2009 Dodge Challenger R/T

The original Dodge Challenger R/T was a rather large car, especially compared to Ford's Mustang and Chevy's Camaro. The new R/T is no exception, it is a big car. The Challenger was, and is, the conveyance for a decade that spawns America's obsession with the muscle car.

The 2009 model has 6.4 inches more wheelbase and 6 inches more overall length, making it a full size car by any one's estimates. Because it shares the Chrysler 300/Charger firewall, it is longer than those cars despite being 4 inches shorter in wheelbase.

To be fair, the Challenger R/T has to be long and large to support those classic looks complete with massive blind spot inducing C pillars. If you complained because the Charger was introduced with four doors, the Challenger is your traditionalist ride.

Another reason to celebrate this occasion of retro cool is the introduction of a six speed manual, a Tremec T6060 adapted from the Viper, but with lighter clutch action. The 6 speed is available on the SRT and R/T only, the V-6 SE comes with a four speed automatic. The row your own box comes with a modern adaptation of the original pistol grip shifter.

By now you are familiar with the 6.1 liter, 425 horsepower Hemi. The R/T's 5.7 liter version puts out 370 horsepower and 390 lb-ft of torque with the five speed automatic, 375 horsepower and 404 lb-ft when equipped with the six speed on premium fuel. Fuel economy drops 1 mpg in the city with the stick, but the manual equipped cars also come with a specially tuned exhaust with a nice burbly sound.

The R/T forgoes the SRT's high-backs in favor of low-back buckets. The popular equipment package gets you such SRT standards as leather interior, Boston Acoustics six-speaker, 276-watt amp, satellite radio, heated front seats and Keyless Go. A "Classic R/T" package adds functional hood scoop, Challenger script badge, body-side stripe, and 20-inch wheels (up from 18s). The R/T shares two color options with the SRT, Hemi Orange and, available "later," B5 Blue. R/Ts get body-colored rear lip spoilers; SRTs have black spoilers.

Starting at just under 30K, the R/T is a bargain compared to it's big brother SRT, and is similarly priced with Mustang GTs, Pontiac G8 GTs, and probably the Camaro SS instead of $40,000-plus BMWs, Audis, and Corvettes. It's also in the same price range as the John Cooper Works Mini.

The R/T has a nicely sorted suspension for highway cruising. But tipping the scales at 4050 pounds, it is by no means meant to take tight curves or be an autocross racer. This is a refined cruiser, much as you would expect from a big and heavy American coupe.

And that's just what Dodge intends it to be. The R/T runs slower to 60 than a similarly priced Mustang GT, around 5.5 seconds. And it's fuel economy won't win you any new tree hugging friends, at around 16 city and 25 highway. The joy in owning a Challenger of any breed is to have a car that is guaranteed to turn heads and cause envy as you tool down the highway.

AmericanMuscle.com is your online stop for 2009 Dodge Challenger Parts.

2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1

638 horsepower and 604 lbft of torque, astounding numbers indeed. "Shock and awe" was the initiative from Corvette chief engineer Tadge Juechter, and it appears that it has been achieved. Juechter's goal was more performance with a higher level of refinement, added in with a series of technological advancements. What they ended up with was the most powerful car in General Motors 100 year history.

Anything more than a 2500 rpm launch will simply melt the Michelins. The MSRC system detects a dragstrip launch and programs for zero jounce and 100-percent rebound stiffness to encourage maximum squat (and rear weight transfer) with no wheelhop. Acceleration to 60mph comes in a GM estimated 3.4 seconds.

Close-ratio spacing puts the engine at about 4500 rpm, keeping the exhaust backpressure low (the muffler valves open above 3000) and the backpressure on the driver relentless through 90 mph. A shorter jump to third brings 4900 rpm, and if you keep shifting up at the 6500-rpm redline, the quarter will flash by in a conservatively estimated 11.3 seconds at 131 mph en route to a 205-mph top speed (established in a two-way average at Papenburg, Germany). If you're heading downhill or with the wind, you may hit a limiter at 210 mph.

The huge four-wheel carbon-ceramic brakes scrub speed tremendously. The run-flat Pilot Sport PS2 ZPs exhibit tremendous grip and instill confidence that more speed can be achieved than most are willing to use. But fear not, for Chevrolet will pay for it's ZR1 buyers to attend racing school, probably at Bob Bondurant in Phoenix or Spring Mountain in Pahrump, Nevada.

Here's some more numbers to digest: 1.01 g steady-state lateral acceleration, more than 1.2 g braking grip, and a 0-to-100-to-0 mph time of under 11.0 seconds, besting the Dodge Viper and Shelby Cobra benchmarks by at least a second or two. Oh, and let's not forget Mero's production-car Nurburgring lap record time of 7 minutes 26.4 seconds.

All of this visceral performance comes at a price of course, and that price is fairly high for a Vette. Starting off at $105,000, you can add up to $10K to the price by opting for hand-stitched leather, full-power/memory seating, and a Bose Nav/audio system.

Which is all and good for the Lambophiles and Ferrari fans. But for those of us who don't need wild boulevard head turning styling, the ZR1 will do just fine.

Check out CorvetteGuys.com selection of 2009 Corvette Parts.

2008 Gurney Signature Edition Mustang

Dan Gurney is joining the likes of Carroll Shelby and Parnelli Jones, rolling out a version of Mustang to slap his name on. This car is a very limited edition, with only 300 being produced. And much like his rival's cars, his is very fast.

Gurney hasn't participated in a race since 1970, but his popularity hasn't declined any. His resume includes four wins in Formula 1 world-championship events (including one in his own Eagle F1 car), seven Indy Car victories, five NASCAR wins, and countless first-place finishes in sports-car events.

Since 1970 Gurney has been the owner of All American Racers, a team that has accumulated 78 victories including the 24 hours of Daytona and Indy 500.

The Saleen built Gurney Signature Edition Mustang sports a supercharged 4.6 liter V-8 boasting 465 horsepower. All those horses flow through a 5 speed manual with short throw shifter and into a 3.73 geared limited slip rear. Suspension is a Racecraft design with a Gen-II Watts-Link rear end (a first for a Saleen), which lowers the car's roll center and helps keep the live axle centered under the car (improving handling balance). Tires are high-performance Pirelli P Zero Corsas (285/30ZR-19s in front, 285/35ZR-19s in back) on five-spoke Heritage Edition gray alloys. Brakes are 14-inch vented discs with four-piston calipers up front, 11.8-inch vented discs at the rear.

Visual mods include a Gurney body kit, duck bill rear spoiler, hood pins, and custom graphics. The interior has been upgraded to a leather interior with Alcantara inserts, boost and air temp gauges, and Gurney's own signature on the dash.

The Gurney Mustang produces 35 less horsepower than the Shelby GT500, but by looking at the timeslips you'd be hard pressed to tell it. The trip to 60 takes only 4.3 seconds (identical to the GT500). The quarter mile flashes by in 12.9 seconds at 111.3 mph (compared to 12.6 for the Shelby). Braking performance bests the GT500 at 108 feet, compared to 118. The Gurney also outperforms the Shelby on the skidpad, pulling .96 g's of lateral grip compared to .89.

Saleen offers the Gurney in just three colors: Performance White, Torch Red, or Vista Blue. Price for the 300 cars will run around $58,000.

Dan Gurney is clearly happy to finally have a production car he helped to produce, saying "It's a wonderful thing to have a Mustang with my name on it." And despite the influx of special edition Mustangs currently on the market, the Signature Edition is a welcome addition.

Check out AmericanMuscle.com's large selection of 2008 Mustang Parts.