I have the permission from CobraBoy (Kyle Caraway) to post his review and pictures of the 2008 Dodge Challenger. Kyle is the organizer of the Shelby Fest that is held every year in Hermann MO and is a die hard Mustang guy but has the passion for all muscle cars of all years.
First and foremost I would like to thank VaporDude (aka 05BlueGT) for bringing his Shelby down (since I no longer have mine). I thought both cars looked great together and we got a chance to show the Dodge dealer what real acceleration felt like.
Now here goes...hope this satisfies everyone's cravings:
Remember, this is a real revue by a real man with a passion for all cool cars. No political vestments coloring my opinion (do you actually believe that?)
First, let it be known that I love cars. Mostly American cars, but my soul appreciates the romance that’s involved in the styling of every automobile. I long for the days when the weekend meant driving down the street on a Saturday afternoon watching everyone carefully polish their cars getting them ready for evening cruises or whatever lay in store….I love em all.
Today I was given the opportunity to drive the latest entry into the modern day muscle car race, the 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT 8 Limited Edition. Being given the keys to a $40,000 muscle car just for the privilege of review is not something most folks get to experience. The car I drove today was finished in rich "Hemi Orange" with black carbon fiber hood stripes. The outside of the car pays great homage to a time when Mopars were something to be feared on the street. The body lines, and front and rear ends have plenty of modern appeal but wreak of retro Challenger styling.
Inside the cockpit, extremely comfortable leather seats accented with orange SRT8 emblems greet your body. The dash panel appropriately designed to provide its driver access to all informational panels and visibility of the broad, mean hood. The leather wrapped steering wheel made to provide its pilot with plenty of control. My test car was listed as having preferred customer package, which basically means "every option available". The 13 speaker sound system provides more volume than this write prefers to utilize but who wants to listen to music when you can listen to the car anyway. There is plenty of room for the driver, his passenger, and whatever else they need on their trip. The back seat is as expected…minimally designed for extra passengers but functional nonetheless. The trunk space boasts plenty of room to get you through those stylish trips to the grocery store. This car would be a pleasure to drive a long trip in if it handled okay. So how does it handle???
Well my first round in the Challenger was driving at comfortable speeds accelerating to 80 miles an hour at smooth, but seemingly labored rates. The car rounded normal highway corners fine and proved that someone could easily drive 5-6 hours without feeling that they were riding in a lumber cart. The exhaust note in the cabin sounded like one mean V8, very deep but not too loud and seemingly no drone. Braking was easy with the large four disc brake system engaging smoothly and quietly. Most of my recent high performance experience has been in a stock 2007 Ford Shelby GT500. The Challenger is as smooth, but perhaps not as nimble as the Shelby as it was a bit "edgy" feeling around tight corners. The disappointing 3.06 gear ratio aren’t nearly as exciting as one would expect with Dodge’s new flagship muscle car. Slow off the line was the general consensus until………
My second round in the Challenger was highlighted with the use of the "Autostick" feature. Having someone that has read the owner’s manual point some things out to you never hurts, although it can be quite embarrassing. Down the road again we went using the Autostick to run through the 5-speed transmission as fast as we could. The Challenger felt like a different car. Acceleration became noticeably more enjoyable (although a better set of gear would still have made it better…you folks at Dodge get the hint???). The Challenger now was capable of laying a very respectable set of black tracks and ringing out the old days when the 440 Six Pack was every Mopar lover’s dream. Brute acceleration felt more like a rekindling of its vintage namesake than the Shelby GT500. The Challenger responds like a vintage muscle car and although feels and sounds very authoritative, feels very solid and a little heavy. Being able to shift from 5th to 3rd gear when negotiating corners is maybe the biggest benefit of the Autostick feature. Without the Autostick feature the Challenger is a sadly subdued cruiser with an over governing rev limiter. Engage the Autostick feature, and the Challenger becomes something that most men only wish they could drive just once. Dodge did a fantastic job of styling the new Challenger. Retro is in fashion and really, the only right thing to do when resurrecting a fine name. So far Dodge and Ford are the only two to do it right. The disappointing GTO and the up and coming Camaro have yet to carve their spots in the world. The folks at Chevy better be ready for some tough competition when the show up late to the game with the Camaro.
Overall, the Challenger was more than a real pleasure to drive. Stickered at $40,145, this car would be a delightful addition to anyone’s garage. Driving the Challenger will have your mind wandering back to the early 70’s when gas was cheap and the nights were long. Cruising or racing, this car will satisfy. One can only dream of the day that the 6-speed manual becomes available and companies start making aftermarket performance parts available. An amply tuned supercharger would make the Challenger a true contender with the Shelbys and Corvettes currently prowling the streets. What the future will hold…..
Now for my Shelby driving brethren….
Having driven both cars, I can tell you that I would have to choose the Shelby GT500 hands down. The Shelby accelerates better, handle better, and is part of a better legacy than the Challenger could ever dream of. While the Challenger’s interior may be a bit fancier, the Shelby makes up for it with the sound of that wonderful supercharger and that bold exhaust note. Pound for pound, I would have chosen the Ford Shelby GT500. When you break it down looking at weight, acceleration, style, transmissions, price, and legacy, the Shelby GT 500 packs more of that stuff than the Challenger.
Looking at the Challenger and even comparing it to the Shelby makes me smile and think how nice it is in the face of rising gas prices it is that we have some real pride and romance coming back into the world of American muscle cars. Here in America, we haven’t seen a real, honest to goodness muscle car for sometime but those days have now past. Let us all rejoice…. the race is on once again.
Here are some pictures of both the Shelby and Challenger.
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...allenger-1.jpg http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...allenger-2.jpg http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...allenger-3.jpg http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...allenger-4.jpg http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...allenger-5.jpg http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...hallnger-6.jpg http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...y/DSCF0004.jpg http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...y/DSCF0006.jpg http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...y/DSCF0007.jpg http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...-all-three.jpg http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...y/shelby-1.jpg
Challenger vs Shelby Review 
