2012 Dodge Charger SRT8 Revealed At Greenway Dodge

Sept. 3, 2011 - PRLog -- The man posing the question is Ralph Gilles, President and CEO of Chrysler's SRT group. According to Gilles, the modern Charger was styled to have been branded differently, but the suits wanted a sporty full-size four-door. The design team delivered what was asked and the marketers went ahead and applied the name. Much to the chagrin of many a Mopar fanboy on the planet.

Thankfully, our time with the the affable Mr. Gilles wasn't spent pondering the last generation LX's branding issues. Or refinement issues. Or interior gaffes. Instead, Chrysler rounded up its newest factory-fettled performance superstars in Southern California so we could get some quality time with the latest generation of SRT machines, including the 2012 Dodge Charger SRT8.

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This updated model provides a welcome change compared to its predecessor. Some may still feel that the last-gen Charger may not have deserved to wear the badge, but Chrysler's latest is clearly closer to its B-Body brethren. To find out just how close, we strapped in and ran down some of California's finest roads on our way out to Willow Springs for some track time.

If the previous model's looks didn't hang enough of its hat on the Charger's stylistic trademarks, this updated version is out to rectify that. Deep side scallops run down the sides of the sedan and their connection to the past is instantly recognizable. We could argue back and forth about the number of doors present, but that discrepancy doesn't hamper the rest of the design.

Up front, the blacked-out cross hair grille is all Dodge, and with the SRT plaque fitted to the Charger, it's evident that is is more than an average sedan. That grille stood out nicely against our test car's Tungsten paintwork, but if that's not your favorite hue, Dodge will spray the SRT8 in Black, Bright Silver, Bright White or Redline Red.

From nose to tail, the SRT8 runs 200.3 inches, and if you pace off that distance, you'll arrive around back to find more classic Charger DNA. The lengthy taillamp array spreads across the rump like a wildfire burning with a total of 164 LEDs. Just above the flames sits a rear spoiler that's functional, just like every other vent or angle on the Charger's exterior. Aero engineers have worked hard to make sure the sedan stays stable at speed, all the way up to a 175 mph top end, but they still managed make a sinister-looking sedan.

Inside, however, is a bit of a different story. There's nothing evil about 12-way power-adjustable front seats that are both heated and ventilated. The front passenger space is downright pleasing to the back and bottom, and these aren't sloppy slip-and-slide thrones of yesteryear. Both front buckets are pleasantly bolstered and boast suede inserts that keep us in place during more than few backroad adventures. With our rear gripping the seats, our hands are free wrap around the large, meaty steering wheel, which features a design unique to the SRT family of vehicles.

Equally appealing was our view out over the hood, which was crystal clear, as was the rear three-quarter view. Looking directly rearward, however, was a bit trickier. The rear seats, while plenty cushy for passengers, seem to step upward like stadium seating, placing the headrests in front of the traffic that lays behind. The sharply angled rear glass, while cool from the outside, further cut down on the ability to see what's going on near the Charger's tail.

All of the appointments and features inside the cabin are supportive and comforting. One feature, however, literally shines brightly above the rest. Sitting in the center square position is a brand-new 8.4-inch touchscreen display that's home to a handful of beautifully displayed audio, climate, navigation, phone and driving options. We realize none of that sounds terribly exciting, but the audio system transforms cabin into an aural odyssey.

Dodge has partnered up with Harman Kardon, and their sound engineers have created an audio system that will have you contemplating ditching your home theater setup and lug your flatscreen TV out to the garage. The interior plays host to 900 watts, 19 speakers and a 12-channel amplifier. Harman Kardon has called its GreenEdge speakers into service for this application, which are tuned for maximum efficiency with minimum energy consumption. Working together, the seven 3.5-inch mid-range, seven integrated tweeters, four 6x9-inch subwoofers and one 10-inch subwoofer produce a completely balanced and crisp sound that fills the cabin floor to headliner. It's perfectly balanced whether you're running the stereo in "mother mode" or "private Metallica concert." It's the cleanest sounding stock audio system we've heard in some time, and it's just one item that SRT8 owners can boast over standard Charger owners.

But another item is even louder than the stereo.

The 6.1-liter Hemi has been pulled to make way for a larger version that's both more powerful and more efficient. Dodge has fitted the updated sedan with a 6.4-liter Hemi V8, which produces 470 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 470 pound-feet of torque at 4,300 rpm. That's 45 more horses and 50 more pound-feet of twist than the last SRT8. Still, the engineers at SRT have figured out ways to make the new thoroughbred a bit less thirsty at the pump. Fuel economy has been raised by around 25 percent, which means this new-and-improved muscle sedan should approach 24 miles per gallon on the highway and 19 mpg in combined driving.

The brainy crew at Chrysler employed a variety of tricks to achieve the efficiency and power upgrades. Larger ports have been used on both the intake and exhaust sides of the combustion equation, while a composite intake replaces an aluminum piece. Variable valve timing is in full effect, which means the cams operate independently under different throttle loads and can adjust as necessary for economy or power. Additionally, Chrysler's Fuel Saver Technology can turn the V8 into a four-cylinder when the need for power is low. That miserly tech pairs perfectly with the all-new active valve exhaust system to help allow the Charger SRT8 run on four cylinders over a greater range of engine speeds. When not trying to save the planet, however, the exhaust belches out beautiful noises that help remind you of the badge on the back.

As great as the 392 cubic-inch engine can be, it still has to work with a partner, and in this cop drama, the transmission plays the Bad Lieutenant. There's nothing inherently wrong with the five-speed automatic. The gearbox works just fine on its own, and it allows you the option to change gears as you see fit. Still, it's sluggish to shift, and the delays felt like a century regardless of whether the shift was performed by the auto stick or steering-wheel mounted paddles. This isn't glaring on the road, but when coming out of Turn One at Willow Springs we would've liked a bit more urgency from the cogswapper. After a few laps, we found it less frustrating to simply let the car figure it out on its own.

We know that Chrysler is hard at work on its next generation of transmissions. An eight-speed ZF unit is scheduled to arrive sometime in the very near future, and it's presently slated for duty in the lower-spec Charger models. Will it wind up in the SRT8 king of the hill? Like us, you'll have to stay tuned for more on that one.

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