The cabin of the Challenger is, quite frankly, a bit of an anticlimax. The pistol-grip shifter makes for a nice dj vu experience, and so does the center console, which welcomes the driver at a historically correct angle. But the pitch-black seats, the ho-hum surfaces, the nondescript metal-spoke steering wheel, and the instrument panel fail to impress. The fascia is tall and edgy, the tiny gauges are almost illegible, and the air-conditioning and radio controls would feel equally at home in a Chrysler PT Cruiser. Most materials are as low-rent to the touch as they are to the eye. Dodge says the team from the West Coast Pacifica Studio wanted to create an "in-your-face cabin that looks tough," but unless you eat, breathe, and drink muscle cars, the inspiration and the execution leave something to be desired. This does not, however, apply to space utilization: the Challenger is a genuine four-seater that throws in a sizable trunk for good measure.
If this were an audiobook, you would get the creeps simply by listening to the engine trying to even out its idle speed. Blip the throttle, and brace yourself for barking dogs, crying babies, and angry neighbors. Next, push in the clutch, shift into first, call up 4000 rpm--and smile. Because this is what muscle cars are all about: lots of beautiful noise, a whiff of melting rubber, and a streak of color tearing away from a stoplight. The clutch is a bit heavy and the transmission is a bit stiff, but the weight distribution hasn't changed much in the last thirty-six years, and there's no traction control to shut down the party. Third gear crunches in at about 70 mph (the instruments are not functional), and the forward thrust continues until the passenger says something like, "I don't want to lose my job because of a stupid European journalist." But we're already in seventh heaven, reeling in Highway One heading for Big Sur. In a minute, we'll take it easy again, we promise. Chrysler claims a 4.5-second 0-to-60-mph run, a 174-mph top speed, and a quarter-mile time in the thirteens.
The Challenger drives much better than a concept car should, although the rear suspension does occasionally bottom out over impromptu transverse ridges. The chrome-plated brake calipers must have spent most of their life in the dressing room, but they decelerate with so much bite it's as if the pads were studded with bloodhound teeth. The steering, which felt like a circular divining rod back in the '70s, is suddenly prompt and precise. Thanks to the ground-hugging stance, the extrawide footwear, and the spot-on independent suspension, this Dodge has learned to combine the fine arts of gliding, skating, and carving. We noticed some cowl shake over the rough bits, and there is enough attention-grabbing acceleration squat, but brake dive and body roll are never an issue.
It's no prima donna then, this Challenger concept. Which is just as well, because we don't want this crowd stopper to be a flash in the pan. Instead, we want a 2009 Challenger in plum-crazy purple, with a blueprinted 500-hp Hemi, some Mopar bits, and perhaps a small rear wing. That beast will teach the guys from the other side of town a trick or two, guaranteed.