Dodge Challenger Gets Pentastar V-6 for 2011

TonyII | Oct 22, 2010 | 1 comment

In case you haven’t noticed, Chrysler has been busy updating its lineup for 2011. While the changes to the 2011 models may not be drastic on the exterior, underneath the hood and in the interior, big updates are happening that will help to make the the lineup much more competitive.

One engine, the Pentastar V-6, is serving duty in a whole host of the new products. Now Chrysler is turning to its entrant in the pony car segment, and it gets – you guessed it – the Pentastar V-6.

The segment has been heating up, with the Chevrolet Camaro still fresh on the market and Ford making a strong play with the 2011 model Mustang.

Unlike in the past, the V-6 models have been getting a lot of the attention. Historically, the V-6 models have been viewed mostly as underpowered also-rans to the main V-8 model. And for the most part, that is deserved. Who really desired the V-6 models of these cars in the past?

But with the 312 horsepower V-6 in the Camaro and the 305 hp unit in the Mustang, that perception is changing. They also provide fantastic fuel economy numbers to match. In this environment, the Challenger has been falling behind.

For 2010 it has the highest base price and weight, as well as lowest power output. Looking at it by the numbers, the Challenger ends up the clear loser.

As far as styling goes, the Challenger continues to impress, but it needs new life to compete. The Pentastar V-6 helps to do that for 2011, bumping up the power level by 55 hp and 18 lb-ft over the 2010 model, with the total coming to 305 hp and 268 lb-feet.

The question now is pricing and fuel economy. We think a price reduction would be a good idea to help the Challenger gain traction. Fuel economy figures? Those are up in the air for now.

The likely result is the Challenger will retain its distant third position in the sales race. However, it’s nice to see all three becoming increasingly competitive. It’s like the pony car wars all over again – and now the V-6 models are playing a big part too.

Filed Under: Car News • Dodge

Tags: Challenger, Dodge, Dodge Challenger, Pentastar V-6

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2011 Dodge Challenger SRT8 Receives HEMI 392

If you are a fan of Chrysler’s HEMI engine, the number 392 would drum up some very special emotions. While we now know modern HEMI culture exists largely as a brand name only, there’s nothing like a limited edition Dodge Challenger to play history teacher once again for seeing a forerunner to the muscle car era.

Accepting that the actual framework and fanfare of the American muscle car assembled around the Pontiac GTO in 1964 as kicking off the high-performance wars of the 1960s, the 1957 Chrysler 300 C is arguably a pioneer of things to come. That model year, the 392 cubic inch Hemi V-8 (branded as a Fire Power V-8 in the 1950s) released outstanding power potential but was anchored within a heavy, personal luxury car of an era of styling flash. Shared mainly between the posh Chrysler and Imperial cars during production, drag racers soon discovered the performance range of the 392 cubic inch V-8 or soon revered as simply the “92? granting the powerplant a special place in automotive history. Chronicling the time when the HEMI name rose to prominence, a release of 1,492 Challenger SRT8 392 Inaugural Edition vehicles.

Making this exclusive 2011 Dodge Challenger SRT8 392 so ground-breaking is an enlarged HEMI V-8 engine. Bored out to 392 cubic inches (For metric people, the displacement translation is more than 6.4 liters), there would only be one logical reason for proceeding with such an action; of course, this means extra power. With 0.3 liters more displacement located within this modern 392 powerplant, the Challenger SRT8 generates incredible muscle to the rear wheels. A 45 horsepower improvement over the 2010 Challenger SRT8`s 6.1 liter engine, the 2011 Challenger SRT8 392 fires 470 horsepower. The number 470 also relates to torque production in pounds-feet with the showroom street machine.

Sporting all SRT goodies, Chrysler engineers did not rest on their laurels the exclusive when dropping the larger 392 cubic inch engine into the two-door muscle car. Modification over last year`s SRT8 model includes attention paid to the suspension, steering system as well as aerodynamics. A new front splitter is worn under the Challenger`s front fascia. Partnering the redesigned handling components with the 470 horsepower engine, the Dodge Challenger SRT8 392 reports a skid pad test for lateral acceleration at 0.93Gs.

Apart from the front spoiler, the exterior look of the Dodge Challenger SRT8 392 will be given unmistakable markers to existing as 1 of 1,492 first year examples. Exterior trim will consist of either a Deep Water Blue with Stone White striping or an opposing scheme consisting of a Bright White clear coat with Viper Blue striping. Inside as well as out, “392? and “392 HEMI” are worn to identify the monster which beats under the Challenger hood. Standard 20 inch five-spoke wheels allows the special edition Dodge Challenger SRT8 392 Inaugural Edition to ride with custom rodding grace.

Just introducing the 3.7 liter Pentastar V-6 as a low-cost, fuel efficient option to owning a Dodge Challenger in 2011, the modern recreation of the Chrysler Corporation muscle car takes a step into the direction of peak performance.

Information and photo source: Chrysler Group

Filed Under: Car News • Chrysler • Dodge • Muscle cars

Tags: 2011 cars, Challenger, Dodge, Dodge Challenger, SRT8

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