Give her car ported heads, a cam, a 3k stall converter, and drag radials and see how slow it is then.

We all know it's a heavy car and is only "decently quick" in stock form. The 09+ 6spd manual SRT8 version should be quicker than the slushbox from 08. It's not the perfect car for everybody but I think we'd all agree there are far worse choices in today's coupe market.

 

I dont care if his buddy is a straight shooter, he may want to check his sexuality.

 

Are they priced similer? Also performance is not everything.
Not agree or disagreeing, just pointing out the angles.

 

You've got the engines confused. The truck engine you're referring to is the new 5.7 liter VVT (variable valve timing) engine. All the SRT8's (Charger, Challenger, Jeep) get the 6.1 liter version rated at 425 HP

 

The 5.7 was the one I was referring to in the first place. I was saying the 5.7 manual would be pretty close to the 6.1 auto if they hadn't down-rated it so much compared to its power in truck form. I didn't know the 6.1 would get the manual trans option for 2009.

In the cars it's probably all down to marketing. The 6.1 wouldn't sell as much if it was only 30hp more than the 5.7. Once the VVT technology makes it to the 6.1 things could get more interesting.

 

The 5.7 isn't exactly a "downrated" 6.1, besides for the smaller cubes (requiring a different block casting) it has a different intake mani, heads, cam, exhaust manis and lower compression. A VVT 6.1 would be interesting, but the problem seems to lay in the cam spec differences between the two engines, same reason why the 6.1 doesn't get the MDS system (the cam in the 6.1 is too large). My wife wanted a SRT8 Challenger in 2010 with the manual trans, but I've convinced her to hold off till the Camaro comes out. Besides, I bought her a Charger RT two years ago, and it's time for a different car. The Charger and the Challenger are very similar beneath the skin, and the Camaro looks like a real winner to me.

 

It's the LS3, 422 HP in a car 400-500lbs lighter than a Challenger (425HP). Don't get me wrong, I happen to really like the look of the Challenger, but I think the Camaro has it beat in pretty much every catagory

 

It's already official -- the SS with the manual trans gets the 422hp LS3. If you opt for the automatic transmission, you get the 400hp L99, which is basically the same thing, with a milder cam and AFM. From what we've heard so far, the automatic car is actually faster to 60 and through the quarter mile, thanks to more aggressive gearing in the transmission.

There will eventually be a Z28 version (I'm guessing 2012 model year), and all indications are that it will get the LSA (556hp, from the new CTS-V) or something very similar.

 

I didn't mean the engines were similar. The downrating I spoke of was that their new 5.7 is rated at 390hp in the truck but magically drops to 370 in the car. It sounds a lot like the Corvette/Fbody difference in horsepower when they shared identical engines.

I'm active on two Hemi boards so I'm aware of all the nuances between Dodge products.

 

The difference is mainly from the intake manifold, the trucks get a top/rear mounted TB location, but the Chargers have the front mount TB due to the lower hoodline. The truck intake is evidently more efficient. The Corvette/FBody differences were the intake tract and exhaust systems which were intentionally choked on the FBody.

I'm on the Chargerforums board, is that one of the ones you're on? I have the '06 my wife drives, and also just bought a new Ram 1500.

 

... and??

My buddies cam only 6-speed LS1 goes low 11's.

 

We know the new Challenger is a boat. You're just not going to shove 4100 lbs down the track in 11 seconds with "only" 425hp no matter what traction & launch magic you can give it. I doubt you'll find anybody who claims otherwise. I just said it's only fair to compare similarly-modded cars.

I'm no fool -- "only" a cam & boltons is hardly a slow car when provided enough traction to hold it all. My car is "only a 4 cylinder" too.

 

A SRT8 Challenger was at Norwalk this weekend at the halloween classic, he was running 12.80's at over 100mph (can't remember exact). He just got the car the week before and only put drag radials on it.

 

Its a boat

 

I say remove hemi and put in ls9.