Rented a "new" Challenger RT last week...

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LXguy

LXguy

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Hey All:

I say "new" because of course, they're 4 years old now, and the one I got had clearly been put through the ringer.

I was on vacation last week. The rental place just happened to have a Challenger RT available.

I have to say that a lot of my initial reservations were overcome after spending a week with the car. Its definitely roomier than the Mustang or the Camaro. The trunk is downright useful.

The B-pillar blind spot is highly annoying when backing out of a parking spot, but the mirrors do a good job when you're actually driving it.

It was definitely soft in the power department compared to the other two brands, but I liked the car enough that I don't think it would really bother me.

I did get a best of 14.0 out of it, which is pretty good for bald tires on an unprepped track - and of course I wasn't really flogging it either, however, my daily driver FWD 08 taurus is only .1 slower....

The only dealbreaker left for me is that for some reason you don't get a limited slip (WTF!?) with your damn near 40K musclecar and the other, cheaper, faster, manufacturers do make with the posi. And its Mercedes parts, so getting that Getrag/Quaife unit is cha-ching $$$$

The drive by wire implementation is better than Ford typically does, but its still kind of stingy with the downshifts.

It was better than I thought it would be, and way way way better than the Monte Carlo or whatever other transportation appliance I would have ended up with otherwise.

A good effort on Dodge's part. Too bad it took them 30 years to get back into it.
 
Too bad you didn't get to use a Diablo on it, that really makes it wake up, everytime I take my charger into the dealer and I have to (or at least it''s recommended too) restore it to factory settings, then drive it to the dealer, yeesh, what a joke the factory settings are.
 
I have a 2009 Srt8 Arrington motor challenger, thing is a rocket...The car has 4800 miles and the drivetrain was done at 3000 miles..The car dynoed at 850 horsepower and 716 at the rear wheels, 6 spd stick. The car looks stock but will rip off a 10.40 1/4..Love the newer cars as much as the older ones..I think the Challengers are a great looking and driving car, stock or worked up...
 
So, how much would it cost to make it a posi ? Maybe safety bull got in the way, easier to fishtail posi cars without traction control. In the rain you gotta be extra careful, likely it could use a little more gear while you got the rear end apart.

Yes were was Dodge in 1980 ? Oh yeah, building K cars cause 35 mpg was going to be the next big thing, expect then came gas hog suv's for the 90's. lol

Frankly I'm surprised it ran a flat 14 seconds
 
I know in 2003 in a 1/2 ton Hemi Ram you could get a limited slip diff with 20' wheels, but you could not in 2004. I think part of it was caused by people complaining that the expensive tires were wearing too quickly.

I thought the limited slip was an option in 2009? Am I wrong?
 
Friends Challenger is definitely a sure grip. He left the proof on the road right in front of me. They are roomy and seats comfortably.
 
HAUK67 said:
I have a 2009 Srt8 Arrington motor challenger, thing is a rocket...The car has 4800 miles and the drivetrain was done at 3000 miles..The car dynoed at 850 horsepower and 716 at the rear wheels, 6 spd stick. The car looks stock but will rip off a 10.40 1/4.....
Click to expand...


I'd like to know more about the Arrington HEMI.


Wylde1.
 
:eek:ops:maybe just maybe its been detuned for the fact that it is a rental car knowing that the renters will take them out and run the **** out of them.and maybe just maybe someone has tore the psi up to the point its not a psi anymore ????just thinking out loud.I wouldn't rent a car and judge it unless I have seen it hooked to a computer to see it hasn't been detuned.and to compare a mopar to a ford or Chevy wow....I'm sorry this has been on my chest from the first day I saw this thread.I'm back quite..............Artie
 
That's about right. A freind of mine bought a new 2010 R/T 6 speed car and it ran a 13.85 totaly stock.
 
the cars look and sound quicker then they really are.

Did you remove the air filter before you ran it--or at least check if it was clean. Got a used 28,000 mile certified GM car last year. Dealer goes on to say all they did to it, new brake pads in front, new wiper blades, steering linage, oil change, etc.

Got the car home an first thing I did was change the oil and filter cause I like name brand 10w-30 oil and a good oil filter. The air filter look never to been changed, what a joke. Dealer act like it was good to go all through winter. It got new tires as well..gotta change the coolant, I keep blowing it off
 
Wylde1 said:
I'd like to know more about the Arrington HEMI.


Wylde1.
Click to expand...

The motor in the srt8 is a 6.1, they bore and stroke it to a. 7 litre. The motor is a roloer can, stage 4 heads, supercharged 12 lbs of boast, and some otherbgoodies like pistons and so on. Check there website, shophemi.com..The car is a freaken rocket, dynoed 750lbs of tourqe at 3500 rpms...At 6000 rpms rwd dyno at 716..here's the best part, a few months ago I drove it on the turnpike 120 miles one way at 70 MPH in 6th great at 2000 rpms and got 23.7 MPG?
 
HAUK67 said:
The motor in the srt8 is a 6.1, they bore and stroke it to a. 7 litre. The motor is a roloer can, stage 4 heads, supercharged 12 lbs of boast, and some otherbgoodies like pistons and so on. Check there website, shophemi.com..The car is a freaken rocket, dynoed 750lbs of tourqe at 3500 rpms...At 6000 rpms rwd dyno at 716..here's the best part, a few months ago I drove it on the turnpike 120 miles one way at 70 MPH in 6th great at 2000 rpms and got 23.7 MPG?
Click to expand...

That's what today's technology is all about! tmm
 
I didn't check the air filter and it was hot from at least an hour on the road and an hour in traffic. I didn't air the tires down any.

It was a rental so I'm sure it gets like zero maintenance.

I did let it cool off with the hood up for a half hour before the 14.0 pass. It did run 100 mph exactly, and a 2+ 60' sucks, so its making power and there's definitely more in it with traction.

I think the Ford/Chevy comparison is perfectly valid. I don't want the Mopar bringing up the rear (unless you're talking about price), but that's the way it is right now. The 392 SRT8 runs about on par with the 5.0 GT (presumably the GT500 is faster still, but I honestly don't know). Its a shame that the Ford is the only one of the three that comes with a real axle in it (but those geniuses are changing that on the next redesign if the rumors are true).

The new Challenger is an awesome car. I hope one day I can swing getting one.
 
the boss' son has a stick shifted Challenger. His is definitely a SG, the stripes in front of the office proves it...
 
from what i have been told the sure grip option for the auto car just started in 2012 model,, FIAT is trying to shape things up at mopar from the pervious owners all they were doing was running mopar in the ground with cheap stuff,,,
 
I just did a build your own and the limited slip "no spin" seems to come standard in the long feature list with the auto, but Hill Start Assist is listed on there also. Surely that doesn't come with the auto.
 
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