For Sale: 2010 Dodge Challenger in Lutz, Florida

The "new" Dodge Challenger is now over a dozen years old, so it's almost 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 dropdead gorgeous 2010 Dodge Challenger R/T proves, is still an excellent way to have some old-fashioned V8 fun. With an exciting Furious Fuchsia livery, a sporty leather interior, and a powerful 5.7L HEMI V8 mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox, this 1-owner, 52K actual mile, R/T coupe delivers the most fun you can have with your clothes on. It should be illegal to look this darn good.

With so many of these running around in bright orange or red or black, seeing this unique Furious Fuchsia Pearl Coat Challenger is a real treat. Purchased new by the current owner, she babied it since the day it left the dealership, only driving it approximately 4K miles per year as a second car. The paint is still in excellent condition despite the age with a killer gloss and deep, lustrous shine, and even though the front bumper cover and passenger front fender were repainted after a runaway shopping cart incident, the finish is still uniform and shows nothing beyond a couple very minor flaws. With only 52,117 original miles the outlandish pink paint looks especially good on Chrysler's pony car. Maybe that's because it maximizes the curb appeal and really makes the bright white billboard side-stripes that run down the flanks stand out in a major way. The satin-black front chin spoiler continues into ground effects that surround the bottom of the car, while the color-keyed side-mirrors, door handles, and rear decklid spoiler add an aggressive and uniformed look. 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 super-cool hood scoop that looks reminiscent of a real Shaker hood, dual blacked-out honeycomb grilles up front, and a sculpted rear end that features giant oval twin-tailpipes jutting out from underneath. The chrome flip-up gas cap is a cool retro 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 Challenger look, that's for sure!

Inside, it's far more luxurious than you might remember, starting with uber-comfortable Dark Slate Gray-and-Pearl 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 was always a low-mileage toy, not a daily driver. Almost everything was standard in the Challenger, including power windows, locks, seats, and mirrors, A/C, cruise control, and even heated seats. The Boston Acoustics stereo (featuring seven speakers and a subwoofer) is powerful enough to overpower the rumble of the exhaust, and offers AM/FM/CD/iPod/SAT capability, so whatever your format, this car delivers. The chairs are still firm and comfortable, there's very little wear on the carpets and floormats, and everything works as it should, from the highly effective A/C to the windows that glide up and down effortlessly. A leather-trimmed, tilt steering wheel anchors the cockpit with several controls just a fingertip away, and the sporty shifter that manages the 6-speed manual gearbox feels like a lighting rod in the hands of the driver. The back seat is reasonably usable even for real-sized adults (despite the fact that it's evidently never been used), and there's a fairly large 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. Cackling with old-school pushrod horsepower, it was the answer to GM's LS1 and it more than delivers on the promise of tire-smoking fun. Remarkably, other than a K&N cold-air intake system and Flowmaster dual exhaust system, this one remains completely stock, although with 372 horsepower and more than 400 pounds of torque on tap (those numbers are slightly higher with the intake/exhaust), that's not necessarily a bad thing. What's even better is that it starts quickly, idles smoothly, doesn't get fussy in traffic, and actually pulls down decent fuel economy if you can manage to keep your foot out of the throttle. The 6-speed manual transmission is always on its toes ready for a downshift or two, yet on the highway it settles down in top gear and just whispers along so you can relax. The suspension is all-independent, so it rides well and handles even better, and the giant power 4-wheel discs are the kind of brakes even race cars dreamed about in the 1970s. Massive 20-inch alloy wheels look suitably tough and carry fat 245/45/20 BFGoodrich G-Force performance radials with plenty of grip.

This is the 'new' muscle car, same as the old muscle car. Big power but now without the fussy carburetor and rattletrap bodywork. Offered with its original window sticker, bill of sale, owner's manual, and a stack of maintenance records, the dream can finally become reality. Call now!