2006 Dodge Charger in Long Beach

MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA - Chrysler's SRT (Street Racing and Technology) division is churning out new models as fast as you can moan "A Charger should have two doors" into your beer. Without entering that debate, we'll note that this is the Chrysler Group car that is perhaps most deserving of SRT treatment, since the Dodge Charger nameplate clearly still resonates with performance-minded drivers.

The recipe for the Charger SRT8 is familiar: Bore out Chrysler's modern-day Hemi V-8-already a formidable source of power, torque, and retro rumble for more than one million buyers in all its many applications-to expand displacement from the stock 5.7 liters to 6.1 liters. Raise the compression ratio, and fit higher-flow cylinder heads and a new intake manifold. Step back and revel in 425 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque, a 70.1-hp-per-liter rating that exceeds that of the original Hemi, with modern (i.e., realistic) SAE net power ratings to boot.

The Charger SRT8 drives very similarly to SRT8 versions of the Chrysler 300C and the Dodge Magnum. Chassis tuning among the three is virtually identical. Compared with stock Hemi models, all boast firmer dampers, higher spring rates, stiffer bushings, and bigger antiroll bars. The Charger SRT8 rides half an inch lower than a Charger R/T, and the car rolls on stunning twenty-inch, forged-aluminum wheels shod with Goodyear Supercar F1 performance rubber, 245/45 in the front, 255/45 in the rear. Other exterior changes from the regular Charger include new front and rear fascias, a hood scoop, and a reasonably tasteful rear spoiler.... Read full article