Page 4 of 9

2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 – Under the Hood

When you're talking about a muscle car, what better place to start than under the hood? Pop the fiberglass one on the SRT8 and you're greeted with a sight any fan of things fast, young or old, would appreciate. The Chrysler corporate Hemi V-8 may not be a high-tech overhead-cam songbird, but it has it where it counts: 6.1-liters of displacement cranking out 425 horsepower and 420 lb.-ft. of torque. It's connected to a five-speed automatic transmission with manual shift control, sending all that to the rear wheels. This drivetrain is familiar to anybody who is a fan of modern Mopar performance, as it's the same engine found in the Dodge Charger and Magnum SRT8 models as well as the Chrysler 300C SRT8.

The same goes for the suspension. A multilink independent setup in the front and rear, the underpinnings are actually sourced from the previous-generation Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan, a legacy of Chrysler's recently terminated relationship with Daimler-Benz. On SRT8 models, the suspension is tuned primarily for performance, but still offers a comfortable ride.

To haul the Challenger SRT8's 4,140 pounds to a halt, Dodge has incorporated huge brakes from Brembo. The front rotors boast a 14.2-inch diameter, and are gripped by four-piston fixed calipers. The rears are bigger than many cars' fronts: 13.8 inches and also grabbed by four-piston fixed calipers. Anti-lock control is standard, as is stability and traction control; note that both of the latter can be shut off entirely.