Plenty of power: Dodge Charger boasts Hemi engine

Launched in 1966, the original Dodge Charger was a response to the pony-car fad started by the Mustang, but on a much larger scale. It was based on the midsize Dodge Coronet model and quickly became a sales hit because of its muscular good looks and awesome performance provided by V-8s ranging from a 318-cubic-inch to the almighty 426 Hemi.

The old Charger had hidden headlamps, full-width taillamps, and a state-of-the-art interior with four bucket seats, optional consoles in front and back, and full instrumentation. The rear bucket seats were ahead of their time, able to fold down to create a 7-foot-long cargo area. The standard engine was the 318, but most buyers upgraded to the 383 V-8. But the 426 Hemi, the most famous engine in muscle-car history, made all the headlines. Advertised at 425 horsepower, some reviews put its actual output at around 500 horsepower! In those days engine power was rated differently, but the Hemi was strong enough to hustle the 4,035-pound 1968 Charger to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds, according to a Car and Driver November 1967 test. The Hemi added $1,000 to the $3,122 base price of the Charger, but only 468 were built out of a 1966 production run of 37,344 cars. The Hemi came only with a 1 year/12,000 mile warranty instead of the standard 5-year/50,000-mile Chrysler warranty of the day.

By 1974 the top Charger engine was the 440 and was putting out just 275 horsepower, thanks to EPA emissions regulations and the Arab oil embargo. The '74 was the last year that the Charger would be considered a performance vehicle. I owned a '75, but by then the Charger had been repositioned in the personal luxury sector and mine wouldn't lay down a strip of rubber even if I left the baby seat in the garage. The Charger had lost its charge, and at the end of the 1978 model year it was gone.

The name reappeared briefly in the 1980s, but these were a front-drive coupe based on the Dodge Omni. Today, with regular gasoline costing about $2/gallon, why are monikers like "GTO," "SS," "Mustang GT" and "Charger" being revived? One reason is that today's muscle cars can provide outstanding performance along with good gas mileage. Another reason is that today's thirty-something target audience probably grew up in the back seat of their father's Chargers, Mustangs and GTOs.

The new Charger has four doors, a sloping rear roofline and a muscular crease in the sheetmetal that terminates in the bulging rear fender. Its steeply raked rear window and short decklid camouflage a surprisingly large and useful trunk. The front end has flared fenders and the trademark grille, but this modern interpretation doesn't look anything like the original.

The new Charger rides on the same rear-drive platform that supports the Chrysler 300-series and the Magnum, which is good -- we gave both of those vehicles rave reviews.

The gorgeous "black crystal" Charger R/T that I tested is one of three available V-8 models, had a base price of $29,320, and a fully equipped price of $36,265. A V-6 engine is also offered, but Dodge is selling Hemi-equipped vehicles as fast as engines can be produced. The basic 5.7-liter Hemi makes 340 thumping horsepower and breathes through dual chrome-tipped exhausts and features cylinder deactivation, moving from eight cylinders to four during cruise mode. Highway mileage should average around 25/mpg, with city mileage coming in around 17. Zero to 60 mph should take less than six seconds. The car rode on 18-inch polished aluminum wheels shod with Continental tires, suspended from a multilink front suspension and a five-link independent rear suspension spirited out of the Mercedes parts bin. The ride was "excellent"-- finely balanced between performance and comfort, and the car was surprisingly quiet at highway speed despite its performance exhaust.

A standard five-speed automatic transmission offers the choice of automatic or manual shift selection. In auto mode a computer monitors driver inputs and controls shift timing, hydraulic pressure, and modulation of the converter lock-up clutch for a near-seamless driving experience.

The original Charger seems crude in comparison to the new one. A two-tone interior color scheme creates a modern, open feeling while the latest high-tech gadgetry promises to keep highway boredom at bay with a rear-seat DVD movie/entertainment system. The Charger's slick movie screen folds out of the front center armrest to ensure peace and tranquility in the rear seat when the younger generation puts on their wireless headphones. Front cockpit occupants have plenty of buttons to push too, thanks to the DVD-based GPS navigation system, dual front climate controls, and the AM/FM/ satellite/CD sound system with six Boston Acoustics speakers and a 322-watt amplifier that can be controlled from steering-wheel-mounted buttons. Although the original Charger could smoke its tires, this one can do that, too, and at the same time warn you if tire pressure is low or if the traction control system is providing assistance during your sprint to the next red light.

Today's Charger has an outside temperature indicator; compass; heated, leather, eight-way, power seats with adjustable lumbar for passenger and driver; electronic stability program; brake assist; power adjustable pedals; and a tilt/telescope steering wheel.

Steve Robertson of Robertson's Creative Photography is a car enthusiast and former staff writer/photographer for the Southeast Missourian. Contact him at sjr1@robertsonsphotography.com.