Dodge Introduces Rest of Challenger Family in New York

From the beginning, it was pretty clear that Dodge wouldn’t only be
offering the

Challenger in ultra-high performance guise, but that
something more affordable would be made available. Now, after its
production debut at Chicago, Dodge showed the world its lesser
models, the SE and R/T, at last month’s New York International Auto Show.

Cross-checking
the model naming scheme with the Charger or Magnum will help you sort
out what vehicles are powered by which engines. The R/T will get the
5.7-liter HEMI V8, which was recently upgraded to provide 9-percent
more power and 5-percent better fuel economy. It’s the first modern
HEMI to be mated to a six-speed manual transmission, though a
five-speed auto with AutoStick manual-mode is also available.

With the
upgraded motor the Challenger now makes 370 horsepower, up from 335 or
345 depending on model application, plus 398 lb-ft of torque, or if the
manual is selected, 375 horsepower and 404 lb-ft of torque when running
on premium fuel. That’s good enough for a 0 to 60 mph acceleration
time of well under six seconds. Meanwhile, the SE model receives a
3.5-liter DOHC V6 with 250 horsepower and 250 lb-ft of torque. By
default it’s mated to a four-speed automatic.

The Challenger
will also introduce a new technology addition to Chrysler’s lineup,
Keyless Go. Chrysler recently upgraded to a new Mercedes-Benz-style
key, which now gains a proximity sensor and pushbutton start. In
addition, at the car’s New York launch, Chrysler confirmed that a
six-speed manual version of the Challenger SRT8 would be launched in
2009.