sunroof? maybe they will use the big canvas one from the Liberty...

All I wanna know is how much this thing weighs.

Oh...

...and I'll take one in black!

What I love, is how everyone comes down heavy on manufacturers like Hummer et al for producing eco-unfriendly vehicles, but encourages this crap! 6.1 LITERS! Cripes! Wheres the Hybrid? You mean there isn't one? Well thats peachy, as long as it sounds ok, lets warm the planet through misty eyes for nostalgia, when we didn't know about global warming, and fuel prices were rocketing. BRING ON THOSE MUSCLE CAR WARS!!!!! Cough.

@3wheeler: Idiot.
Can't you see? Can't you see? It'll sell!

@3wheeler: Damn these voices. You all go to hell, voices! I want a Prius, not one of these in Blaaaaack

Dustybutt passes 3Wheeler in his 300C SRT8.

*Beep!*
*Beep!*

3wheeler engages battery power, shifts down a gear in his CVT, and pedals for the world...MWaaahahahahaha

Forget all these details, when can I write out the check?

@3wheeler: Toronto cops pull 3wheelers buick off the road for only acheiving 5mph.. then procede to crush it..

But in 3wheelers pocket is the new Honda Inflatocar! Oh yes. It simply connects to the energy intensive Mains power provided by the office, inflates, and by the time all the hot air is released, 3wheeler has overtaken Wheatking, Dustybutt and his cubed Buick before its time to re-inflate! And a great exhaust note too.

Wow.

And I thought I was having a slow work day.

Go 3Wheeler!

And... and...? C'mon, what happens next?

@TPSreports: You can write a check yesterday ... oh wait you're too late. Guess you'll just have to wait for the '09s.

@3Wheeler - shifting down a gear on your CVT (continuously variable transmission)? seems improbable...

@3wheeler: My Charger has the 6.1. I like it warm.

on a sidenote, nobody in the midwest seems to complain about global warming in December... in fact, i'm pointlessly releasing CFC's as I'm typing this. go greehouse effect!

Hill Start Assist on an effing automatic?! What's next? A Handsfree Wheel Assist that takes the wheel while driving so you can hold a camera with one hand and Sandy-Wong yourself with the other because you're driving a Challenger? That's kinda taking the challenge out of driving a, er, Challenger.

Nobody seems to have complained about what appears to be the elephant in the room: "Five speed autostick". WTF? We all know Dodge has a sufficiently capable manual gearbox available, so why isn't it stuck in this car, where it so rightly belongs? If I'm going to be ponying up 40 large for a performance machine, I expect it to have a proper transmission.

And people wonder why the US auto industry is floundering. It's poor decisions like this that drive me back into the loving arms (and third pedal) of Europe and Asia.

@bearddevil: Six speed manual is available. It just isn't available on this initial 2500 car limited edition run. Once the full line comes out in 2009, all trim levels will have available manual transmissions.

@jvandrew: For the 09's you can get a 6-speed on the Hemi's. If you opt for the v6 your stuck with the auto.

@3wheeler:

It'll still get better fuel economy from it's lower rolling resistance and mass. But yeah, it still takes 6.1l for an American car company to get 420 HP/420 ft-lbs?

I want to know where your narrative will take us next!

@GSPALDIN: I stand corrected. Six speed is available on the 5.7L R/T and the 6.1L SRT8. Those are really the "proper" Challengers anyway.

Does it go to eleven?

6.1L? Consider my hopes for a new 426 dashed.

@newfmike: 6.1L to get 420hp, weren't we reading about a Porsche that got that much HP from a 3.6L yesterday? Why are American engines so fucking huge? It seems pointless (sorry muscle car fans). Give me maximum HP from a minimum displacement please.

@Andrewpetty:
You can get a stroker bottom end in many retro flavors for the 6.1L already. You can get 392, 413 and 426ci if you want.

@newfmike: The 6.1L is one hell of an engine, especially considering that it's basically a punched out, low-cost iron block truck motor. The head flow makes ANY Ford modular V8 seem anemic in comparison, and only the mighty LS7 heads from GM are on par with it. The Mercedes AMG 6.2L makes around 500hp, but it probably costs 3 or 4 times as much to build and does so on 11.3:1 compression with DTM race technology.

The advantage is that the 6.1L costs less to produce than the modular V8 Fords and WAY less than a LS7. Also, because the 6.1L is not in a high state of tune, it's easy to improve upon. You can throw some bolt ons at it and make 500hp without even trying. It'll handle decent boost in factory form, and handle crazy boost if you upgrade the pistons and rods (which are fairly cheap I might add). The factory crank and block are very strong. Now that better tuning is available, guys are just starting to explore its limits.

Sorry about the little rant, just wanted to point some things out about why this car is going to be fun to tinker with.

@TheGuinnessTooth: Many times it's the factory tunes/configurations that are keeping these beasts at the numbers you're seeing. The potential in the hands of the right owner, either naturally aspirated or forced induction, is huge.

America is still scared of forced induction.

@streetpirate: And manual gearboxes.

@TheGuinnessTooth: Just a guess, but I'd say it's because lower manufacturing tolerances are required to increase power by increasing displacements, which means lower costs. So you can have a 420hp car for ~$35k, whereas the same thing in a low-displacement, more efficient, tighter-tolerance car would probably run you $65k.

But I agree. I'll take my 245hp Volkswagen at 30+mpg anyday.

Still... there is a tiny part of me that wants to take that thing and tailslide it around an intersection....

Why the Bullitt reference at the end? After all, the assassin's rocked a '68 Charger, donchaknow...

I'll take my '09 in the white Vanishing Point edition please...weeeeeeeeeeeee

@Torqahontas: You rock.

Oh, and I'll have mine in triple black, please.

AUTOSTICK = OXYMORON

@POLAR:
...And until these morons get it right,
I'm holdin' out for one in white!
I'm a poet,
And I didn't even mean to be... err... I mean... know it!

@1300ccsoffury:
The hill assist will only be available on the 2009 manuals, I do not believe that the automatics will have the same system, was only mentioned for manual tranny on allpar.com

okay, i lied, its available on the automatics as well, which is seemingly for idiots, oh and check out the brochure with exclusive pics on this auction [cgi.ebay.com]

@noliebro:
You were right the first time: Hill start assist is only for the manuals:
[www.allpar.com]

You hadn't me at autostick.

If you want small displacement go for it, that's why you have a choice in this Country. If I can afford to buy it and drive it than leave me alone. I don't like Hummers and jacked up pickups either, but WTF? I had a 1973 340 Rally, yellow with black interior. I will pass judgement once I've driven it.

@noliebro: Wow, this dealer is starting the bidding at $10,000 over Sticker. If there is a moron that's willing to spend that type of scratch just to get one of the first 2009 Challengers, well, good for the dealer. My advise for anyone wanting a Challenger..... wait a year.

@Turboner: Nice! How very comedious of you.