Through the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, the words “Dodge” and “Charger” became synonymous with a blend of don’t-mess-with-me swagger and blow-the-doors-off-the-competition performance. Fast forward a few decades, and the 2006 Dodge Charger includes two more doors and a surprisingly roomy interior, leading purists to decry the loss of the coupe body style and assume that today’s Charger has matured right along with all the teenage boys who lusted after the original.

Just because the Charger is all grown up, don’t infer that unmitigated muscle has been traded for daily-driving practicality. The standard V6 is a strong motor, and the Charger R/T includes a 340-horsepower Hemi V8 engine that successfully delivers on the muscle-car promise. But Dodge hasn’t stopped there. The mad scientists at DaimlerChrysler’s Street and Racing Technology division (SRT) have cooked up another version of the Charger, one for consumers who think there’s never enough power under the hood. Their latest creation is the 2006 Dodge Charger SRT-8.

With 425-horsepower on tap, Charger SRT-8 isn’t for everyone – it’s simply way too much car for the masses. But if you think you can handle it and you’re in the market for a car that’s equally adept at hauling both passengers and, ahem,booty, you’ll find this to be a package that’s hard to beat.