Vehicle Description
The "new" Dodge Challenger is now over a decade old, so it's hard
to call it a retro car anymore. Instead, it's the Mopar cornerstone
of performance, a muscle car for the 21st century, and as this 2010
Dodge Challenger R/T proves, still a great way to have some
old-fashioned V8 fun. This particular B5 Blue beauty has been given
a steroid injection by way of the Kenne Bell supercharger attached
to its 5.7L HEMI, and the resulting horsepower numbers mean it can
easily hang with whatever we consider 'new' today. Impeccably
preserved and boasting only 13,789 miles, this HEMI Challenger is
extra special in that it was the official R&D car that tested
the Kenne Belle supercharger fitted to a 5.7L HEMI/6-speed manual
cars, ultimately paving the way for a fruitful partnership. Great
pedigree and blistering performance all wrapped together in a
modern muscle car - sign me up!
With so many of these running around in bright orange or red or
black, seeing this slick B% Blue Challenger is a real treat. Paying
homage to one of Mopar's greatest classic colors is always high in
my book, and you can't argue with the off-the-charts curb appeal of
this sporty muscle coupe. With only 13,789 original miles the light
blue paint looks especially good on Chrysler's pony car, and with
only 254 hardtop with manual transmission Challenger's ever made in
2010, she's a fairly rare beast as well. The attention-grabbing
paint almost minimizes the mass of this large coupe and really
makes the satin black accents stand out, including those cool R/T
decal stripes that run down the flanks. You'll be impressed by the
fit and finish of these new Chrysler muscle cars, too, with doors
that open and close with a precision we could have only dreamed
about in 1970. There's a functional dual-scoop hood that sets an
aggressive tone up front, a subtle chin spoiler, and a modest deck
lid spoiler that are all part of the package, and the result is a
car that looks like it's breaking the speed limit even when it's
parked. The chrome flip-up gas cap is a cool retro racing touch
that's also functional and the full-width taillight will look
familiar to anyone who has chased a muscular Mopar in the past.
They nailed the classic Challenger look, that's for sure!
Inside, it's far more luxurious than you might remember, starting
with impressively comfortable black leather bucket seats. With
pleated upholstery that's another nod to the past, the seats show
virtually zero wear and offer more proof that this is a low-mileage
toy, not a daily driver. Almost everything was standard in the
Challenger, including power windows, locks, seats, and heated
mirrors, A/C, cruise control, and even heated seats, and the
optional Customer Preferred Package 27M was specially ordered for
this car to the tune of $3,300 extra dollars. The Sound Group II
stereo system comes loaded with Boston Acoustics
speakers/subwoofers/amplifiers and is loud enough to overpower the
rumble of the exhaust, and it also offers
AM/FM/CD/iPod/Satellite/Navigation capability all at the touch of a
finger on the big screen in the dash. Speaking of the dash, it's of
course in great shape too, with carbon fiber inlays around the
center stack and a full array of sporty, white-faced gauges ahead
of the driver. A center console houses that cool-looking shifter
for the 6-sspeed manual below, and they threw in a set of racy
pedals that can handle even the heaviest of feet. All the seats are
still firm and comfortable, there's no wear on the carpets, and
everything works as it should, from the highly effective A/C to the
windows that glide up and down effortlessly. The back seat is
reasonably usable, even for real-sized adults, and there's a decent
trunk in back that's pretty much like new.
All that's nice, but the reason you buy a Challenger with the "R/T"
designation is the 5.7 liter HEMI V8 under the hood, and the reason
you buy this particular monster is the Kenne Bell Twin-Screw
Supercharger mounted on top. Cackling with old-school pushrod
horsepower, the 5.7L HEMI was the answer to GM's LS and it more
than delivers on the promise of tire-smoking fun. The supercharger
takes it to out-of-this-world capabilities, and like we mentioned
before this specific car was an R&D real-world example of the
combination, so it has quite the pedigree. Installed and tuned by
Kenne Bell's renowned tuner Ken Chrisley, the kit include the +30HP
Mammoth inlet system and was dyno-tuned at a max power of 522
horses and 504 lb-ft of torque running 93 octane gas. What's even
better is that it starts quickly, idles smoothly, doesn't get fussy
in traffic, and can actually pull down decent fuel economy (well,
relatively speaking) if you can manage to keep your foot out of the
throttle. The polished presentation of the supercharger and
cold-air intake system is a sight to behold, and in fact it was so
pretty and so darned pedigreed that Ken Chrisley himself signed the
radiator brace. The 6-speed manual transmission is always on its
toes ready for a hammer-down shift or two, yet on the highway it
can settle down and cruise, and the throaty soundtrack is delivered
through a set of Flowmaster mufflers underneath. The sport
suspension is all-independent, so it rides well and handles even
better, and the giant 4-wheel discs are the kind of brakes even
race cars dreamed about in the 1970s. Massive 20-inch polished
aluminum wheels look suitably tough and carry fat 245/45/20 front
and 255/45/20 rear performance radials.
This is the new muscle car, same as the old muscle car, and with
just as much pedigree. Big power but now without the fussy
carburetor and rattletrap bodywork. The dream has become reality.
Call now!
