Muscle car reborn

A muscle car is defined as a two-door rear-wheel drive supercar, with a powerful engine capable of producing high acceleration, and with a suspension and brakes robust enough to come to a tire-burning halt in a few seconds. The term was used for cars produced in the '60s and '70s in the US.

Powered by a 6.1-liter HEMI® V-8 engine that produces 425 horsepower and 420 lb/ft of torque, the 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT, is a muscle car for this century!

So after a gap of over thirty years the muscle car was reborn at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show. Performance targets for the all-new 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 include a 0–60 mph time in the low 5-second range, 0–100–0 mph in less than 17 seconds, 60–0 mph braking distance of approximately 100 feet, and a skid pad performance of 0.88 g.

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Dodge will offer the limited-edition 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 in three colors: HEMI® Orange, Bright Silver Metallic and Brilliant Black Crystal Pearl Coat.

"The all-new Dodge Challenger SRT8 is engineered to give customers everything they want in a modern muscle machine," said Mike Accavitti, Director – Dodge Brand and SRT Global Marketing, Chrysler LLC. "The new version of Dodge's American classic boasts tire-smoking performance and head-turning design while offering a wide array of state-of-the-art technology, such as GPS navigation, 'Keyless Go' entry, a MyGIG™ infotainment system and UConnect hands-free communication."


The interiors aren't much to look at....but then this is a muscle car! It's all about power, acceleration, and a roaring engine. What all this means is that this muscle car drinks huge amounts of fuel, giving a miserable 14 miles per gallon (mpg) in city driving, and 20 mpg on the open road! Really apalling that in this era of climate change we in the west continue to live out our fantasies. Was it that hard to get some fuel-efficient technology for this muscle car? Or an engine running on hydrogen, ethanol, or bio-fuel?

The reborn muscle car will be manufactured in Canada at Chrysler's assembly plant in Brampton, Ontario. With a U.S. Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $37,995 (including $675 destination), the all-new 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 arrives in Dodge showrooms this spring. But due to its bad fuel economy this new muscle car will have a penalty of $2100 imposed on it.

This 1969 Dodge Charger, one of the original muscle cars, sold recenty for nearly $10 million:


And with a price tag that high, the car had its own personal name, the General Lee from the famous Dukes of Hazzard TV show. The show, about the Dukes family in Hazzard County, was made into a movie in 2005 starring the gorgeous Jessica Simpson as Daisy Duke:

While her cousins were roaring around in their muscle car, Jessica Simpson (in real life Tony Romo's gal is a gas-guzzler) had fun with her 2005 Jeep Rubicon featured in the movie. Compared to this year's Dodge Challenger SRT8 this off-road vehicle has a better fuel economy of 20 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway! Get some hydrogen or ethanol in that muscle car already!