According to the urban dictionary, "beast mode" is an expression that describes the “state of doing anything excessively and or aggressively." And I can't think of a better phrase to describe cruising around in the limited production 2011 Dodge Challenger SRT8 392 Inaugural Edition. Chasing down German and Italian supercars on the highway, drifting through major intersections with wanton disregard for the laws of the land, and exhibiting the self-restraint to keep from creating burnt tire tracks at every light and stop sign are herculean tasks. This muscle car is big and bad and just wants to throw its weight around at any and every opportunity.
The Dodge Challenger holds a unique position in the pantheon of automotive lore. Back in 1970 it emerged as Chrysler's answer to the Mustang and Camaro which had solid head-starts in the bourgeoning pony car market. Fast forward 41 years and the game is still afoot. But the difference is that now when you get behind the wheel of a Challenger you can't help but feel like the champ rather than an also-ran.
The Look
When I recently met a friend for lunch, I was approached by an admirer who dubbed the Challenger the "prettiest car in Santa Monica." This may be a stretch with all the talent in these here parts but there is no doubt that the car is a stunner. The retro-styling holds close to the first generation with a well-conceived revisioning. The car sits tall, has bulky ergonomics and commands attention. Recent updates for this model year include a bigger front splitter and integrated front fender spats along with a modified front fascia chin spoiler and rear decklid spoiler.
Our 392 Inaugural Edition model sports a Deep Water Blue Pearl paint coat with white center stripes (the reverse color combination is also available). Other special accents include a body-color matched grille, quad-tip exhaust, special 392 HEMI fender badges and polished forged alloy 20 inch wheels.
The Guts
Unlike the Camaro which has toy-like gimmicky gauges and the Mustang's ‘stuck in the ‘90’s’ cabin, the Dodge Challenger presents a welcome departure with functional and simple controls and a 6.5-inch touch screen display that instantly makes the car feel like it belongs in this decade. The 392 equipment package serves up white leather seats with blue accent stitching and "392" embroidery just below the headrest. In addition, there is a jazzy "Inaugural Edition 392 HEMI” dash plaque and a brushed silver metal center stack that adds a touch of flavor.
The old monstrous steering wheel has been replaced with one a full inch smaller and much more manageable. In addition, the wheel is wrapped with a carbon leather weave which is a nice touch. The driver's seat is 6-way adjustable with 4-way lumbar support and heated front seats are standard. The folks in front enjoy comfortable well-bolstered seats while people in back benefit from lots of headroom but have to contend with cramped leg room. And speaking of room, the trunk is downright cavernous.
Overall, visibility is tough with some serious blindspots due to the thick pillars. I find myself gunning the engine during lane changes just to be sure that an Aveo is not lurking incognito.
Technobabble
The aforementioned media center provides a Garmin-powered navigation, a 30-gig music hard drive and Sirius satellite radio. Our model includes 13 Kicker high-performance speakers with a 200-watt Kicker Subwoofer and 322-watt Kicker amp. The system bumps but it doesn't compare to what you'd get from a high-end aftermarket setup and the fidelity is a little muddy due to a difficult soundstage.
Slightly awkward controls on the back of the steering wheel allow you to dictate source, volume and scrolling through tracks and stations. Other niceties include AC with auto-temp control, an automatic sunroof, keyless entry, Push Start, a security alarm and a universal garage door opener. The Bluetooth UConnect system is a bit long-winded and on occasion makes you want to reach into the dash and strangle the "friendly" voice-based assistant while pairing cell phones and such, but is overall very useful and capable.
One cool feature is the vehicle information center which has a set of performance screens that allow you to automatically record sprints from 0-60mph, lateral G's and other fun stats that give you bragging rights.
Performance
The 392 designation is a reference to the engine displacement which is actually 391.15 cubic inches or 6.4-liters in more common verbage. Back in the ‘50s, Hemi 392s were very popular engines for a variety of Chrysler models including the New Yorker and Imperial. That same powerplant was effectively used by drag racers for many years and still carries street-cred.
Dodge recognized the limitations of the previous 6.1-liter engine and really went to town with the 392, including the addition of .9mm more bore and 3.7mm more stroke (for a total of 6410 cc) along with an active intake manifold, new cold-air induction, variable cam timing, high-flow cylinder heads, fatter intake valves and exhaust pipes.
The result of these efforts is 470hp at 6,000 rpm and 470 lb-ft of torque at 4,200 rpm with a solid power band in the 2,000 to 4,000 rpm range, a place where the previous model lagged bigtime. This is a major jump over the 425hp and 420 lb-ft of torque from the 6.1-liter engine's output at considerably higher rpms. In addition, this new V8 offers a fuel-saving, cylinder-deactivation function which automatically drops down to just 4 cylinders when cruising. Fuel economy is rated at 14 mpg in the city and 22 on the highway so you won't win any friends in the eco-camp but this is an improvement over the previous model's 13/19 rating with substantially more power, which is a solid feat of engineering.
Our model features the optional five-speed automatic transmission (a $995 premium) which performs well despite giving up an extra gear to the likes of Camaro and Mustang. That said, we find it very comforting that 50 percent of buyers opt for the 6-speed manual transmission, which now features shorter shifts and some additional bolstering to the twin-disk, dual-clutch Tremec Tr-6060 to handle the additional power.
Driven hard the automatic gear shifts can be jarring but, under normal motoring, the tranny is smooth and efficient. The slap stick shifter in manual mode is an effort in frustration as it will jump to second gear if the revs pass a certain point, leading to embarrassing jabs from friends and onlookers if you are looking to impress folks with monster burnouts that die just when things really ignite.
The car will easily lose traction during quick acceleration from the line and takes a bit of practice to get solid sprints from 0-60 mph. Carefully bringing on the torque once the tires hook up will reward you with times in the 4.5 second range (which is .3 faster than the old SRT8). Standing quarter mile times are pegged around 12.9 seconds at 114 mph. At regular locomotion, the exhaust note is fairly muted, but step on the gas and the beautiful symphony gets louder and louder the higher the revs. It's still not as throaty as we'd like but it's not disappointing either.
The 4,257 pounds of heft are controlled by way of large Brembo high-performance brakes along with some serious suspension tuning and steering upgrades to make the car more "tossable." Hydoelastic engine mounts have been installed to cut down on idle shake and wrestle down engine mass during cornering. Suspension bushings have been stiffened, the shocks have been dampened 8.5% up front and 11% in the rear over the previous setup, and beefier anti-roll bars are installed fore and aft. A tad more front negative camber has also been thrown in the mix. Steering responsiveness and on-center feel are much better now thanks to a new heavy-duty pump added to the fully hydraulic steering system, which also benefits from a steering ratio boosted from 16:1:1 to 14.4:1.
Final Thoughts
At $49,810, the list price of our 392 Inaugural Edition, other options in this range definitely come to mind. For $48,100 you can get a Boss 302 Mustang with the Laguna Seca Package which will put up similar performance stats. A fully loaded Chevy Camaro SS will set you back just shy of $45,000 but you'll get smoked all day off the line and around any road course. But with the Challenger you have a car with considerably more character and daily driving satisfaction.
Perception in the marketplace still seems to favor Ford’s and Chevy's offerings but that is starting to change. Unlike the Mustang and Camaro which have seen more consistent production, the third generation Challenger burst on the scene back in 2008 after being on hiatus since 1983. Dodge never really anticipated that the car would put up prodigious sales figures but the Challenger has picked up serious traction. And with the limited edition 2011 Dodge Challenger SRT 392 Inaugural Edition (one of just 1492 models being produced) we can absolutely see why.
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