Dodge has been heating up the pony car market with its high-performance Challenger coupe. For 2012 the Dodge Challenger features the kind of performance and comfort car buyers have grown to expect from the vehicle. Incorporating even more modern technology, Dodge now offers models with automatic transmissions with steering wheel mounted shift paddles similar to what’s used in many race cars.
SXT models come with a V6 engine that provides the 2012 Challenger with 305 horsepower and 268 pound-foot of torque while still achieving an EPA-estimated 27 mpg on the highway. R/T models come with a legendary HEMI 5.7 liter V8 engine, which pumps out 375 horsepower and 410 pound-foot of torque. Drivers looking for even more power can option for the SRT8 392 model with the 5.7 liter HEMI V8 engine tuned to thunder out 470 horsepower and 470 pound-foot of torque. SXT models come with either a five-speed automatic or six-speed manual transmission, while models with the V8 engine only come with the six-speed manual.
The exterior of the 2012 Dodge Challenger features cool retro design cues that hearken back to the Challengers of the early 1970s. Standard are eighteen-inch alloy wheels, while twenty-inch retro-styled alloy wheels are offered as standard equipment on SRT8 392 models and as optional equipment on R/T models. Black racing stripes on the sides, functional hood scoops and xenon headlights are also standard exterior equipment. Heated side mirrors are available as an option.
Unlike other high-performance pony cars, the 2012 Challenger provides spacious and luxurious seating for up to four adults. All accessories on the Challenger are power-operated, including the front seats. Rear passengers enjoy dual AC power outlets to plug in gadgetry. Optional equipment is extensive for the Dodge Challenger, such as fog lamps, auto-dimming rearview mirror, satellite radio, an iPod input jack for the stereo, heated front seats and a sunroof. SRT8 392 models can come with optional sport front seats, which featured bulkier side bolsters to hold the front seat occupants in place during hard cornering.
Carroll Shelby became an automotive legend by making cars that were lightweight and featured engines with mind-blowing output. It seems fitting that one of his last creations, the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500, is making huge waves in the world of cars. Based on Ford’s Mustang, the GT500 amps up the performance aspects of the car, going well beyond a thunderous engine.
Most people do look at the engine of the 2013 Shelby GT500 first, and why not? It’s a 5.8 liter V8 block teamed up with supercharger to thump out a maximum 662 horsepower and 631 pound-foot of torque, making it the most powerful production V8 to have ever been manufactured in the world. One of the secrets of the car’s lightning- fast acceleration is the fact that 395 pound-foot of torque is available just above 1,000 RPM, providing an instantaneous thrust not found in many other cars. Only a six-speed manual transmission is available with the car, giving the driver ultimate control over engine revs and performance. Even though the Shelby GT500 was designed with performance in mind, gas mileage is rated at 24 mpg for highway driving.
The 2013 Shelby GT500 is not just about blistering power. Several parts were added to the standard Ford Mustang to handle the increased acceleration abilities of the car, keeping it going straight on the track or road, instead of sitting in a flaming heap off the pavement. The car has been outfitted with an aggressive front splitter and rear spoiler that literally help keep the rubber on the road as the car climbs toward its 200 mph top speed. A MacPherson strut setup helps with handling in the front, while the rear wheels are guided by a solid axle. The car also features functional hood vents, an extra-wide air dam and a gaping opening where the grill normally would be found, all to feed enough air to the car’s engine compartment.
A whole sleuth of standard features and equipment in the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 makes it a joy to drive, both around town and on the racetrack. Brembo brakes give the car superb stopping power, and a standard launch control system helps with quarter-mile races. The weight of the car is kept lower by the use of some carbon fiber parts, such as the drive shaft. A Mustang Track Apps program is accessible through the car’s touch screen, allowing the driver to measure the car’s acceleration, g-force performance through turns and braking performance. Those who opt for the optional SVT performance package receive an even stiffer race-inspired suspension as well as suspension dampers that can be quickly adjusted by switches inside the car.
Both the driver and passengers will appreciate some of the creature comforts offered in the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500. Keyless entry, air conditioning, automatic xenon headlights, fog lights and cruise control all come standard. 19-inch wheels are standard in the front along with 20-inch wheels in the rear, with high-performance tires wrapped around all four wheels. The upholstery is a mixture of leather and faux-suede, including around the steering wheel. An eight-speaker sound system is also standard, as well as an auxiliary jack for use with MP3 players. Those who want an outdoor experience can opt for the convertible version of the car, which comes with a soft top.
A video is spreading around the Internet like wildfire right now. It features a Tesla Model S P85D drag racing a Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat. The big deal is that the Tesla, which is an electric car, absolutely destroys the Challenger. Quite a few people without any real knowledge of both cars are throwing around ignorant, poorly-formed opinions about the race. Considering that and my expertise as an automotive writer, I cannot help but jump in and give my two cents, so here we go.
To start off, I should let everyone know that I like Tesla. I live in an area where every winter the air becomes so polluted that on some days it's hard to see two miles away, making it blatantly obvious that we need to do something to clear the air. Much of our pollution here is related to driving vehicles that burn fossil fuels, particularly since there are multiple refineries to the north that kick out an amazing amount of pollution. Tesla is helping push for change in the industry, and it's starting to really work. On top of that, the Model S is a genuinely beautiful car and an amazing piece of tech.
I don't have a dislike of Dodge, but I have to admit I'm not a huge fan, either. There is something primal inside of me that loves to see a muscle car, hear the growling V-8 engine, and know that the thing is raw and untamed in so many ways. They're fun to watch, particularly on the drag strip where you don't have to worry about losing control and hitting an innocent vehicle carrying a family, etc.
The Challenger SRT Hellcat is an incredibly powerful car, but so is the Model S P85D. There are some big differences between the two, namely that the Dodge is rear-wheel drive and the Tesla has all-wheel drive and a setup that makes spinning the wheels impossible, or so I've been told.
To the uninitiated, the act of performing a burnout before a drag race just looks like chest-thumping, which is what some Tesla fans have insinuated about the Dodge. The reality is that doing a burnout comes with some distinct benefits, as long as it's not done at the line. It cleans off debris from the tires, which is a big deal if you or subsequent racers use slicks. Doing a burnout also heats up the tires, making them grip better and helping with launches and the overall quarter-mile time. The problem is that the guy who is driving the Challenger SRT Hellcat does a burnout at the line, causing him to lose valuable seconds for his run. It also gives the Tesla driver a huge advantage is it rockets forward with a perfect launch, turning out a great time of 11.68 seconds on the quarter mile. It's an impressive performance.
The Dodge, on the other hand, finishes the race at 17.46 seconds. I can honestly tell you I've seen naturally-aspirated (that means without a turbo or supercharger) Honda Civics put up that kind of a time at a drag strip. Anyone who thinks the race is representative of how fast the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat is knows woefully little about the car. It puts out 707 horsepower and, according to Car and Driver, turns out a quarter mile in 10.85 seconds. Of course, that's with an experienced driver behind the wheel, not some fool who can get off the line in even relatively decent fashion. That kind of time would also best what the Tesla turned out at this race.
I 've heard all the accusations, including a "green" car blog I follow on Facebook saying that all the "dino juicers" are just going to make excuses about the results of the race. When I've written honest articles for different publications that don't shower Tesla with praise for every last thing it's ever done, these homers come out in droves and accuse me of being part of the "conspiracy" to keep electric cars down. What these people fail to realize is that I am a fan of electric cars and want them to succeed, but I also have to report the facts instead of just spreading around propaganda.
We've seen the Tesla Model S P85D destroy Ferraris and other cars in road races, which are a seriously stupid idea. We know the car is fast, but the above video is not the way to prove that it is faster than the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat. It's an unfair representation, plain and simple. Is it funny to watch? Sure, because the Dodge driver is beat hands-down, but it does not indicate which car is quicker.
Perhaps with all the controversy swirling around the video, someone like Car and Driver will stage a drag race between the two cars, but with skilled drivers behind both wheels. Then we can all see which is truly quicker at the quarter mile and settle this thing once and for all.
2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat. Image courtesy of Chrysler.
If you've been fantasizing about the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, you can now delve deeper into the dream. The car brand's website has just launched the configurator, which means now employees can waste an entire afternoon making it look like they're doing something productive.
You can check out the configurator right here. The tool allows you to build the muscle car just the way you want it, and then spits out a price for all the fun stuff you add. Interestingly enough, one of the interior options is red seat belts. I guess that makes safety all the more exciting, or something like that.
Admittedly, the Challenger SRT Hellcat is one of the best deals around for anyone who is looking for sick amounts of power and raw acceleration. I optioned one up quite a bit, and the purchase price only came in at $64,865, or an estimated payment of $915 a month.
The Shelby GT350 will return to the Mustang lineup in 2016, after a long hiatus. Most young people know about the earth-shattering GT500, but this muscle car is completely different. Instead of being designed to tear down drag strips, the GT350 is made for carving through tight turns.
Ford's engineers have said that they looked at the whole car and how the different systems worked when they tuned everything. In other words, the GT30 is all about balance and control, not about kicking up acrid plumes of smoke from the rear tires.
The car's design takes full advantage of the Mustang's new independent rear suspension. The geometry of the suspension in both the front and rear of the car should hold up, even when the driver throws the GT350 around right turns, thanks to a chassis that features a 28 percent increase of torsional stiffness.
Then there's the engine, which features a strange, even exotic V-8 growl. That's tanks to a flat-plane crankshaft, which is what you find in cars like Ferraris. It allows for the firing order of the cylinders to switch back and forth between the two banks, which results in less overlap of exhaust pressure pulses. Thanks to a peak output of over 500 horsepower and 400 lb.-ft. of torque, the 5.2-liter V-8 is the most powerful naturally aspirated engine to ever be used in a production Ford.
Other features of the car, like the big brakes and six-piston calipers, are also designed for rigorous track use. Even though the Mustang Boss 302 is no longer in production, we are getting something that will be even better.
