Chrysler has announced pricing on the Challenger SRT-8, the hot-rod version of the 2008 Dodge Challenger coupe: $37,995, including destination. The SRT-8 will come with the 6.1 liter HEMI V8 engine (as seen in other SRT-8 models, including the Dodge Charger) and will be available in black, silver and Hemi Orange, all with carbon-fiber-textured hood stripes. The Challenger will show up in dealerships in the spring. Want one? Then you'd better head down to your local Dodge dealer first thing Monday morning -- dealers will start taking orders for the limited run Challenger SRT-8 on December 3rd.
You'll be ordering blind, though, because Dodge has yet to release official photos of the production version -- so for now we'll have to continue gazing lovingly at photos of the Challenger concept. Also forthcoming: Details and pricing on a full line of Challenger models, presumably with V6 and smaller V8 engines.
Also in the news: Evel Knieval passed away. -- Aaron Gold
Photo © Chrysler
looks like a lot of money for the sticker price. Then when the cars arrive at the dealer ships don,t fore get the so called fair market adjustment that will bring the price up even more. i was in a ford dealer ship getting the wifes truck serviced. they had 3 gt500 mustangs with a $15000.00 fair market adjustment add on. so the cars were over $60000.00 its too bad !! kinda out of reach for the common person. suppose it will be the same with these cars.
I would not mind by a new challenger the only problem I have two or three years if you’re not making enough money no it they will drop it,just like the magnum. if you’re young an set the car up on blocks and hope it goes up in value.I have to think twice about buying one just because if they don’t make money by by car .
There is no way I would buy a car without ,at least,seeing a picture.For that kind of money,I need to see the vehicle.If they believe they will sell that good on the blind,then I can wait till the next year.That is if there is a next year.After all,I’m sitting here with a magnum,fully equipped,hemi engine and all,and have no clue as to value.The Challenger would be my wifes car and she is perfectly willing to wait.
Very strong price for what will obviously be a very strong car. 425 HP HEMI in a shortened Charger chassis with a 6 speed manual. There is absolutely nothing else that needs to be said even if it just keeps the basic silhouette of the Challenger concept.
I’m there monday.
Hey IGB — No 6-speed manual — the Challenger is going to come with a 5-speed automatic.
My kingdom for a pistol grip shifter…
Aaron
If Chrysler wants to prove that they can cut it post Daimler, they need to offer the Challenger as it is meant to be-a driving enthusiast’s car. No eco-version, or other such incarnations that reduced these legendary marques to the mere trim packages of the 70’s and 80’s. So, Chrysler, if you’re serious, bring on the Challenger with a drop top and six speed standard; without the Harley-esque dealer markups.
Hey Aaron, I realize you are in the “KNOW” and I am not. However at the auto show earlier this year. The demonstrater told us in “08″ the Challenger will be available ONLY in ORANGE — 6.1 Hemi — Auto. He said in “09″ it will have many engine — trans — and color options including ALL the original 70s series colors. (assuming the 08s sell good). I know that demonstrater could easily be wrong. I sure hope you are right.
I also hope the PRODUCTION version looks very similar *if not exactly* like the concept. It is a sweeeeeett looking little honey up close. If I could win the lottery this weekend. I would be in line Monday for one.
Tim et al, here is the bulk of Chrysler’s press release:
Auburn Hills, Mich., Nov 29, 2007 – Dodge announced pricing today for the modern interpretation of the American muscle coupe. The 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8® will arrive in showrooms next spring at a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $37,995 (which includes $675 destination).
Due to unprecedented demand, Dodge dealers will begin taking orders on Dec. 3 for the limited-edition 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 models. Each will feature a numbered dash plaque and a 6.1-liter HEMI® V-8 engine. 2008 Challenger SRT8 models will be available in Black, Silver and HEMI Orange. All will feature dual “carbon-fiber” hood stripes, harkening back to the original Dodge Challenger.
“The 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 offers pure American pony-car muscle,” said James Press, Vice Chairman & President – Chrysler LLC. “With styling that stays true to Challenger’s original heritage, an abundance of modern amenities and cutting-edge technology, the 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 will deliver the SRT credo of benchmark performance at a tremendous value.
“The Challenger SRT8 is only the beginning of the story, as we’ll soon follow with a complete lineup of Challenger models that will offer a wide array of features and deliver outstanding value for our customers,” Press added.
Customers may begin placing orders at their Dodge dealer on Monday, Dec. 3. They can expect to take delivery of their vehicle next spring.
The all-new 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 will be built at the Chrysler Canada Assembly Plant in Brampton, Ontario, on the same assembly line with the Dodge Charger, Charger SRT8, Magnum, Magnum SRT8, Chrysler 300 and Chrysler 300 SRT8 vehicles.
Pricing for the complete all-new Dodge Challenger lineup will be announced at a later date.
[snip]
The all-new 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 showcases the renowned, five key aspects of every SRT vehicle: exterior styling that resonates with the brand image; race-inspired interiors; world-class ride and handling characteristics across a broad range; benchmark braking; and standout powertrain. The all-new 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 will unquestionably deliver in all five areas.
So what’s to get excited about, when you’ve got exciting “cutting edge” cars like the new Audi R8, Nissan GTR, Infinity G37,VW R32, Mitsu Evo and more? We’re talking a freshened 38 year old design with an 38 year old engine that sucks gas like we’re going into an ice age. Chryco is out of ideas, they’re putting lipstick on their favorite old pigs, hoping suckers will buy enough of them so they can get their retirement “parachutes” before the house of cards collapses and the rest of us (who got conned)watch their resale values plummet while their scounging for parts from a defunt car company. (think Daewoo)
if the dealer charges one penny more for the car and what the sticker prices should be boycotted and nobody by the car that I’m set with them is what happened to prowler.everybody boycott the car until the price comes back to the sticker price.let them sit with them is their money sitting there, not yor money sitting there.say down the road you want traded new one in a new future for something else you’re not going to get the extra money to be the first one on about one .so let me sit there, charge more than what the stickers and Chrysler should step in the wants of the cars this could be a short live car if they rip people off just like to prowler you can still find some light new .
Even though, on my last post,I said I wouldn’t buy a pig in a poke,Chrysler is taking us back to an era when cars were identifiable and had character.If the picture closely depicts what the car will look like,noone could confuse it with any other car.My biggest gripe with todays cars is,you can buy a chevy and put a cadillac emblem on it and noone would know.I wait for the time when you could see a car on the road and identify it without getting close enough to breath on it.Again,cars in the 50s and 60s had class.People awaited the new models because the makers always tried to outdo each other.I’m tired of seeing Chevcadbuidodchry on the streets.
Thank You Aaron. As I said the auto show here was very early in the year. Im very glad that Chrysler has changed their minds somewhat about these options. Even though Orange is hot, it could be BORING starring at 1000 orange & black cars next year.
Big disappointment about the manual. Will it be released later in the year like the G8? Seems like I read about it somewhere. Seems like I might be waiting longer than expected.
Ditto on the pistol grip BTW.
Joe T…So the cars in that era were distictive and identifiable you say. Well let me think back to the seventies when these intra-company clones were running around…
Chevy Camaro/Pontiac Firebird
Ford Mustang/Mercury Cougar
Ford Crown Vic/Mercury Grand Marquis
Ford Grenada/ Mercury Marquis
Chyco,Dodge,Plymouth/Horizon,Omni,TC3
…the list is endless…and it goes back to the sixties, fifties and on and on…
Hawaiian don;no disrespect intended,but I was driving in 1955.My first new car was a 59 pontiac catalina convertible.Pontiacs did not look like cheveys,olds,caddies,plymouths,lincolns etc.Possibly my memory is a little hazy,but camaros did not resemble t-birds,corvettes,chevy nomads,etc.I can not think of ANY car today that looks as good as a 58 chevy impala.Too bad my pontiac was only a one year car because,I have been trying to find one for 25 years to have it restored for my wife.We have been married for 47 years and the car was actually hers when we married.By the way,she ordered a stick because she hated automatics.You are probably right that the cars of the 70s did start to look somewhat alike,but they were still identifiable by every kid on every corner.(EVEN THE FIREBIRDS AND CAMEROS)I defy anyone to name most of todays cars at a distance like we could in those days.
By the way,that Pontiac was driven by us for 167000 miles and never had the heads off.It also continued to outrace all chevy 409s and anything else put against it,excluding the Corvette.Of all the cars I’ve owned since,that was ,and is,my favorite.Everyone has their opinion of cars,Thats why they make so many models.Taste is an individual thing.Mine is not necessarily right,but it is mine.
A “38 year old engine” Maui Don? The current 6.1 HEMI series has absolutely nothing shared with the elephant motor of yesteryear other than the basic valvetrain actuation / combustion chamber principles. It’s a pretty refined application of an foundational internal combustion theory and certaintly keeps up with competitor’s technology and offerings short of a few exoticars, don’t you think?
Sean… I’m no motor head, but to compare this car to the Mitsu Evo should be a fair comparison…Challenger 425hp/6.1L./70 H.P. per Liter>Evo 291hp/2.oL./145 H.P. per liter.
Double the horsepower per liter and you say the Challenger is refined?Sounds like old tech to me. The Evo also offers 6 speed twin clutch shifter/tranny, bilsein shocks, BBS wheels… all for the same price as the Dodge. If it’s a gotta go fast 0-60 in a straight line, that’s cool and it takes you there in a nice retro package…but all this buyer sees is a gas guzzling, uni-dimensional street rod. I would hope that we’ve moved past that and would expect more.
Don, your comparing an Evo to anything is somewhat unfair… How many other cars can you rattle off that make 145HP per liter? Now, how many Evo powertrains also are sourced to be installed in a tens of thousands everyday pickup trucks, not just a limited run of a few thousand cars? Of course, I agree with you, the EVO is cetaintly a different and more advanced piece of automotive artwork, I was merely expressing the fact that Mopar’s latest incarnation of the hemispherical combustion chambered 90 degree V8 was nicely executed, as far as almost any V8 goes. BTW, I’ll take my BMW 2002 with maybe only 65HP per liter over all of them thanks very much .
Why should a driver care about hp/liter? That’s fine for engineering discussion but completely irrevelant to real-world driving. The only reason the Evo has a 2-liter is for PWRC homologation (same as the Japanese STI). I think we are lucky to get the 2.5l STI engine rather than the 2.0l one that makes similar more – 2.5l gives you more low-end torque and a less-stressed engine. I’m quite certain that the Challenger SRT-8 will produce tons more low-end torque that the Evo.
Back on topic – the same amount of money gets you a Challenger, Evo, or minivan. All three are completely different vehicles and can’t be properly compared.
The more important numbers, I think, will be the base Challenger and Challenger R/T, both in terms of cost and performance relative to the Mustang. (I’m also curious about weight!) The SRT-8 will never be intended for big sales (especially as gas prices continue to climb.)
As for the Hemi being old – as someone else wrote, it’s all new, and I don’t hear people complaining that GM kept updating the same basic Chevy small-block V8 and putting it in production cars for nearly 50 years.
I compare the Challenger to the Evo for one simple reason: they are designed for the same mission…go fast, fun to drive, look hot, handle well, sports cars. The minivan doesn’t meet a single one of those criteria, unless you think a minivan looks hot. Then I suggest you visit Lenscrafters!
As to engine size: to me, the Evo equates to less fuel consumption,less weight and a smaller carbon footprint or simply put…more efficient. My expectations for a smaller more efficient powerplant are not unique to me, but are becoming more and more a world wide reality. I don’t say that we should ban the Hemi engine, I simply find it and the recent re-incarnations of it, to be nothing but a tribute of an age of cars and technology, long past and not necessarily missed by all of us.
ALways remember that “Fair Market Adjustments ” work both ways.Remaining Daewoo’s,AMC Renault alliance’s & Sudebaker’s were marked down drasticly just as other slow movers are discounted.Eventually the prices will level off like the T-Bird’s did.I know this prices people of lesser means who want the Mustang but remember, life is not fair & there are still other cars to buy.
who wants to drive an evo down the road that souds like my blender is farting,when you can roar down the road with a hemi.when i get too old for the hemi ill get a evo