In keeping with the horsepower numbers for the Hemi in the new Challenger, Dodge has announced that the Hemi in the Charger sedan will get an upgrade for 2009 as well. Rather than continuing to produce a puny 340 horsepower, the newly revised 5.7 liter Hemi will now crank out 368 horsepower. Take THAT, Pontiac G8 GT. In addition to the increase in ponies, the Charger R/T will also benefit from an additional 5 lb ft of torque, raising the total to 395 for 2009. The Hemi adds variable valve timing as well, meaning highway fuel economy gets a modest bump from 23 to 25 mpg (city remains the same at 15). You think this isn’t enough to save Chrysler? That they really need competitive small cars? That Chrysler is dead in the water? Well yeah, probably. But they only had enough money to either give the Charger R/T a little more power, or to buy Bob Nardelli a new toupee. Frankly, I think they made the right choice.
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What would Gregg Easterbrook say?
Yeah, but will it blend?
This bump hopefully means used 340hp LX-cars can be had for (even better) super-deprciated prices.
I wonder, why does the new Ram get a 390hp engine while the Challenger and Charger get restricted back to 368hp-376hp?
Why not before CAFE standards kill anything fun. Go HEMI!
@ajla:
Good question. My best guess: Chrysler probably thinks it needs healthy HP distance between the regular Hemi models and the SRT8.
It’s like an extra $8,000 before the (still continuing) dealer markups.
ajla: I wonder, why does the new Ram get a 390hp engine while the Challenger and Charger get restricted back to 368hp-376hp?
The Challenger and Charger makes do with less HP because they also have the SRT-8 (425 HP). The Ram no longer has the SRT-10, and also has to keep up with the 381 HP Tundra.
An easy tune would probably negate this difference in a heartbeat, though.
They should have built in lighter to begin with.
I tried really, really hard to justify buying one of these last year– Vic Mackie driving one on The Shield had a lot to do with it. Once the door is opened, though, the magic ends. Any chance they’ll try to improve the interior to get it up to G8 levels as well? Oh well, one could hope I suppose.
I actually like the interior of Chrysler’s LX cars. They feature so much more kit than the GM decontented all-to-Hell G8, and the style is still a knockout years later.
Muscle cars aren’t about interiors anyway. If they were the GTO would still be here. Yes the G8 is nicer, but the Charger still holds the sales crown in this segment.
You can’t throw a rock without hitting one of these or a Mustang here in Phoenix.
How old is the [new] Charger now? 3 going on 4 years? When will the LY platform be debuting (assuming Chrysler has enough cash in the coffers to even finish the LY)?
Hmmm….
Supa– the LY is here:)
Good question. My best guess: Chrysler probably thinks it needs healthy HP distance between the regular Hemi models and the SRT8.
The Challenger and Charger makes do with less HP because they also have the SRT-8 (425 HP). The Ram no longer has the SRT-10, and also has to keep up with the 381 HP Tundra.
Although this is probably the reason, it seems like a bad idea to me.
Chrysler Corp. has very few things going for it, but the 5.7L V8 is a bright spot. However, the price points they’ve created for the engine ($30K+) put it out of reach for too many people.
As far as detuning the 5.7L to keep the SRT8 viable goes, I think it might have worked back when the LX/Y cars had no competition. However, the G8 GT is pretty quick, and I don’t know if 368hp will be enough for the Charger to outrun it. The 300C now has the Genesis to worry about, and, with the Challenger, the Camaro V8 should be fast enough to dust the 375hp Challenger R/T.
Also, I’m sure Chrysler could get more than 425hp out of a 6.1L engine. Get the SRT8’s to about 450hp and then let the 300, Charger, and Challenger run at the full 390hp.
Yeah, I think boosting the SRT8 would be the key.
Also, they might think about installing the 4.7 liter V8 with 300 horses as a “base” engine in the LX cars.
Might as well go out in a blaze.
Bigger, Bolder, Carbon-fresh scent. :-)
Will be interesting to see how that affects Challanger sales.
Thank you Dodge! I was wondering when you were going to get around to uping the power of your Hemi. My life is now complete …
JB: Yeah, I think boosting the SRT8 would be the key.
Also, they might think about installing the 4.7 liter V8 with 300 horses as a “base” engine in the LX cars.
Might as well go out in a blaze.
Whether or not they’re on their way out (yes, I know), you could be on to something, Justin.
In 1951, Chrysler leapfrogged the competition in the HP wars with the Hemi.
While the optics of 4.7L V8s in cars like the base 300 would seem decidedly untrendy, remember that even the Mark IV sold well during the height of the 70’s oil crisis, not to mention the SD455 Trans Am (this is also when many were switching to trucks for some seat-of-the-pants excitement).
This would fit well with Chrysler’s (especially Dodge’s) goal to be different from the rest of the herd. The trick would be in pricing it competitively.
Yes, this seems like all nonsensical hypothesizing, but who cares? It’ll never happen anyway.
Yeah, this will help sell these junkers… Go under already.
The G8 GT is still such a better car…the Charger still has no chance against it.
Couple of comments, this is from talking to people that work at Chrysler via Allpar.
The 4.7L won’t fit in a car. It’s a “tall” engine if you will, and it’s simply not worth trying to package it to fit in the LX engine bay. Something similar goes for the 545RFE, Chrysler’s own automatic 5-speed tranny for RWD’ers. The thing is gigantic compared to most other gearboxes, and just doesn’t fit in the LX. Hence why Chrysler uses a Mercedes 5-speed.
On the different power ratings for the Hemi: I’ve been told it’s all breathing. Different exhausts and intakes limit the amount of power the non-Ram Hemi’s can put out. The Hemi in the Grand Cherokee and Commander also makes less power than the Ram version (330 HP/375 ft-lb compared to 345/375 in the Ram and 340/390 in the LX’s, that’s the old non-VCT version ratings)
Which brings me to another thing, it’s not Variable Valve Timing in the updated Hemi, it’s Variable Cam Timing. Might want to change that in the article.
The 4.7L won’t fit in a car. It’s a “tall” engine if you will, and it’s simply not worth trying to package it to fit in the LX engine bay.
Pushrods forever!
I almost feel like Dodge and Chevy’s competition to build the best new-age muscle car is a race nobody but gearheads like us cares about. I mean, I love a fast car as much as anybody, and 25 mpg isn’t horrible, per se, but I’d think some development dollars would be better spent on the Caliber.
Oh, and cwallace:
“Any chance they’ll try to improve the interior to get it up to G8 levels as well?”
Have you sat in practically every car Dodge has released in the past two decades? Not a chance.
Truck engines often make a bit more power, because the emissions regs aren’t as strict.
And yet, still no manual transmission. The hell? Just steal a few from the Challenger.