2017 Dodge Challenger GT: Four Times the Fun?
I absolutely love the Dodge Challenger. I was at the Detroit Auto Show in January of 2006 when the first concept was revealed and I was immediately smitten. The Challenger is what it is and as far as I’m concerned, it’s above and beyond criticism, well, for the most part…
When finally the production model arrived, I was not disappointed. The car’s styling was at the opposite end of quaint and reasonable—in other words, it was perfect. Over the years, the Challenger gained a number of special editions including my favourite, the 2015 R/T Scat Pack Shaker with the sublime six-speed manual gearbox. Truth be told, I never met a Challenger I didn’t like, including the base iterations. After all these years and cars driven, I never once thought something was amiss with the car.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, however, seems to think that a four-wheel-drive version was lacking. As the news was released late last year, I thought that this was an unnecessary move. Please know that I am a diehard fan of AWD, and have been since 1983 when a neighbour of ours parked a brand new Subaru GL in his driveway, but I digress.
You see, to me, the Challenger was never meant to be a purposeful car, other than having fun. It’s nothing more than a big toy and anyhow, if a buyer wanted AWD, they had only to glance over to the Charger in a showroom and go for it. It would appear as though I’m wrong about the Challenger; it’s more than just a summer plaything.
As luck would have it, I’ll be driving the new Challenger GT very shortly. The new GT comes only one way and that’s with the 305-horsepower, 3.6L V6 and eight-speed automatic to go along the AWD system. Check back soon to find out if it’s more fun than the two-wheel drive car.