Culture|Garage

So now that the most modern iteration of the Challenger has been out for about a day now, the good folks over at AutoWeek have done burnouts in driven it. And surprisingly enough, they seem genuinely pleased with this rip-snortin’ new Mopar.

To begin with, Mac Morrison, the author, discusses the weight issue, which seems to be a paramount point regarding the car. “But don’t expect to find a noticeably dartier car or a much lighter one. This Challenger weighs 4140 pounds versus the Charger SRT8’s 4160. Likewise, the weight distribution is a nearly identical 55.6/44.4.,” Morrison writes, citing the feeling of driving the car around Texas Motorsports Ranch.

According to Adam Forte, SRT vehicle synthesis manager, the Challenger is supposed to have “a little bit of nostalgic body roll.” Although this sounds like ad-man speak, one has to appreciate the chassis and suspension engineering that has gone into the new car. According to AutoWeek, the Challenger is more composed in the corners than the Chrysler 300C, a platform stablemate, but less so than the Dodge Charger, another platform-sharing busom buddy. Dodge has also tweaked the brakes a bit in an effort to eliminate “kickback,” the phenomena that happens under hard, high-speed braking where the rotor literally knocks the brake pistons back into the calipers. Morrison points out that this is largely responsible for “long brake-pedal feel.” To remedy this, engineers used the braking software’s g-force monitor to help the car “sense” when heavy lateral g-forces are present, allowing the system to “prime” the brakes in preparation for hard cornering.

The engine produces 425 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque at 4200 rpm, putting the Challenger into the 13-second range in the quarter-mile, and 0-60 times in the fives. Morrison also divulges that a new six-speed autobox is in development, and that engineers hinted that a manual will become available in the future- so prep yourself for a little pistol-grip gear-bangin’.

via: AutoWeek, Allpar.com

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