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Stick It
The 2009 Dodge Challenger is now a row-your-own kinda boat.
The Dodge Challenger made its debut in 1970. My father was twenty-one years old back then, and while he’s a New Yorker from the Bronx—a borough once revered for paisans laying patches in Chargers and Challengers—he had already bought and sold a ’67 Austin-Healy 3000 Mk. III BJ8. I’m 26 and there couldn’t be a further disconnect between my partisan upbringing toward European vehicles (save for Corvettes and the DeLorean), muscle cars and the new Dodge Challenger. To use the internet meme, I’m “meh” about muscle.
So, when 0-60’s managing editor, Matt Tuccillo, was invited to drive the 2009 Dodge Challenger and all of its derivatives he drooled, slapped his forehead and asked if I could go because he’s partially hog-tied to his desk phoning-down stories for the 0-60 print mag.
Charlie Meadows and Robert Kerian already had their hedonistic way with the Challenger in the summer 2008 issue but I’m here at Raceway Park in NJ because these are the six-speed manual Challengers. My first question was, “Where do these manual gearboxes come from?” The Viper, I’m told. They’re Tremec TR-6060 units and the Ford GT-500 has it as well as the Corvette ZR1. Except that none of those trannies are mated to the “pistol grip style shifter.” About that…you get about as much as a true pistol grip as John Malkovich had on his homemade plastic handgun from In the Line of Fire. But that’s not to say the grooves don’t have their function—your finger placement keeps your wrist, elbow and shoulder aligned making for exact shifts. You’ll need it. With 425hp spread over 6.1L you don’t want to push and pull a wooden spoon in a jar of jelly to get to the next gear.
All assumptions were that I’d evaluate the Challenger at Raceway Park’s famous drag strip and not their brand new less-than-a-mile road course. Wrong. With no runoff or Armco at the new grounds I threw the 4170lb SRT8 (and 5.7L R/T) through a bank, up and down an elevation change, sidestepped a few chicanes and mashed in at the front straight. Yeah, this short track is very busy and if you push through every turn this little circuit can be challenging. Max speeds around 95-100 mph were hit. You can really pitch this beast around turns with throttle modulation (traction off, duh). Because the track is so short and the Hemi’s power comes at all revs, I didn’t have to shift often but I’ll tell you the clutch engagement comes late and high.
Driving the 2009 Challenger reaffirmed my belief that every car is better with a manual gearbox (minus the Nissan GT-R, IMHO). With a manual just little bit more fun can be squeezed, just a little more control can be had…even in a muscle car. I’m totally blind to the Challenger’s nostalgia but I have to admit, the all-new sheet metal is bad ass. The Challenger drives pretty much like the Charger SRT8 and 300C, although the manual ’box adds a refined and engaging new dimension.
—Jack Chinelli
PS
How can the Challenger be held on high for its soul and character and when the only thing passed down from its antecedent is a name, but the Nissan GT-R is called cold and soulless when its history is as old and as deep as any of Detroit’s iron?
Not only that but all of its core components come from other vehicles... the engine is From the Charger and 300C, the tranny is from a Viper. They just softened the old challengers look and put that design or a rolling chassis made out of other cars... junkyard dog.
"How can the Challenger be held on high for its soul and character and when the only thing passed down from its antecedent is a name, but the Nissan GT-R is called cold and soulless when its history is as old and as deep as any of Detroit’s iron? " I think that has to due with familiarity. And the U.S seems to be able to throw their hand of RECOGNITION a little further than Nissan/DAT could at the time. Here in Michigan, they have Charger State Police cars..... BRING OUT THE CHALLENGER COP CARS! Word on the street is also, Challenger Convertibles in 09. I'm a import car guy through and through, but this new Challenger, I agree with you, its some dope looking shit! BIG! And looks so smooth.
Cars such as Challenger and Mustang are immortalized in films such as 'Vanishing Point' and 'Bullitt' Skylines having no soul in state is natural, it's not their homeground. I'm sure when Skyline receive a equal iconic movie roles as forementioned films (not talking about crappy fast and furious turds), I'm sure Skyline will receive a soul for later generation
I guess you've never seen the hit Godzilla movie from 1974 "Gojira tai Mekagojira" co-starring an early ’70s Skyline 2000 GT. Sarcasm aside, what I'm referring to transcends tinsel town and has more to do with the car's dynamic and how it plays into its sense of identity. The Skyline/GT-R has just as much strength and originality in its nature as the Challenger or Mustang.
Yeah, I agree with Jack. It just depends on what world you live in. The R32-R34 Skylines are huge icons in my mind... Challengers, Mustangs and Camaros were definitely icons in my past. But that's when i was a wee lad, before I knew much about handling, cornering and power/weight ratios. I'm not saying they aren't icons! But the whole muscle car revival is pretty lame. Lazy designers and engineers throwing together power plants from there other performance projects. Instead of a step forward its a sidestep to get paid. How many times do you need to reinvent something? I dont agree with Clarkson's opinion on the "soulless" GTR, I grew up playing Gran Turismo. Im not sure that movies are the driving force in determining soul and character. Find me at age 14 killing Gran Turismo 2.
Great cars! Incredibly overpriced and man are they heavy!!! Still retro-madness is the in thing these days.
I hear a lot of people speaking about the retro madness crazy but I ask myself, is it really a craze, or have we always been fascinated with late 60's/early 70's iron? How many people do you see restoring cars from the 80's or 90's? I don't really see anyone doing it, or at least in rare cases. People are still restoring the cars from the 60's and 70's because those classic lines are what drive people back for more. It seems that mode of style has transcended pure trend following, and the Challenger is probably Detroit's effort to please a population hungry for the sleek, classic, musclecar design. So let them be! The Challenger is a beautiful car. Retro madness will commence until there is a car built that people will want to trade their musclecars in for. I welcome the day, but I've yet to see it happen. I think styling since the early 70's has gone downhill.
Part of what I'm getting at here is that designers, CEOs, and people in Charge of creating new and exciting cars aren't doing that for the most part. They're rehashing old ideas, similar to Hollywood remaking/adding upon classics and the video game industry making every game a series bleeding it to death...instead of creating something entirely fresh, new and inspiring. There's a waning craze for muscle cars right now, but I have a feeling it's cyclical and part of the baby boomers spending the last of their cash thanks to the hype of Barrett-Jackson. Is it laziness? Is it complacency? Do Americans care?