Vehicle Overview
This big, American two-door coupe seats five and is based on Chrysler’s underpinnings to the Charger and 300 sedans. Competition includes the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro.
(Skip to details on the: SRT8 392)
New for 2011
The Challenger gets a 305-horsepower, 3.6-liter V-6 as its new base engine, and the performance-oriented SRT8 392 is powered by a new 470-hp, 6.4-liter V-8. New standard equipment for 2011 includes Keyless Go remote start, automatic air conditioning, side-impact airbags and 18-inch aluminum wheels.
Exterior
Unlike the Charger sedan, which borrows primarily a name from the muscle-car era, the Challenger was designed after the 1970 model, and it is unmistakably the Challenger from any angle. It has a broad grille and rear-end treatments. Other exterior features include:
- Standard body-colored handles, front and rear bumpers, and mirrors
- Standard 18-inch aluminum wheels; 20-inch rims optional
- Standard chrome exhaust tips
- Optional performance exhaust system
- Optional fog lights
- Optional sunroof
- Optional xenon headlights
Interior
The Challenger continues its retro-themed looks on the inside with its gauge cluster and black headliner. In manual-transmission cars, the shifter features a unique pistol-grip design. Other interior features include:
- Standard cloth upholstery; optional leather
- Standard power-adjustable driver’s seat; heated front seats optional
- New leather-wrapped steering wheel for 2011
- Standard automatic air conditioning
- Standard cruise control
- Standard remote start on automatic-transmission cars
- Standard 60/40-split folding rear bench with armrest and two cupholders
- Standard CD stereo with auxiliary input jack
- Optional touch-screen audio system with 30-gigabyte hard drive
- Optional navigation system
- Optional iPod connectivity
Under the Hood
The base Challenger SE gets a new 305-hp, 3.6-liter V-6 engine that teams with a five-speed automatic transmission. The R/T has a 5.7-liter V-8 that features cylinder deactivation on automatic-equipped models. The technology allows the car to operate on four cylinders when less power is needed to save fuel. A six-speed manual is available for the R/T.
- Standard 305-hp, 3.6-liter V-6 with 268 pounds-feet of torque
- Optional 5.7-liter V-8 makes 372 hp and 400 pounds-feet of torque with the automatic transmission and 376 hp and 410 pounds-feet of torque with the manual
- Both engines can use regular gas
- Standard all-disc brakes
Safety
Safety features include:
- Standard side curtain airbags for front and rear occupants
- Standard front-seat side-impact airbags
- Standard electronic stability system
- Standard antilock brakes
SRT8 392
The SRT8 392 is a high-performance version of the Challenger, and it gets a new, more powerful V-8 engine for 2011. It’s also available in limited-run Inaugural Edition form. Dodge is building 1,492 Inaugural Editions that feature special exterior and interior styling cues like 392 badges, quad exhaust tips, 20-inch wheels and white-and-blue leather upholstery.
The Inaugural Edition and subsequent SRT8s are powered by a 6.4-liter (392 cubic inches) Hemi V-8 rated at an estimated 470 hp and 470 pounds-feet of torque. Dodge says the car can go from zero to 60 mph in less than 5 seconds. Other features include:
- Standard five-speed automatic transmission
- Optional six-speed manual
- Performance-tuned dual exhaust system
- 20-inch aluminum wheels
- Brembo brakes
- Limited-slip differential
- Reconfigurable display can show zero-to-60 mph times, eighth- and quarter-mile times, braking performance and g-force readings Back to top
