FEATURE – 2008 DODGE CHALLENGER SRT8 - JUST CARS

FEATURE – 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8

Words: Mike Ryan Photos: BGS Classic Cars and Michele Donato

FOR SALE

This year marks the 50th Anniversary of the Dodge Challenger. That alone should be reason enough to give this car a closer look, but the Challenger in focus here is obviously not a 50-year-old car. It’s not even a 15-year-old car. That’s because this Challenger comes from the era of the revival of the Dodge pony car – a car that stunned the automotive world when it was released in concept form in 2006.

FEATURE – 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 — 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8

Chasing Horses

When Ford’s Mustang debuted in 1964, it changed the automotive game. There had been sports cars and sporty cars before, but none had been presented in such a way that they appealed to so many people. In its most humble six-cylinder coupe form, the Mustang was a car for the everyday driver. The convertible version added a touch of class, while the fastback and GT that followed a year later added some muscle to the mix.

The Mustang was so popular, it created its own genre – the pony car – and that popularity saw every other major American auto company rush to create a competitor. Dodge was no exception, but it’s interesting to note that they were the last arrivals to the party.

Plymouth had their Barracuda (which actually debuted before the Mustang in 1964) and GM had the Chevy Camaro and Pontiac Firebird, which arrived for the 1967 model year. Mercury’s Cougar arrived at the same time and American Motors followed with their Javelin in 1968, but it wasn’t until 1970 that Dodge’s first true pony car arrived in the form of the Challenger.

Unfortunately for Dodge, the Challenger debuted just as the heat was going out of the pony car market. Emissions regulations, sky-high insurance premiums for performance cars, rising fuel costs and the beginnings of a move to more economical vehicles and “personal luxury” cars all affected the Challenger’s impact in the market.

Debut year sales of 76,925 were good, but plunged thereafter, with only 26,299 sold for 1971. By 1974, when Dodge pulled the plug on the Challenger for the first time, sales were down to just 11,374 for the year.

Between the original Challenger and its 21st Century revival, there was another version, but it’s one true MoPar muscle fanatics discount as a travesty against the badge.

In 1978, Dodge took a Mitsubishi Galant 2-door ‘Lambda’ coupe (which was sold in Australia as the Starion) and rebadged it as a Challenger.

There was nothing wrong with the car itself, but with only a 1.6-litre or 2.6-litre four-cylinder engine to choose from, the new Challenger was a million miles from its predecessor. Most thought it unworthy of the Challenger name, so when it was discontinued in 1983, there were few complaints.

That was the end of the Challenger story for more than two decades, but when retro revival cars became a hallmark of the new millennium, Dodge would be one of many carmakers to tap into their heritage.

Chasing Horses – Again

The spur for the revival of a Challenger – this time on a car worthy of the badge – was Ford’s release of the fifth-generation ‘S-197’ Mustang for 2005.

With its deliberately retro-inspired styling, the new Mustang hit a nerve with the car-buying public, leading to a surge in sales. Just like in 1964 when the first Mustang led rival carmakers to produce their own version, the S-197 Mustang did the same. This time, though, there was far less competition. American Motors and Plymouth were gone, with Mercury and Pontiac to join them a few years later. Chevrolet had discontinued their Camaro in 2002 and while Dodge had their Viper, it wasn’t in the same pony car class as the Mustang.

The success of the S-197 Mustang was enough to convince Chevrolet to bring the Camaro back and Dodge to do the same with the Challenger. Chevy had more recent history to tap into for their Mustang fighter, but Dodge had nothing – at least nothing that could immediately be reskinned as a modern pony car. That forced Dodge to get creative.

The base for what would become the new Challenger was the same LX platform used for the Chrysler 300 and North American market Dodge Magnum and Charger. The platform needed to be shortened to suit the Challenger’s planned dimensions, though, with other changes made to turn what was meant for a four-door sedan into something suitable for a coupe.

This was during the period of the Daimler-Chrysler alliance, so Dodge had an abundance of Mercedes-Benz engineering and tech to call on, much of which found its way into the car in one form or another. Still, full credit must go to Dodge for having a new Challenger ready to present in concept form by the start of 2006.

Styled by Chrysler’s Michael Castiglione and with obvious references to the original Challenger in its appearance, the Challenger concept generated immediate buzz. Demands from media and public alike to build it eventually convinced Chrysler to put it into production.

With only a few modifications from the concept (like the switch from a hardtop to a pillared coupe), the new Challenger arrived in 2008 and it’s a car from that return year that is featured here.

Start with an SRT8

Unlike their previous attempt, Dodge came to market "first" with the new Challenger, debuting two years ahead of Chevrolet’s reborn Camaro, which arrived for the 2010 model year.

The new Challenger was only offered in limited numbers for its debut year – 6,400 in total for the US market - and only with an ‘SRT8’ badge. This badge had already graced other performance Chrysler models, but in the case of the Challenger, SRT8 meant a 6.1-litre HEMI V8, matched to a five-speed ‘AutoStick’ automatic transmission that could – kind of – be operated like a manual.

Performance numbers of 425hp and 420 lb/ft (317kW and 570Nm) were true to the intentions of the original Challenger, with 0-100km/h delivered in around five seconds and the quarter mile in under 13.5 seconds.

At a time when the Mustang was still running a live axle, the Challenger featured a sophisticated five-link independent rear end sourced from Mercedes-Benz, while the front end used an A-arm set-up. Stabiliser bars and Bilstein shocks featured at each end.

Like the suspension, the braking on the modern Challenger offered performance unheard of in 1970. Four-piston Brembo calipers on all four wheels, ABS, traction control and stability control with brake assist were all standard.

The Challenger family expanded in 2009 with the inclusion of the R/T and SE variants, and while some features carried over to these lesser grades, the SRT8 remained the top of the tree.

Of course, the Challenger’s styling paid obvious homage to the past. From the full-width grille with inset headlights, to the distinctive ‘Coke bottle‘ profile and segmented tail lights, there were notes of the original Challenger everywhere, but the bumperless appearance at each end and 20-inch wheels planted the car firmly in the 21st Century.

Inside, the SRT got leather seats as standard, with orange accent stripes and additional side bolstering compared to the variants that would follow. For 2008 only, each car also wore an individually numbered ‘First Edition’ plaque on the dash denoting its special, collectable status.

Orange Impact

The car featured is one of those First Edition Challenger SRTs from 2008, specifically number 3166.

Finished in bold Hemi Orange (one of three colours available in 2008), the car appears stock, but the 6.1 HEMI has been upgraded with a number of parts - including a K&N cold air intake, Magnaflow exhaust with SRT high-flow catalytic converters and new oxygen sensors – so it now produces around 470hp / 470lb/ft (350kW / 637Nm), which coincidentally is the same as the larger 6.4-litre ‘392’ HEMI that was available for the Challenger from 2011.

The ECU has been recalibrated to suit and while a six-speed manual transmission was available by 2011, this car retains its original automatic.

The RHD conversion was completed by A to Z Imports in Queensland soon after the car was imported to Australia in 2013 and is a proper ‘mirror’ conversion, meaning the steering box is moved to the right-hand side, rather than using a cross shaft and linkages to an LHD box. This process, while more expensive and time-consuming, ensures sharper, more accurate steering compared to a cross-shaft conversion.

To further “Australianise” this Challenger, the factory satnav has been upgraded with Australian maps, a USB port and reversing camera have been added, and the car is Bluetooth compatible.

It’s a low-mileage unit, too, with only 29,200 miles on the odometer when it was listed for sale with BGS Classic Cars in Queensland (see breakout). The current owner has run a rigorous maintenance schedule, with six-monthly services, quality oil and even OEM MoPar filters from the US as part of the regimen.

BGS Classic Cars believe this Challenger is one of only two 2008 SRT8 units in this specification in Australia.

Challenge Accepted

Back when it was new, the 2008 Challenger SRT8 was a sellout, cementing its continuation beyond that debut year. The ‘got it right’ nature of the new Challenger’s design has been part of the reason it’s still in Dodge’s lineup today, virtually unchanged cosmetically.

With the process of importing and conversion already done, this car presents as an attractive option for someone looking for a modern muscle car, who doesn’t want to go through the time and expense of importing and converting – and doesn’t want a Mustang!

MoPar enthusiasts are a devoted crew who would need no persuasion on the merits of this car. There’s sure to be an enthusiast out there with a Challenger-sized hole in their garage right now. Maybe that enthusiast is you. . .

FOR SALE

This Challenger is a rare beast for several reasons.

Firstly, it’s one of the new-generation Challengers which are uncommon here in Australia. Secondly, it’s the performance SRT8 version. Thirdly, it’s from 2008 - the first year of the Challenger’s revival. And finally, it’s been upgraded under the bonnet to produce more power and torque