Dodge Charger R/T Golborne
Forget Chevrolets in Golborne, Thunderbirds and Mustangs; anyone who watched television back in the Eighties will tell you that America's most famous automobile is the Dodge Charger.
Hatfields (Bury)
Manchester Road
Bury
Bury
Pentagon Chrysler
0161 654 6600
0161 654 6600
Greenside Way
Greengate
Greengate
The Co-operative Motor Group Preston
01772 837219
01772 837219
Riverside Motor ParkAdmiral Way
Ashton-on-Ribble
Ashton-on-Ribble
Waterhouse (Parts and Service only)
The Waterhouse Business Park
Cromar Way
Cromar Way
Horsham Car Centre
Unit 1 Horsham Trading CentreFoundry Lane
Horsham
Horsham
Lookers Liverpool Chrysler Group
133 Sefton Street
Liverpool
Liverpool
Kings Manchester
Sales: 0161 637 2019 After Sales: 0161 637 2020
Sales: 0161 637 2019 After Sales: 0161 637 2020
396 Wellington Road NorthHeaton Chapel
Stockport
Stockport
Western Chrysler Jeep (After Sales)
1 Guards Road
Coldstream
Coldstream
JCT 600 (Leeds)
0113 250 2231
0113 250 2231
New RoadYeadon
Leeds
Leeds
Glyn Hopkin
Merton Drive
Redmoor
Redmoor
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Dodge Charger R/T
Forget Chevrolets, Thunderbirds and Mustangs; anyone who watched television back in the Eighties will tell you that America's most famous automobile is the Dodge Charger.
Star of cult series the Dukes of Hazzard, and painted bright orange with a Confederate flag on the roof, the 1969 two-door General Lee roared its way into the living rooms of millions, and gave the UK an unforgettable taste of American muscle cars. The question is, can Dodge do it again in 2005?
The early indications are not good. Launched at this year's Detroit Motor Show, the brand new Charger is not a two-door like the vehicle of the same name that thrashed around on TV in the early Eighties. Instead, it is a reinvention of sister firm Chrysler's 300C, on which the Charger is based.
Even so, the gentle rise of its C-pillar and its snarling nose are reminiscent of the superstar car. Reassuringly, this motor never fails to turn heads. Atidle, the 5.7-litre V8 HEMI engine sucks in enthusiasts at the same spectacular rate as it guzzles unleaded petrol, and pumps out a throaty roar that makes the £16,406 American price seem like a joke to buyers in the UK.
Acceleration is impressive, partic-ularly from the 340bhp R/T edition which we got behind the wheel of. It is also worth noting that an entry-level 250bhp V6 model is available too, with a bargain price tag in the US of the equivalent of £12,576. This base variant is a joy to drive... until you have sampled the V8.
The noise only gets better if you opt for the £17,776 Daytona. This current flagship version appropriately gets the loudest paintjobs available in America, namely GoManGo! orange, Top Banana yellow and the self-descriptive SubLime. On the road, however, the Charger's long wheelbase and overly light steering bring back memories of the Seventies. This is no sports car, despite the straight-line muscle on offer.
Perhaps all the finely tuned suspension settings are being held in reserve for the 425bhp SRT8, which we have yet to drive. But even the R/T model, equipped with a 'performance package' of stiffer roll bars, feels floaty and lacking in body control.
While Dodge-branded vehicles are set to arrive in the UK early next year, the Charger will be produced in left-hand-drive form only, which is likely to limit its British appeal. That said, if bosses change their mind, we would expect buyers to be Charging into dealerships demanding a test drive...
Star of cult series the Dukes of Hazzard, and painted bright orange with a Confederate flag on the roof, the 1969 two-door General Lee roared its way into the living rooms of millions, and gave the UK an unforgettable taste of American muscle cars. The question is, can Dodge do it again in 2005?
The early indications are not good. Launched at this year's Detroit Motor Show, the brand new Charger is not a two-door like the vehicle of the same name that thrashed around on TV in the early Eighties. Instead, it is a reinvention of sister firm Chrysler's 300C, on which the Charger is based.
Even so, the gentle rise of its C-pillar and its snarling nose are reminiscent of the superstar car. Reassuringly, this motor never fails to turn heads. Atidle, the 5.7-litre V8 HEMI engine sucks in enthusiasts at the same spectacular rate as it guzzles unleaded petrol, and pumps out a throaty roar that makes the £16,406 American price seem like a joke to buyers in the UK.
Acceleration is impressive, partic-ularly from the 340bhp R/T edition which we got behind the wheel of. It is also worth noting that an entry-level 250bhp V6 model is available too, with a bargain price tag in the US of the equivalent of £12,576. This base variant is a joy to drive... until you have sampled the V8.
The noise only gets better if you opt for the £17,776 Daytona. This current flagship version appropriately gets the loudest paintjobs available in America, namely GoManGo! orange, Top Banana yellow and the self-descriptive SubLime. On the road, however, the Charger's long wheelbase and overly light steering bring back memories of the Seventies. This is no sports car, despite the straight-line muscle on offer.
Perhaps all the finely tuned suspension settings are being held in reserve for the 425bhp SRT8, which we have yet to drive. But even the R/T model, equipped with a 'performance package' of stiffer roll bars, feels floaty and lacking in body control.
While Dodge-branded vehicles are set to arrive in the UK early next year, the Charger will be produced in left-hand-drive form only, which is likely to limit its British appeal. That said, if bosses change their mind, we would expect buyers to be Charging into dealerships demanding a test drive...
Author: Marty Padgett
