Test Drive: 2012 Dodge Challenger SRT8 392

2012 Dodge Challenger SRT8 392

On the track, it has a tendency to float when you want it to bite, even with the adaptive suspension set to Sport, and the steering gets vague and squirmy under heavy steering loads. Granted, this is your average hack driver we’re talking about, not Sam Hubinette, so it’s also clear my weight-transfer skills are sorely lacking. Its shorter wheelbase (2,946 mm compared to the Charger and 300’s 3,052) might also contribute to a less balanced chassis, something also observed by Peter Bleakney in his First Drive of this and the other SRT8 offerings at Willow Springs Racetrack last year.

If I had more skill at the pedals, I would have spent more time pulling off drifts, because there’s no questions this vehicle had the ability to kick the back end out, and I got the sense it would happily do sideways circles all day long, given the right environment to practice.

2012 Dodge Challenger SRT8 392 wheel

Its true element, though, would be the drag strip, and though I didn’t have a proper one to practice on, there were a couple of occasions to feel the massive torque hooking up to the rear wheels (20×9-inch forged aluminum SRT rims with 255/45ZR20 rear and 245/45ZR20 front Goodyear Eagle F1 high-performance rubber), and getting some spin before biting and launching this 1,891-kg muscle machine up to highway speeds. The Challenger should be capable of five-second sprints to 100 km/h, but not in my hands…

One thing that I did do right was test out the efficacy of the new-for-2012 cylinder deactivation system developed for the 6.4L Hemi V8 in the SRT8 models. I drove the Challenger a total of almost 2,000 km, from Brampton to Ann Arbor and back, with a day trip up the Lake Huron coast. With likely about 90 percent of that driving on the highway, I finished my trip at a respectable 10.0 L/100 km (official NRCan ratings are 8.8 highway and 15.1 city), and requiring only two fuel stops and reaching home with a little less than half a tank. This is one fine highway cruiser.

2012 Dodge Challenger SRT8 392 interior

Aside from its efficiency, which almost seemed to get better the faster I went, the engine turns at a diesel-like 1,600 rpm in sixth when doing 120 km/h, and at 130, the motor still spins below 2,000. The low rpms contribute to a mostly quiet ride with occasional groaning when trying to pick up speed in that long sixth gear—despite its size, this engine does not have huge low-end torque, so quick acceleration on the highway was a best done in fourth, or third if you want the full sound effects.

Also making the long drive seem shorter were the amenities of this fully loaded model. Deep bucket seats that hugged and supported, with manual lumbar adjustment; XM satellite radio, with stations like Classic Rewind that will put you in that throwback mood with tunes like Golden Earring’s “Radar Love”—boy did that ever make me nostalgic for my classic rock–phase; another great station to break up the monotony was LaughUSA with its standup comedy tracks—a great way to ease the stress during traffic jams; and a navigation system that can be programmed easily with voice commands, or by typing in the destination on the touchscreen.

2012 Dodge Challenger SRT8 392 interior

However, it should be noted that this navigation and touchscreen are carryovers, not the new giant screens with thin-film transistor technology in the Charger and 300, or the Garmin navigation system, as in the new Dart. But it still got the job done and was easy enough for me to learn. Unfortunately, the rest of the interior also seems to be carried over, without the premium interior surfaces as in the sedans, although I can’t say I took issue with the interior styling or materials if not compared to those. But while I’m bitching, I should mention that I would have gladly traded the heated steering wheel for cooled, ventilated seats, as it was scorching hot on the return trip.

As mentioned earlier, the Challenger SRT8 features an adaptive suspension, which allowed it to offer a surprising degree of comfort for such a dedicated performance model. But as has been said elsewhere, of the three American coupes–Mustang, Camaro, and Challenger–it is this one that best suits cruising. While I can’t speak for the other two, I can confirm that this was one great highway car, and also great just for cruising a main drag. That nostalgic design works for me from every angle, and I loved it in this Tungsten Metallic with the Radar Red interior leather—the colours work with each other, and it’s a car that certainly deserves some flash.

2012 Dodge Challenger SRT8 392

This was one of those drives and cars that will stay with me for the rest of my life. Setting out from Brampton, the home of this muscle car’s current production, driving down to Detroit, the breeding ground of muscle cars in their heyday, struck me as both ironic and appropriate. If there was one moment that really made this trip, it was driving along the highway through Detroit, spotting another Challenger in the rear view mirror and pulling up to my rear three quarters, then entering an underpass, where I gratuitously dropped the car into neutral and floored the pedal. Just before the next exit, he sped up and pulled alongside just long enough to give me a thumbs up, which I returned. A car like the Challenger SRT8 might not sell that well or even be a relevant product in today’s quest for efficiency, but boy is it a great car.

Pricing: 2012 Dodge Challenger SRT8

Base price: $49,095
Options: $5,925 (Tungsten Metallic paint $100; Intreior Appearance Group $1025; Premium Sound Group $1500; 6-speed manual transmission w/3.93 rear axle ratio $2000; Media Centre with Nav $950; Performance Goodyear 255ZR20 rear and 245ZR20 front tires $100; 20×9 inch aluminum wheels $250)
A/C tax: $100
Freight: $1,500
Price as tested: $56,620

Specifications
Buyer’s Guide: 2012 Dodge Challenger