The new Challenger....

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R

rhood

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who has one and what do you think of it? i am thinking about getting one but they haven't offered plumcrazy yet. might go with kowalski white though. just wondering what owners thought about them. heard there were a few quality issues......
 
Like alot of people I waited anxiously for 'em then went out & test drove a 5.7/auto R/T & was grossly disappointed. You could actually feel how heavy this car is, as it wallows around in turns, isn't especially quick, so it lacks the "feel" of a musclecar. Couple that with the dealers lack of willingness to deal & limited options, I simply passed on the car. They wouldn't even let me get the cop car wheels on it, saying it voids the warranty! How FACTORY wheels voids a FACTORY built car, I don't know. Like another poster on this site, if I'm spending my hard earned cash, I expect to gwt a car MY way, not what the factory THINKS I should have.
Now keep in mind I'm basing this rant on driving my wife's '05 Mustang GT. Stone stock. it handles, sounds better & was far cheaper than the Challenger, much to my chagrin. This car has soooooo much potential but I think Mopar kinda missed the boat.
 
Close to the mark I'd say.............

If I'm gonna pay that kind of cash for a new Muscle Car, I want it to BE a muscle car (not necessarily outrageous, but not a dog)....and I'd like to order some options, and a color of my choice, with upholstery colors optional.

These new things are boring unless you spend LOTS of extra cash to make them what the factory should have made them in the first place.

I'd rather build a real one from the 70's........and spend less doing it.
 
I love them. Funny thing is people complain about how much they weigh but if I remember correctly it's only about 400lbs more. for a measly 400lbs you get a 6 speed tranny air bags, a/c 385 hp and the list goes on. yes it would potentially be cheaper to build a '70s one to go faster but there is something to be said for having a new car.
 
I joined this board to be able to give you some first hand opinions of the new Challenger. I just bought a new 09 Challenger RT. I can asure you they are truly fine modern perfomance car. I bought mine last Thursday....and took it to the track sunday. How does 13.10's at 108 for stock sound? Now granted, there are going to be skeptics but I have already more that proven the car was stock. I spent the whole week defending the new Mopar's honor on a Mustang forum. After posting pictures of the stock underneath, under hood, 400 original miles, and time slips the Mustang guys became worried of the potential of the new challengers.

I liked them so much, I sold Hauk67 that super sweet/fast Demon he is proudly displaying on this board!!! He got a nice one!
 
Tony, welcome aboard here..Its a great site, and i seen your challenger in person and the time slip to prove it...You need to show a picture of your silver challenger with stripes on it, looks awesome....Thanks
 
tony and hauk,congrats to you both on your purchases.
hope tony got a good deal.
im waiting for everybody to stop asking 10k above sticker price
so i can buy one.
i understand theres making a profit but holy cow.
 
res1vw21 said:
I love them. Funny thing is people complain about how much they weigh but if I remember correctly it's only about 400lbs more. for a measly 400lbs you get a 6 speed tranny air bags, a/c 385 hp and the list goes on. yes it would potentially be cheaper to build a '70s one to go faster but there is something to be said for having a new car.
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I like the car too. The only complaint I had was the weight. But the more I see the car and what it can do the more I like it. If I could afored one I could allways lighten it up a bit anyway. Air bags! I don't need no air bags. LOL
 
Dodgetony said:
I joined this board to be able to give you some first hand opinions of the new Challenger. I just bought a new 09 Challenger RT. I can asure you they are truly fine modern perfomance car. I bought mine last Thursday....and took it to the track sunday. How does 13.10's at 108 for stock sound? Now granted, there are going to be skeptics but I have already more that proven the car was stock. I spent the whole week defending the new Mopar's honor on a Mustang forum. After posting pictures of the stock underneath, under hood, 400 original miles, and time slips the Mustang guys became worried of the potential of the new challengers.

I liked them so much, I sold Hauk67 that super sweet/fast Demon he is proudly displaying on this board!!! He got a nice one!
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Sorry to call you out here, but let's see those slips .. I only ask this because I've had an '06 Charger SRT8 for almost 3 years now, and she ran 13.18 bone stock, with a 6.1 hemi -- and the car weighs less than 200 lbs more than your Challenger.. (Or do you have the SRT8?) If so, forgive me, but 13.10's from a stock 5.7 seems just about impossible to me... The guys with the 5.7 Chargers bone stock are running low 14's, and some breaking into the high 13's with perfect track conditions...

Kenny
 
My car weighs 4120 with me in it. I am not sure what the Chargers weigh, but I figured they weigh more. Also, I am reading in many places the RT's actaully have 400+ hp. My times sort of show that.
It's funny that you would think it's is near impossible...because I just went through the same thing on another forum. So rather than bore everyone here, I will give you a link to follow. In the link I have also posted 3 time slips and several pictures of my car.
http://www.dodgechallenger.com/forums/m_56535/tm.htm

The thread is long.

Also, before trying to discredit me...I race several hundred 1/4 mile passes a year (typically), and have raced for over 20 years. I am sure that plays heavily on how well the car runs. :-D Enjoy
 
I PM'd you a link. My first reply was blocked. My 60' was 1.94...I had it hooking very well.... and that is how it ran so fast. They 13.12 was backed up with a 13.15 and a 13.18. In the link is all the details you are asking about. Happy reading.
 
Dodgetony said:
My car weighs 4120 with me in it. I am not sure what the Chargers weigh, but I figured they weigh more. Also, I am reading in many places the RT's actaully have 400+ hp. My times sort of show that.
It's funny that you would think it's is near impossible...because I just went through the same thing on another forum. So rather than bore everyone here, I will give you a link to follow. In the link I have also posted 3 time slips and several pictures of my car.
http://www.dodgechallenger.com/forums/m_56535/tm.htm

The thread is long.

Also, before trying to discredit me...I race several hundred 1/4 mile passes a year (typically), and have raced for over 20 years. I am sure that plays heavily on how well the car runs. :-D Enjoy
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Whoa .. back up here a little Tony !! No one is trying to discredit you .. I just know that from 3 summers at the track w/ my 6.1, and hanging out with a lot of friends w/ 5.7's, that 13.10 does not sound doable w/ a bone stock 5.7..

When the first '08 Challenger SRT8's came out, Road and Track did a full test and 13.1 was the best they could wring out of it.. I just can't see how a 5.7 w/ an automatic (stock) can run the same times as a 6.1.. My Charger weighs about 4200 lbs and hooks real hard with the traction control off and hot tires..

Now if someone slipped a Predator w/ a CMR tune into your 5.7, I would have zero skepticism, but can't you understand the doubt here ??

Also, unless they did something wild this year that I didn't read about, 400 HP is not happening w/ the 5.7, as last year's models were 350 HP at the crank. My 6.1 is 425 at the crank, stock, w/ 420 ft lbs torque...

Kenny
 
Sorry if that sounded harsh...I did not intend it that way at all. My apologies...sometimes things read different than you intend. My bad.
 
'70_Duster_340 said:
Whoa .. back up here a little Tony !! No one is trying to discredit you .. I just know that from 3 summers at the track w/ my 6.1, and hanging out with a lot of friends w/ 5.7's, that 13.10 does not sound doable w/ a bone stock 5.7..

When the first '08 Challenger SRT8's came out, Road and Track did a full test and 13.1 was the best they could wring out of it.. I just can't see how a 5.7 w/ an automatic (stock) can run the same times as a 6.1.. My Charger weighs about 4200 lbs and hooks real hard with the traction control off and hot tires..

Now if someone slipped a Predator w/ a CMR tune into your 5.7, I would have zero skepticism, but can't you understand the doubt here ??

Also, unless they did something wild this year that I didn't read about, 400 HP is not happening w/ the 5.7, as last year's models were 350 HP at the crank. My 6.1 is 425 at the crank, stock, w/ 420 ft lbs torque...

Kenny
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No Predator tune yet...but it should arrive next week. My next time out will be with a 93 tune. Oh, no CAI yet either. Car is completely stock. :-D
 
saw your time slip tony. great run but for a regular racer you were sleeping at the tree. lol
 
Dodgetony said:
Sorry if that sounded harsh...I did not intend it that way at all. My apologies...sometimes things read different than you intend. My bad.
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I totally understand the perils of the written word, especially on the internet, and am not trying to come across as a smart *** to you either.. Sometimes we all read things with our own frame of mind, which is definitely not always the way it was intended to come across ...

Man, if you truly have a bone stock 5.7 Chally that runs 13.10's, I am really impressed !!! I guess I'd actually be a little PISSED :-D with envy ... I didn't get a chance to read that entire thread, but I will ...

talk soon,

Kenny
 
daredevil said:
saw your time slip tony. great run but for a regular racer you were sleeping at the tree. lol
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Dude...Tell me about it!!! That car won't leave!!! I am used to racing Hauk's Demon (1.35 60'). So when I left at the same point on the tree....I was late. Very embarrassing!!
 
Guys, i have talked to Tony and emailed back and fourth for the past 3 weeks before i bought the car.Tony is one of the best guys i have come accross in a long time..Every thing he told me he had backed it up, 100% honest and just a great guy...I seen his challenger, and i seen his office at his house, he has a race tree in his office and practices every night...He is a race guy, and a good guy..
 
I hope they build the srt-10 challenger...
 
I love mine, love the color, rides and drives nice. the v6 is enough for me. I had her up to 90 today, had to back off. next time I'll hit the interstate.
 
There are quite few stock 09 Challenger RTs running low 13s so its not a fluke. Chrysler must be under rating those 09 RT cars big time. I am starting to see a lot of happy owners driving their new Challengers around. I always give them the thumbs up when I am in my SRT-4. Those new Challengers look so much better out on the road then they do in pictures.
 
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