2009 Dodge Challenger

The 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8 manages to offer all the nostalgia without any of the negatives conveniently left out of all those selective memories.

Unlike last year’s version, the newest Challenger SRT8 offers a manual transmission. Fire it up, give the throttle a few jabs and the rectangular exhaust tips roar with the 425-horsepower Hemi V8’s chest-reverberating timbre. As you grab the pistol-grip shifter to select 1st gear, you’re instantly transported back to the age of eight-tracks and bell bottoms. And thankfully, Dodge’s retro muscle car doesn’t keep the “endearing” characteristics of the original that some so readily forget.

The modern Challenger turns willingly, stops quickly and provides ride comfort and isolation approaching that of a Chrysler 300 luxury sedan. The latter’s not too surprising, considering the two cars (along with the Dodge Charger) are platform mates. But this means the Challenger is more of a high-performance luxury coupe at heart than a raw-edged tire roaster, though it’ll certainly light ‘em up whenever the mood strikes.

Yes, the $40 grand that the top-dog Challenger SRT8 commands isn’t chump change, but that’s a mere pittance compared to what the originals are going for these days — and those aging brutes simply can’t compete with the SRT8’s everyday drivability. The only good reason not to buy one might be for another Challenger — the new-for-’09 Challenger R/T, which lists for $10,000 less and still sports a 370-hp Hemi.

The 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8 brings nothing less than a 425-hp Hemi V8 to the party. This 6.1-liter powerhouse is a pussycat when you want it to be, perfectly content to putter through rush-hour traffic. But the Challenger’s other personality comes into effect once the tach swings past 4,000 rpm, shoving you back in your seat as the Hemi hits its stride and the engine provides a thrilling staccato soundtrack.

The pistol-grip shifter, conveniently canted toward the driver, recalls the good old days — except now, instead of plastic that vaguely resembles wood, it’s covered in leather. Working the shifter and clutch requires surprisingly little effort, and the action of both is refined. A few staffers even felt this team was too polished, saying that changing gears in a retro-styled muscle car should require a bit more flexion from the driver’s biceps, à la Ford’s Mustang Bullitt. But most of us had no complaints.

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