2006 Dodge Charger SRT8 Test Drive
(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.”
When you approach this car from a distance you get conflicting signals. My Bright Silver Metallic tester at first looked like a bulky, conservative mom and pop four-door sedan. Then I noticed that fully functional hood scoop and the front air dam. This car doesn’t smile at you – it snarls.
Viewed from the side the red finished Brembo brake calipers scream race track. Each four-piston caliper grips a vented rotor: 360 x 32mm discs up front, with 350 x 26mm in the rear. SRT embossed five spoke 20 inch forged aluminum wheels held high-performance Goodyear Supercar F1 three-season tires.
It can go from 0-100-0 in the mid 16-second range. And stop from 60 mph in approximately 110 feet. Dodge provides an electric air pump instead of a spare tire. TIREFIT requires a can of puncture sealant be connected to the unit prior to use. It should work fine on small leaks until you get to a repair shop.
The rear fascia features integrated lower strakes to direct air flow and cutouts to accommodate dual 3.5-inch exhaust tips. A decklid spoiler set on dual stanchions makes the rear look just as mean as the front. Brilliant Black and Inferno Red Crystal Pearlcoat are available in addition to Bright silver.
My tester’s base price of $35,320 was bumped up by the addition of SRT Option Groups I, II and III. Group I included dual zone temperature controls and heated front seats.
Group II included a 275-Watt Kicker SRT Amplifier; 200-Watt Kicker SRT subwoofer and 11 Kicker SRT High-Performance speakers.
Group III included SIRIUS satellite digital radio with a 6 CD/MPS changer, a DVD-based navigation system with GPS and UConnect hands free phone communication interface. Supplemental side air bags, a power sunroof and Gas Guzzler Tax of $2,100 pushed the price as tested to $43,505.
Rated fuel mileage is 14 mpg city and 20 highway. I observed an average of 16 mpg under driving conditions that included about 80% highway miles.
Just like I thought I would never pay to watch television, I thought I would ever pay to listen to the radio. But satellite radio changed my mind. Every car I drive has a certain character and Dodge’s Charger SRT8 is no exception. Certain music just fits a car and a driver. Satellite radio gives you that option. Feel like blasting that trunk mounted 200-watt Kicker Subwoofer with some Hip Hop? Dial it in. Just watch The Dukes of Hazard movie? How does some Outlaw Country or Bluegrass sound? I have to admit that for as long as I had my test car, it was the Dukes and bluegrass all week long. The optional Kicker sound system was one of the best I have heard.
The Dark slate gray and light graystone interior featured leather-trimmed seats with red stitching and suede inserts. Seating was comfortable and made you feel you were sitting up high even with the factory installed sunroof. This was surprising because from the outside the vehicle exudes a low-profile look. But I found the interior to be roomy with adequate leg room in the rear compartment.
A Performance tuned suspension provided a firm ride. Yet it wasn’t stiff. The Charger planted itself flat on entrance ramps. It didn’t jar the fillings out of your teeth as drove across bumpy railroad tracks.
Anti-lock brakes and the Electronic Stability Program (ESP) enhanced safety and handling by maintaining directional stability. ESP will automatically brake and reduce acceleration in order to eliminate oversteer and understeer conditions once it senses wheelspin. Traction control can be switched off which could lead to excessive wheel spin aka lengthy burnouts.
My only complaint was about the Keyfob key. It should have its controls mounted upside down from the way it is. So the key portion fits into the palm of your hand, instead of the other way around. It would make it easier to manipulate the buttons.
Overall Dodge’s Charger SRT8 is a beast in four-door sedan clothing. It has animal magnetism – literally and figuratively. The first day I drove my tester a bird that flew across my path almost got sucked into the hood scoop. The next day a coyote ran in front of me. Day three found me avoiding a group of deer.
Speaking of animal magnetism, the only Dodge Charger to make it into the 2006 Nextel Cup Chase for the Championship was the one driven by pretty-boy Kasey Kahne, from Enumclaw, Washington. Kahne pilots his No. 9 Dodge Dealers UAW Dodge Charger for Evernham Motorsports.
The Dodge Charger Daytona was introduced to NASCAR in September 1969. It featured a flush rear window, a large aerodynamic nose and a huge wing spoiler in the rear that stood 58 inches above the trunk. It was powered by one of two engines. Either a 440 Magnum cid or 426 HEMI engine. A Charger 500 competed in addition to the Daytona.
Between the two of them they won 45 out of 59 races. The car dominated the Grand National Circuit so much that NASCAR eventually place restrictions on the Hemi engine by forcing the now common placed carburetor restrictor plates on Chrysler models featuring the HEMI engine.
If you are looking for a big, fast, high performance muscle car with the convenience of a four-door sedan, consider the race-bred Dodge Charger SRT8.