Anyone have some good information on how to make the Charger and Challenger handle well?
Maybe an idea for a magazine article?
Anyone have some good information on how to make the Charger and Challenger handle well?
Maybe an idea for a magazine article?
You are not alone: see https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/learn-me-modern-dodge-challenger/136425/page1/
TL/DR: December 2015 issue for LOTS of good stuff about Challengers. (But I agree that 4-doors need love too. Maybe everything swaps over? I dunno.)
I think it the Challenger is the most comfortable and best DD of the pony cars, even if it isn't the best track car. I think that there is a market there.
I remember from this thread that the Charger/Challenger were the last of the modern muscle cars that still handle like muscle cars - that is, badly:
Also I once saw a show where Mexico's police force was training with Chargers, one of their most common cars. The cops were explicitly taught to take it easy through the corners, because the car couldn't turn worth a damn, and rely on the car's straight line speed.
I DD a 2015 R/T Challenger. Love the car but the handling could definitely be improved. I test drove a scat pack with the uprated suspension and Brembos before buying my car and came away impressed. It's a big car but with the SRT goodness it handled suprisingly well. My current plan is to upgrade to those parts when funds allow.
You can only make a 4300+ lb car handle ok most of the time. Unless you spend metric $$$$$$.
https://www.caranddriver.com/dodge/challenger
0.93g on the skidpad on stock tires is pretty good (not compared to the best from chevy and ford as mentioned in the article, but compared to, say, a 1990 miata - 0.92 http://www.motortrend.com/news/1989-mazda-mx-5-miata/ )
challenger also stops from 70 mph in 151 ft, which is 3 feet more than it takes the 1990 miata to stop from 60! Not bad i'd say for something that weights more than two miatas.
Also, the challenger finishes the 1/4 mile at the 1990 miata's TOP speed, 116mph.
Or, how about a c5 corvette? well, those go 0.85g on the skidpad and take 166 ft to stop from 70. https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/1997-chevrolet-corvette-road-test-review
Is 1997 twenty years ago? Yes. Does a 2017 challegner handle like a 1960s musclecar? Absolutely not.
GameboyRMH said:Also I once saw a show where Mexico's police force was training with Chargers, one of their most common cars. The cops were explicitly taught to take it easy through the corners, because the car couldn't turn worth a damn, and rely on the car's straight line speed.
Easier to tell a student "take the turns slow because the car sucks" instead of "take the turns slow because, chances are, you suck". 
But more seriously there are a LOT of reasons to train law enforcement not to corner at 9/10ths. There are much more important things that you need to pay attention to at real life intersections than squeaking out the extra second.
MrChaos said:You can only make a 4300+ lb car handle ok most of the time. Unless you spend metric $$$$$$.
Are metric dollars euros?
I know a couple people that autocross a Charger. Doesn't appear too bad for its size and weight but that is relative. Looks to be great in a straight line and fights turning.
As for the Challenger, don't know anyone that drives one in anger. Everyone I know that has one got it for one of two reasons or both. First is because of likeness to the original Challenger and the other reason is they say it has better rear visibility than Camaros. That isn't saying much though.
I've driven several sporty Challengers, including autocrossing a 392 Challenger, and a bit of track time in a Hellcat Wide body.
The examples I've driven most certainly do not drive like musclecars of old. Yes, they are big / heavy cars, and you are always aware of the mass. That said, they behave predictably, and benignly. The 392 Challenger was a hoot to autocross----- and it handled itself much better than I expected it to.
The wide body Hellcat was a ridiculous amount of fun on track. Sure, you could probably generate better lap times in a prepped Miata, but the Challenger owner will be grinning from ear to ear.
Decent steering feel, strong brakes, and enough power to rotate the car at will. These are not floppy pigs, they are pretty damn capable actually. (at least the performance versions)
i've been curious about this as well since the chargers especially can be had pretty cheap with the hemi in them.
I think the quote " you cant make a racehorse out of a pig, but with enough work you can make a pretty fast pig" is very fitting here.
I drove a Challenger 392: it was quick and stopped very, very well ( I liked the clutch and shifter feel a lot too) - BUT it always felt like I was driving a huge car around. I know - fairly obvious, but that's why I didn't really consider taking it home with me.
As I've said previously, there were a pair that ran at Sonoma and they were far from embarrassing themselves out there. Though I'm sure the tire and brake bill was a bit to stomach.
Not exactly the same, but I had a base Charger as a rental last week and came away impressed. Sure the front was a bit soft in terms of spring and shock, but it had decent steering feel and drove pretty good all things considered. I was a bit sad to see it go which is not at all what I thought when they handed me the key. Ironically I had been driving my dad's 3 series for a couple of days prior to this as the MINI was on the mend, and the Charger had the best steering feel by far of the two cars. Kind of shocking really. I wonder if any Mercedes still lurks underneath?
In reply to racerdave600 :
The merc part is exactly what most people seem to gripe about with these cars "whine whine it was a 10 year old merc design when dodge started using the platform 10 years ago whine whine".
I think they look awesome and they clearly go fast, not sure I care how old the general chassis design is.
A charger is certainly in the pool of potential dailies when the Saab gets retired. I would likely no look at the V8 cars because I wouldn't be able to take a v6 if I did even though it is more than adequate for me. With that said, a retired cop car with fresh suspension might be cheap enough to make me go v8. They seem to be the best of the RWD sedans that are cheap to buy and run. I like the Germans but the price, both financial and image, might be too high for me.
Edit: I just realized that this post added nothing to the topic. I would be interested to see what could be done with a base charger on the handling front without ruining the car.
Like most of the new cars (Camaro, Mustang as well), more wheel and tire width helps with the weight. We have a few Chargers and Challengers running in out autox group, and they do reasonably well. Won't set FTD, but you will have fun.
In reply to singleslammer :
I usually don't recommend leases, but:
https://forum.leasehackr.com/t/hellcat-500-a-month-nothing-down/7885/2
In reply to Robbie :
Wholly Molly! That is crazy. However, I drive 25K+ miles a year and can't afford $4k a year in fuel costs. I can't even justify a car loan on a $10k car let alone something like those monsters.
A friend had me install Bilsteins, Eibach springs and big honkin sway bars on his ten or fifteen year old 300. It is still a big, heavy car, but it turned it into a fun mountain road driver. I think anyone trying to turn it into a track day car is fighting mental health.
The $500 hellcat lease is out the window now for this year but there are still some great deals out there. Too bad it wasn't about a foot shorter. I liked the ones I've driven but it was just way too big for me.
The Grand Tour had Hammond run a hellcat on a road course against Clarkson in an Aston. Clarkson came out ahead by a mere few tenths of a second. I was shocked. Same driver at that track Id say the hellcat would have laid down a better time.
79rex said:The Grand Tour had Hammond run a hellcat on a road course against Clarkson in an Aston. Clarkson came out ahead by a mere few tenths of a second. I was shocked. Same driver at that track Id say the hellcat would have laid down a better time.
I enjoy those guys as much as anyone, but I wouldn't put a lot of stock in "times" or "races' that they hold. They are entertainers, not journalists at this point. Still fun, and I watch every episode, over and over again. But reality? Nah.....
Big ol GM B bodies can be made to hustle. Plenty of them are autocrossed, road raced and open road raced. I don't see why a Charger or Challenger would be any different.
You'll need to log in to post.
