V8, 470 horsepower at 6,000 rpm, 470 pound-feet of torque at 4,300 rpm.
Transmission: 5-speed automatic with paddle shifters.
Wheelbase: 120.2 inches.
Overall length: 200.3 inches.
Curb weight: 4,365 pounds.
EPA mileage rating: 14 city, 23 highway.

Tom Jensen is the Editor in Chief of SPEED.com, Senior NASCAR Editor at RACER and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com. You can follow him online at twitter.com/tomjensen100.