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(Photo Credit: John Motal)

QUICK SPECS:                                          

• PRICE AS TESTED: $43,505
• ENGINE: 6.1-Liter SRT Hemi® SMPI V8
• HORSEPOWER: 425 hp at 6200 RPM / 420 lb-ft at 4,800 rpm 
• DRIVETRAIN: Rear-wheel drive, five-speed AutoStick®
• WEIGHT: 4,160 lbs.
• FUEL ECONOMY: 14/20 mpg (16 observed) 
      

By: Dave Chess

Wow! 

It’s big and it’s bad!

It’s Godzilla meets four-door sedan.

It’s….Dodge’s muscle car for the 21st century.

Daimler Chrysler’s Street and Racing Technology group has created the quickest sedan in the Dodge lineup.

The 2006 Dodge Charger SRT8 accelerates from 0-60 mph in around 5 seconds. Quarter-mile time is in the 13-second range. Power explodes from a 6.1-liter HEMI V-8 producing 425 horsepower and 420 lb.-ft. of torque. 

 It is also a ticket machine. Which means you better be quick on the brakes.

If not, practice this line just in case:

“Honest Officer, the reason I accelerated so fast was because I just had a violent sneeze that took control of my foot.”

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QUICK SPECS:

• MSRP: $20,490
• ENGINE: 2.0L Ecotec SC (Supercharged)
• HORSEPOWER: 205 hp @ 5,600 rpm / 200 lb-ft at 4,400 rpm (Without Stage 2 Kit) 241 hp and 218 lb-ft (With)
• DRIVETRAIN: Front-wheel drive, five-speed manual
• WEIGHT: 2,925 lbs.
• FUEL ECONOMY: 23/29 mpg (Without Stage 2 Kit)

By Dave Chess

CHICAGO - RIS - What better way to spend a hot, sunny, summer afternoon on Chicago’s lakefront than putting a Chevrolet Cobalt SS Supercharged through its paces on an autocross?

I’ll tell you one.

Piloting a Chevrolet Cobalt SS Supercharged outfitted with General Motors’ blistering Stage Two performance kit that boosts stock horsepower from 205 up to 241.

That’s how!

Yeah Baby!

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QUICK SPECS:

• PRICE AS TESTED: $27,340
• ENGINE: 2.4L Ecotec
• HORSEPOWER: 177 hp @ 6,600 rpm / 166 lb-ft at 4,800 rpm
• DRIVETRAIN: Rear-wheel drive, Aisin five-speed close-ratio manual
• WEIGHT: 2,680 lbs.
• FUEL ECONOMY: 20/28 mpg

By: Dave Chess

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL - RIS - Sliding down into the cockpit of the 2006 Pontiac Solstice took a little extra time. First of all I’m six-feet tall and weigh a little north of 240 pounds. Second, I’m over 50 and for those of you over 50, you’ll know what I mean.

Finally, I came to rest on the supple leather seats and let my eyes feast on the instrumentation and light tan interior of this truly impressive two-seat rear-wheel drive sports car.

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By: Dave Chess

(Originally published in 2005)

DETROIT - RIS - By the look of things Ford has struck gold with their Mustang. In fact so many enthusiasts rushed to get a look at the retro-model that Internet pipelines to new car websites displaying the picture overloaded.

When thecarconnection.com, posted images of the new car, a horde of Mustang fans overwhelmed the system, nearly knocking it off line, and forcing long waits for about three hours.

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