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The Dodge Charger, in its current incarnation, is a rear-wheel drive full-size automobile built by the DaimlerChrysler corporation for its North American Dodge brand. The Charger name is a historical one, borne by many other Dodge Charger models in the past. Introduced in February 2005 for the 2006 model year, this new Charger shares the LX platform of the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Magnum, which borrows component parts from the Mercedes E-Class platform ; in fact, the interior of the Charger is almost identical to that of the Magnum. It replaced the Dodge Intrepid as Dodge's full-size sedan. This Charger is a four-door sedan, disappointing many fans of the previous two-door Chargers. It is built at Brampton Assembly in Canada.
An SRT-8 version of the Charger debuted at the 2005 New York International Auto Show. Powered by a 425 hp (317 kW) version of the 6.1 L Hemi, it also features upgraded Brembo brakes, and interior and exterior updates. The engine produces 420 ft·lbf (569 N·m) of torque. The 425 net horsepower of the modern 6.1 L Hemi makes it even more powerful than the legendary Hemi engines of the muscle car era, the biggest of which was rated at 425 gross horsepower. This makes the 6.1 L Hemi engine the most powerful V8 engine that Chrysler has ever put in a production vehicle. The SRT-8 can accelerate from 0-62 mph in 4.6 seconds.
Controversy
Many fans of the classic Charger were disappointed by the redesigned Charger's four door setup, having expected a rival to compete with the redesigned Ford Mustang. The 1999 Charger concept borrowed a number of classic muscle car design cues, but the final version delivered to the public appeared vastly different from the concept version. Part of the disappointment stems from the fact that the redesigned Charger was never intended as competition to the Ford Mustang, but rather as a replacement for the outgoing Dodge Intrepid sedan which had been waning in popularity for several years.
Some public backlash happened when the Charger was first introduced, as it was seen as just a sedan version of the Dodge Magnum. The Charger has been turned into what are called "Low Down Legends" namely, cars that have been produced since the 60's or 70's then re-introduced in the present day as four door sedans, unlike their original counterparts. Some examples would be the Chevrolet Malibu, Chevrolet Impala, and the Mercury Marauder.
Despite criticism, however, initial Charger sales were strong, topping 30,000 units by November 2005. In addition, the revival of the Dodge Challenger in 2008-09 would fill the void of a pony car rival with the Mustang and the revived Chevrolet Camaro, thus easing the pain of the Charger not filling this void. Wikipedia |
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