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Chevrolet 2012 Malibu
Charger Heavy muscle
Nissan's authentic SUV sports above average reliability .............. E4
The SRT8 powers up with 470 horses............................................ E1
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Dodge Charger SRT8 personifies American muscle One of America’s storied muscle cars is enjoying a second run and this year, and it is running with more muscle than ever. Charger began its brawny saga in 1965, as an option package for the Dart GT. Charger was mothballed in 1978 and returned in 2006 as a nostalgic re-imagining of its heyday. The inaugural ’65 Charger earned its rep by stampeding out 230 horses, and the 2012 SRT8 version more than doubles that original power out- spoiler. New 4-inch round dual exhaust tips are positioned input. side of the redesigned rear fasBeckoning muscle lovers cia while the SRT8 decklid badge With the SRT8 badge and de- boldly shows its Street and Racsign, Charger beckons muscle ing Technology DNA. With a unitized steel body and lovers of yesterday and today. aluminum hood, the long and The Chrysler Group’s Street and Racing Technology (SRT) brand muscular Charger SRT8 meauses a successful product devel- sures 200.3 inches long, 74.4 opment formula featuring five inches wide and 58.2 inches high proven hallmarks: beefy power- on a 120.2-inch wheelbase while trains; track-worthy ride, han- offering 4.3 inches of ground dling and capability; superior clearance. Charger SRT8 weighs braking; evocative and functional in at a beefy 4,365 pounds with exteriors and race-inspired and 54 percent of the vehicle’s weight up front. high-performance interiors. The standard Charger is forceful as is, paired with a 292-horse- Powering up with 470 horses Under hood is HEMI® power. power 3.6-liter aluminum Pentastar V-6 engine, but that is The 6.4-Liter V-8 HEMI® enonly the beginning. The Charger gine with Fuel Saver Technology R/T trim is designed for hard- is linked to a 5-speed automatic core enthusiasts who crave even transmission, and the system demore performance, and they get livers 470 horses and 470 lbs-ft it with a 370hp HEMI® V-8 en- of torque. The monster produces gine. But the muscle king of the in all ranges and all conditions. 2012 Charger line-up is the SRT8 On the track, my test Charger reand its 470hp 6.4-liter HEMI® corded a 4.4-second sprint from zero to 60mph, and completed a V-8 engine. quarter-mile run in 12.9 seconds. Looks scream high These were exactly the same times I achieved in its sister, the performance Chrysler 300C, in tests completThough built at Chrysler’s ed earlier this year. Brampton Assembly plant in Charger’s stiff independent Brampton, Ontario, Canada, front suspension and five-link inCharger is American Muscle perdependent rear smooth out most sonified, through its HEMI® enroad irregularities and SRT8’s gine and its powerful physique. The 2012 Dodge Charger SRT8 adaptive Bilstein shocks tweak to screams high performance from tighter handling when automatiits performance-sculpted hood cally asked. There is a bit of top that features a black air exhauster wobble from the surprisingly tall for added engine cooling, to its Charger, but the SRT-tuned rack high-gloss black front grille and and pinion steering with hydrauthe Dodge crosshair next to the lic power assist responds unhesisignature SRT badge, to the 6.4L tatingly. Cornering is a composed sureHEMI® badges on each fender and 20-inch full forged alumi- thing that is precise and confinum wheels with painted pockets dent, though you can power slide In the rear, the Charger SRT8’s on the Goodyear Eagle RS-A2 new signature “race track” tail- tires (245/45R20 all-season) and lamp design with 164 illuminat- drift when desired in autocross ing LEDs sits just below a rear settings.
By Mike Blake
Associated Press
Charger’s stiff independent front suspension and five-link independent rear smooth out most road irregularities and SRT8’s adaptive Bilstein shocks tweak to tighter handling when automatically asked. EPA estimated at a thirsty 14 city and 23 highway on the recommended Premium 91 octane fuel, my mixed-use tests showed an average of 15.2mpg.
Cabin combines comfort, tech and racing cues Inside, Charger combines world-class accommodations with race-inspired technology and appointments. With seating for five, you get 38.6 inches of front headroom, 41.8 inches of legroom in row one and 59.5 inches of first seat shoulder room, and rear accommodations of 37.9 inches of headroom, 41.0 inches of legroom and 57.7 inches of shoulder room. The luggage compartment provides 16.3 cu. ft. of space. Cabin niceties include an 8.4inch color touchscreen display, full-color graphic Electronic Vehicle Information Center with Performance Pages timers for 0-60 mph, one-eighth mile and
quarter-mile times, 60-0 braking distance, and lateral and longitudinal g-forces. Other interior features include a 19-speaker Harman Kardon® audio system with innovative GreenEdge® technology and 900 watts of power, a 10-inch subwoofer, leathertrimmed bucket seats with SRT embroidery, heated front and rear seats, 8-way power driver and front passenger seats with 4-way lumbar, SRT8 badging, climate control, and a bevy of tech and upscale accents. Charger addresses safety with more than 65 advanced safety and security features including standard Keyless Enter-N-Go, electronic stability control, Ready Alert Braking and Rain Brake Support, front-row reactive head restraints, full-length side-curtain air bags, driver’s knee air bag and front seat-mounted sidethorax air bags. The standard Charger SE starts at $25,595 with eight-speed au-
tomatic transmission, deliver refinement, improved performance and 31 miles per gallon on the highway. The Charger R/T is estimated at 25 mpg highway and starts at $29,995. And the big-muscled Charger SRT8 has a base price of $47,425. My test ride was bathed in Redline 3-coat Pearl exterior paint for an extra $500; the power sunroof added $995; adaptive cruise control with Adaptive Speed Control and Forward Collision Warning added $795; destination charges added $995 and the sticker-as-tested totaled $50,210. ––– Visit www.CarlisleEvents.com for more on the automotive hobby. Mike Blake, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He’s been a “car guy” since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years.