The beast is back as Dodge has officially unveiled the 2012 Charger SRT8 in Chicago. "We're continuing the fast-paced rebuilding of Dodge as our performance brand, and the expansion of our SRT product lineup in 2012 is an important part of our rejuvenation," said Ralph Gilles, President and CEO, Dodge Brand — Chrysler Group LLCs. The Dodge Charger SRT8 will be built at the Brampton Assembly plant in Brampton, Ontario, Canada and will be in dealer showrooms in late 2011.
The new Charger SRT8 will be distinguished by new front and rear fascias that include a new front Dodge crosshair grille and grille surround featuring high-gloss black finishes and the SRT badge. There is also a new sculpted hood with a 6.4 L badge and black air exhauster for added engine cooling. At the rear, the SRT8 model gets a new signature “racetrack” taillamp design with 164 illuminating LEDs, new 4-inch round dual exhaust tips, and an SRT8 decklid badge. The car sits on new, split five-spoke, 20-inch lightweight forged and polished aluminum wheels with black painted pockets.
On the interior, the car gets an all-new, leather-wrapped, SRT-exclusive steering wheel, standard paddle shifters and carbon-weave, fiber aluminum interior trim pieces integrated into the new instrument panel, and shifter bezel. The front seats have unique, aggressive bolstering and perforated suede insert fabric with an SRT logo embroidered in the seat backs. All models will be offered with a standard 900-watt, 19-speaker premium SRT performance audio surround-sound system from Harmon Kardon.
Under the hood, power comes from a 6.4-liter HEMI V8 with approximately 465 hp (347 kW / 471 PS) and 465 lb-ft (630 Nm) of torque. It is connected to a five-speed automatic transmission - with paddle-shifters on the steering wheel - that enables the car to accelerate from 0-60 mph in the "high four second range" and hit an estimated top speed of 175 mph (282 km/h). Furthermore, thanks to multi-cylinder deactivation and an active exhaust, Dodge expects the new engine will be more fuel-efficient than the previous 6.1-liter V8 that produced 425 hp (317 kW / 431 PS) and 420 lb-ft (569 Nm) of torque.
To ensure the Charger isn't just about straight line performance, engineers installed an adaptive damping suspension, a heavy-duty steering system (with a new pump and revised gearing), and a Brembo braking system with vented discs that measure 14.2" front / 13.8" rear.
No word on pricing, but the 2012 Dodge Charger SRT8 is schedule to arrive in dealerships this fall.
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