| Vehicle | |
|---|---|
| Model year | 2011 |
| Make | Dodge |
| Model | Challenger ST8 392 |
| Style | 2dr Coupe (6.4L 8cyl 6M) |
| Base MSRP | $44,680 (includes destination and gas-guzzler tax) |
| Options on test vehicle | 392 Inaugural Edition Package ($1,995 -- includes dual white center stripes, leather seats with stripes, polished 20-by-9-inch wheels with black accents, Mopar quad exhaust); Media Center 430N ($395 -- includes Sirius travel link with 1-year service, Sirius Satellite Radio, Garmin navigation system, 6.5-inch touchscreen display, 30GB hard drive with 4,250-song capacity); Five-Speed Automatic Transmission ($995); Power Sunroof ($950); SRT Option Group II ($695 -- includes 13 Kicker high-performance speakers, 200-watt Kicker subwoofer, 322-watt Kicker amplifier); Front 245/45ZR20 and Rear 255/45ZR20 Performance Tires ($100). |
| As-tested MSRP | $49,810 |
| Drivetrain | |
|---|---|
| Drive type | Rear-wheel Drive |
| Engine type | Naturally aspirated, port-injected, V8, gasoline with cylinder deactivation |
| Displacement (cc/cu-in) | 6,424cc (392 cu-in) |
| Block/head material | Iron/aluminum |
| Valvetrain | Pushrod, two valves per cylinder with hydraulic lifters, variable cam timing |
| Compression ratio (x:1) | 10.9:1 |
| Redline (rpm) | 6,250 |
| Horsepower (hp @ rpm) | 470 @ 6,000 |
| Torque (lb-ft @ rpm) | 470 @ 4,200 |
| Fuel type | 91-octane recommended |
| Transmission type | Five-speed automatic with console shifter |
| Transmission and axle ratios (x:1) | I = 3.59; II = 2.19; III = 1.41; IV = 1.00; V = 0.83; Final drive = 3.06 |
| Chassis | |
|---|---|
| Suspension, front | Independent, high-mount upper A-arm, coil springs, monotube dampers, stabilizer bar, lateral and diagonal lower links |
| Suspension, rear | Independent multilink, coil springs, monotube dampers, stabilizer bar |
| Steering type | Hydraulic-assist, speed-proportional, rack-and-pinion power steering |
| Steering ratio (x:1) | 14.4:1 |
| Tire brand | Goodyear |
| Tire model | Eagle F1 Supercar |
| Tire type | Asymmetrical, three-season, high-performance |
| Tire size, front | 245/45ZR20 99Y |
| Tire size, rear | 255/45ZR20 101Y |
| Wheel size | 20-by-9 inches front and rear |
| Wheel material | Forged aluminum |
| Brakes, front | 14.2-by-1.3-inch ventilated and slotted discs with four-piston fixed aluminum calipers |
| Brakes, rear | 13.8-by-1.1-inch ventilated discs with four-piston fixed aluminum calipers |
| Track Test Results | |
|---|---|
| Acceleration, 0-30 mph (sec.) | 2.0 |
| 0-45 mph (sec.) | 3.0 |
| 0-60 mph (sec.) | 4.5 |
| 0-75 mph (sec.) | 6.2 |
| 1/4-mile (sec. @ mph) | 12.6 @ 112.1 |
| 0-60 with 1 foot of rollout (sec.) | 4.2 |
| Braking, 30-0 mph (ft.) | 30 |
| 60-0 mph (ft.) | 114 |
| Slalom, 6 x 100 ft. (mph) | 67 |
| Skid pad, 200-ft. diameter (lateral g) | 0.88 |
| Sound level @ idle (dB) | 50.5 |
| @ Full throttle (dB) | 81.0 |
| @ 70 mph cruise (dB) | 68.0 |
| Test Driver Ratings & Comments | |
|---|---|
| Acceleration comments | The Challenger 392 struggled to put the power of its new engine to the tarmac; it spun the tires wildly even with ESP on. The quickest run was achieved with ESP off by using slightly less than full throttle initially off the line until the rear tires had traction. The automatic's manual-shift mode gives quick, but very abrupt shifts. We used this mode to get the quickest time; it still upshifts for itself anyway. Strangely, in full automatic Drive mode it banged into the rev limiter once before shifting from 1st to 2nd. |
| Braking comments | Pedal is nice and firm. Stopping distances were short and remained consistent, as did the pedal feel and pedal travel even after repeated runs. |
| Handling comments | Slalom: Dodge has definitely improved the SRT8's handling. It no longer feels like such a heavy, sloppy beast, even though it's actually even heavier than before; steering is quicker and sharper. But this is still a very wide and heavy car with which to steer around the cones quickly. It was important to drive particularly smooth with ESP on, as the system cuts in very aggressively, thereby ruining the run. Skid pad: Careful throttle control is needed to keep from overshooting the arc, as it's easy to get the Challenger into an understeer push. ESP-on runs proved just as good as ESP-off, but easier to achieve because the stability system was quite adept at cutting in at the exact right time to keep the car on the intended line. |
| Testing Conditions | |
|---|---|
| Elevation (ft.) | 1,121 |
| Temperature (°F) | 71.3 |
| Relative humidity (%) | 23.7 |
| Wind (mph, direction) | 4.5, headwind |
| Fuel Consumption | |
|---|---|
| EPA fuel economy (mpg) | 14 city/22 highway/16 combined |
| Edmunds observed (mpg) | 13.9 worst/16.3 best/14.5 avg (over 717 miles) |
| Fuel tank capacity (U.S. gal.) | 19 |
| Dimensions & Capacities | |
|---|---|
| Curb weight, mfr. claim (lbs.) | 4,160 |
| Curb weight, as tested (lbs.) | 4,257 |
| Weight distribution, as tested, f/r (%) | 55/45 |
| Length (in.) | 197.7 |
| Width (in.) | 75.7 |
| Height (in.) | 57.1 |
| Wheelbase (in.) | 116.0 |
| Track, front (in.) | 63.0 |
| Track, rear (in.) | 63.1 |
| Turning circle (ft.) | 37.5 |
| Legroom, front (in.) | 42.0 |
| Legroom, rear (in.) | 32.6 |
| Headroom, front (in.) | 39.3 |
| Headroom, rear (in.) | 37.4 |
| Shoulder room, front (in.) | 58.2 |
| Shoulder room, rear (in.) | 53.9 |
| Seating capacity | 5 |
| Cargo volume (cu-ft) | 16.2 |
| Warranty | |
|---|---|
| Bumper-to-bumper | 3 years/36,000 miles |
| Powertrain | 5 years/100,000 miles |
| Corrosion | 5 years/100,000 miles |
| Roadside assistance | 3 years/36,000 miles |
| Free scheduled maintenance | Not available |
| Safety | |
|---|---|
| Front airbags | Standard |
| Side airbags | Standard |
| Head airbags | Standard |
| Antilock brakes | Standard |
| Traction control | Standard |
| Stability control | Standard |
| Tire-pressure monitoring system | Standard |
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