2006 Dodge Charger SRT8 Review

Specifications

The Perfect Drive

There are a lot of reasons for wanting to live in Southern California, from the laid back left coast culture to the seemingly endless sunshine and sandy beaches, Hollywood celebrity sightings and famed car culture, but one of the most enticing prospects would be regular jaunts up the circuitous Angeles Crest and Angeles Forest highways to the equally appealing Willow Springs raceway.

Such was the day I just experienced during a full-line SRT ride and drive event that started from and ended at the Ritz Carlton in Pasadena, the aforementioned roadways tempting immature, reckless, albeit most enjoyable behavior in between. I started the drive in Jeeps new Grand Cherokee SRT8 (read about it Dec 1), filled in the middle of the day with on-track stints in the new Viper Coupe, various other SRT cars and worlds fastest SUV (at least for the time being), and capped it all off with a drive on the track and then back through the mountains in the new Charger SRT8.

This is the meanest looking LX car of the bunch, which in case you have been off continent for the last two years include Chryslers adrenaline inducing 300, and the equally tantalizing Dodge Magnum sport wagon. Charger has been positioned to take on mid- to full-size models of all sorts, and with a range beginning at $22,320 it offers a lot of car for the money. The same business proposition holds true throughout the line, with the range-topping SRT8 possibly offering the best “bang-for-the-buck” in the auto industry - period!

What grounds do I have for such a bold claim? Well, the majority of sedans that its up against offer very little bang at all, so it kind of stands alone in its field. Even sport coupes, such a Fords Mustang GT pale in comparison, and when it comes to handling corners even the blue-oval brands supercar-defying Shelby Cobra GT500 will most likely be left eating the SRT8s proverbial dust. What makes it so good?

Thats easy. Start with a fully independent suspension system derived from Mercedes-Benzs previous E-Class, a steering rack, robust five-speed automatic transmission with Autostick manual functionality, and other components pulled (after being reworked for their new application) from the same premium vehicle, and then stuffed under the hood, one of the most powerful naturally aspirated engines the world has to offer, also, along with various go-fast suspension parts such as SRT-tuned dampers, specially designed spring rates and suspension bushings, and large-diameter anti-sway bars, as well as larger wheels and tires, aerodynamic add-ons and sport-oriented interior enhancements, and then wrapping it all up in a package that has a similarly intimidating visual presence to Dodges outrageous Viper supercar, and finally, topping it off with a completely approachable $35,320 price tag, nothing can compare dollar for dollar.

Heck, not much can compare no matter how much you spend. Willow Springs raceway, where I first slid behind the wheel of the all-new Charger SRT8, is a serpentine track that combines dramatic elevation changes with some of the more complex corner combinations Ive ever had the pleasure of negotiating. It was the ideal location for an SRT event, not only due to the opportunity to track test a bevy of North Americas most enticing cars, trucks and SUVs, allowing for speeds over and above 130 mph and long sweeping corners seemingly designed to push vehicles as close to their breaking points as physically possible, with only open deposits of the Mojaves fine desert dust and gravel mixture and/or tire barriers to limit any overzealous behavior, but also an arid climate that almost ensured ideal weather conditions.

The sun, beaming overhead, which after Vancouvers recent cold, rainy spell warmed me to my soul, glistened off of a pit and paddock area filled to the brim with more high-speed iron than I have ever seen outside of an F1 or Champ Car event weekend. From the insanely fun Neon-based SRT-4 to the refined Mercedes-Benz SLK-derived Crossfire SRT-6 roadster, ballsy Chrysler 300C SRT8, functionally deranged Dodge Magnum SRT8, testosterone induced Ram SRT-10 Viper-powered two- and four-door pickups, otherworldly Viper SRT-10 roadster, and the new Charger SRT8, Grand Cherokee SRT8 and Viper Coupe, only a Crossfire SRT-6 coupe was missing. Thats eleven, count them, eleven supercar-like performers from an automaker that many had for dead a few years ago. Now Chrysler Group is the jewel of Detroit (Auburn Hills actually), and the pride of Brampton, Ontario, where its flagship LX models are built for global consumption.

No rival automaker offers anything that rivals SRT, outside of those premium brands that purvey their comparatively overpriced uber-sedans, sports cars, crossovers and SUVs under AMG, M, S, R, and in the case of Cadillac, V designations. And the closest competitor to the Charger SRT8, other than Chryslers own 300C SRT8, is Cadillacs CTS-V at $50,000 and change. In reality, if interior and cargo accommodations are added into the competitive analysis Cadillacs STS-V would seem the more logical head-to-head choice, but at $76,000 its out of the question to many if not most.

And in the end, while there will be some higher-grade interior plastics featured in the STS-V, or other premium brand “super-formers”, few of them will dice, slice and spice up the road or track any better than Dodges mid-$30K Charger SRT8.

For a car enthusiast, the growl from the 6.1-liter HEMI V8 is beyond intoxicating. Truly, its almost enough to make me want to watch 45 Tide, Viagra, and lest I forget, Nextel billboards run around in 400 circles on any given Sunday. The pipes are fat and chrome covered, capping off a flat, Kamm-style rear end highlighted by an almost omnipresent deck lid airfoil.

Following its beltline towards the front, the Chargers rear haunches are already athletically designed, curving upward over the rear wheels like the hind legs of a robin-preying tabby ready to pounce. Massive 20-inch five-spoke forged aluminum rims wrap around a set of meaty 245/45/20 front, and 255/45/20 rear Goodyear F1 three-season “boots” with asymmetrical treads, as tires of this size used to be called during the muscle car era of the late 60s and early 70s, now referred to as “shoes” by the latest generation of modern-day performance enthusiasts.

From the front its a menacing looking beast. An already intensely purposeful crosshair grille and upwardly canted headlamp assembly gets enhanced with a deep lower valence featuring integrated fogs, while a functional hood scoop doesnt even attempt to hide the unabashed power lying beneath.

Like the 300C SRT8 and Magnum SRT8, the charger finds its motivation from a 425-horsepower 6.1-liter HEMI, backed up with 420 lb-ft of forward thrust. Even with traction and stability control turned off, which is a good idea when on the track so that the ABS-inducing ESP system wont over-apply the brakes and make them too hot for optimal stopping power - and this 4,000 pound sedan needs its brakes to be fully functional - theres ample rear tire to launch quickly without churning up a blue storm cloud of vaporized rubber; although this is easily done with the left foot planted on the brake and right foot “feathering” the throttle.

Leaving the pit area the cars anticipation for the track seemed almost animalistic, like a bird dog, anticipating the kill, pulled back on its leash before being set free to spook out partridge, but once the pit lane ended its persona took on an entirely different nature. Still animalistic, for sure, but now the Charger SRT8 possessed the power of a Kodiak and the fleet feet of a deer. OK, enough with fauna analogies, cold, hard truth is all that matters now.

Willow Springs immediately pulls left out of the pits, before settling into one of the longest right sweepers Ive ever experience on-track. Its important not to turn in and hug the inside line too early, or youll end up scrubbing off time through lateral acceleration instead of keeping a steady, patient foot on the throttle, maintaining a constant speed during the slight uphill grade, before adding a little more with the right foot as the apex appears. Here, it straightens and flattens out for a short straight, and then quicker than you can see 6,000 rpm in third gear, an ultra-sharp left combines with a steep vertical climb before wrenching to the right, a tiny straight, and hard right again. The track drops down the other side at an alarming rate, flicks to the right a bit before the car needs to be straightened out, brakes added liberally, and wheels lined up for a high-speed left. A slight dip precedes the “jump”, what locals call a crest in the road that also unwittingly shapes to the right before plunging down a left angled “straight”, 115 mph being the fastest I attempted with the Charger SRT8. Another extremely long right sweeper meets the end of this high-speed stretch, this time taken with the throttle more or less pegged all the way around until a sneaky curve could easily get the better of novices and experienced drivers alike, as it tucks in quickly to set up the front straight. I managed a top-speed of about 130, bypassing the pits on the left, preparing for the gradual left and long sweeping right that started the entire process over again.

I cant remember how many times I circled the course in this suitably equipped sports sedan, but it quickly became my favorite, even over the two Viper models. Now dont get me wrong, the Vipers are amazingly quick and capable of leaving the Charger SRT8 far behind if piloted by someone with vastly more experience than I. While a good driver by most peoples admonition, Im no profession racer and the Viper is no cakewalk for the uninitiated, witnessed by all who attended the days proceedings when a well versed journalist spun a new coupe when powering through the uphill esses. It ended up perched high atop the tire barrier, right side up fortunately and surprisingly unscathed - other than a little front fascia body work. The driver, however, was no doubt emotionally scarred. It was the last we saw of him for the remainder of the event.

Much sobered, track times seamed less important and erring on the side of safety became the unspoken agenda for the remaining two hours. Nevertheless, I was able to push all the SRT cars to extreme levels and came away unsure which variation on the theme I would want as my own - theyre all amazingly good.

Their common denominators include the aforementioned chassis architecture and other shared components, plus most notably that brute of an engine. In order to extract its high horsepower and torque ratings, the SRT team bored out the “regular” 5.7-liter HEMIs cylinder diameters by 0.138 inches apiece, modified the block with reinforcements and increased coolant flow. A forged steel crankshaft was added to minimize vibration, while stronger powder-metal connecting rods, capped off by oil squirter-cooled floating-pin pistons are attached. Also, a modified oil pan was put in place to reduce oil foaming.

The cams were also modified to increase engine speed and effectively produce greater horsepower, increasing the engines revs by 15 percent to almost 6,200 rpm - the 5.7-liter HEMI pegs the limiter at 5,400 rpm. Valve stems have been hollowed-out to reduce drag, due to their lighter weight, and then the empty cavities get filled with sodium for dissipating heat more effectively - who wouldve thought?

New high-flow cylinder heads were added for improved airflow, while larger diameter valves combined with reshaped cylinder ports and a redesigned intake manifold featuring larger diameter runners, for higher-speed tuning. The result of the SRT divisions work is a higher revving, quicker turning engine that resultantly produces much greater power than the stock 5.7, thanks also to a revised 9.6:1 to 10.3:1compression ratio.

In the end, literally, sweet sounding exhaust headers are attached with “individual tubes encased in a stainless steel shell”, allowing a yet more engine exhaust flow via new larger diameter 2.75-inch pipes, compared to the stock 2.5-inch tailpipes, the former finished off with twin 3.5-inch chrome tips.

If all it did was perform superbly and emit sounds like an ensuing thunderstorm, most car enthusiasts would be satisfied, but not the SRT techs that dressed up their 6.1-liter powerhouse with a silver and red “HEMI 6.1L” appliqué on each valve cover, plus special orange paint coating the cylinder block, paying tribute to 426 Hemis of days gone by.

And speaking of that monster engine that put fear into the hearts of past Trans Am rivals, at 69.8-horsepower-per-liter the new 6.1-liter HEMI delivers the highest specific-output of any engine ever sold by Chrysler Group, even more than the aforementioned 1966 “Street HEMI”.

When push comes to shove the Charger SRT8 is capable of sprints to 60 mph in about five seconds, with zero to 100 mph and back to zero taking a mere 16 seconds. While this sounds impressive on paper, its a lot more stunning in real life, especially on the open road.

The run from Willow Springs, through the Mojave to Palmdale, isnt much to get excited about, so Ill leave its flat, straight roads, nondescript walled housing projects, lifeless mountains and sagebrush scenery to your imagination, but the trek up the mountain on the Angeles Forest highway, and then down the other side on the Angeles Crest highway, features some of the most engaging tarmac the world has to offer. My driving partner, while talented behind the wheel, wasnt quite as comfortable in the mountains as I, born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, have become, therefore I gave him, and myself, a thrill ride either will soon forget.

The capability of this car, especially when factoring in its girth, heft and limousine-like passenger room, is hard to fathom. The way it tackles corners, with absolutely predictable balance, oversteering just enough to make it exciting before understeering exactly when needed, tires rarely making a peep in complaint despite forcing them beyond what should physically be possible, is difficult to put into words. And the power! The relentless force its 6.1-liter HEMI exacts from its rear tires is stupefying. We laughed, giggled like schoolgirls, chortled deviously as we shot past an Escort wagon, out through the blackened tunnel like if shot from a cannon, into blinding sunlight, and then downward once again, the mountain curves beckoning us forward like a wicked siren to our certain demise.

If not for those brakes! Those Brembo brakes are marvelous beyond comprehension. Big Gulp 14.2 x 1.3 inch front, and 13.8 x 1.0 inch rear vented rotors bitten down hard by bright red Brembo calipers make short work of excess speed - 60 mph to zero only needs 110 feet. No worries and negligible fade despite the acrobatics.

After what seemed like the ultimate amusement ride, a roller coaster of corkscrews and undulations, the slow to 45 sign signified our fun was over. A few houses dotting along the roadway, soon became Pasadenas palatial estates, and concerns over city drivers, potential pedestrians, cyclists and children playing around the next corner, brought us back to reality. It was fun, a drive Ill never forget actually. The perfect highway, hardly any traffic, and the ideal car; a moment to be cherished. 

If you dont relate, you either never will and are staring at these words, mouth agape, horrified at the thought, or youre merely initiated, and need to get down to a Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep dealer and test out an SRT car. It doesnt matter which one, as each is designed to perform to the highest level within its respective class. I just happen to have a personal affinity for the new Charger SRT8, now that Ive taken it to the crest of angels and back.