2011 Dodge Charger - Official Photos and Info
A fitting look for the Charger name.
BY JON YANCA
October 2010
It’s been a long wait since we first caught a camouflaged 2011 Dodge Charger rolling around. But our desire for fresh sheetmetal and an interior devoid of hard plastics has finally been fulfilled, as Dodge released its first official images and a few sparse details on the next Charger. Who’da thunk the car could get any angrier?
Meaner Demeanor
Back in 2005, when the previous model made its debut, many decried the use of the Charger name on a sedan. If it was attitude the naysayers sought, they ought to be satisfied now. A larger crosshair grille is nicely accented by an enlarged lower intake and better integrated with the new hood—which is aluminum, and sports two scallops recalling Chargers of the late ’60s. The sharply creased hood lines and squinting headlights give the Charger a pissed-off, snorting-bull, I’m-going-to-destroy-you scowl.
Moving to the side, the eye is immediately drawn to a scallop that again recalls the late-’60s Charger. The line’s execution is very striking, creating a natural shoulder that looks much less forced than on the previous car. The greenhouse adds to the aggressive demeanor with a faster windshield angle and a skinnier A-pillar. The beltline stays flat—as opposed to the dramatic upkick on the last car—promising better outward visibility. Dodge says the wheel wells are tighter, and filling them with the available 19-inch rims only tightens them further.
Cues from the ’60s give the stern of this animal more personality as well. The taillight valance gets a recessed look, but is fully modern in its functionality: the lights themselves are composed of 164 LEDs. The exhaust finishers are no longer an afterthought, but instead are integrated into the lower fascia on all models.
Dodge has yet to furnish an interior image, but we’ve caught a glimpse before and we know the company is promising premium soft-touch materials. A new steering wheel and a full host of technologies are on the menu, including Uconnect and navigation. Customers will be offered their choice of four interior colors.
Dodge Promises a Hemi, We Predict Another
The Charger’s platform mostly will be carried over, but its suspension has been retuned for more-agile responses. Underhood, the Charger SE and Rallye trims will feature the new 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6, which we’re expecting to be tuned for about 300 hp. Moving up to the R/T will yield the 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 from the last Charger, with at least the same hearty dose of 368 hp and 395 lb-ft of torque. All-wheel drive will remain an option on the R/T model, but Dodge says cars thus equipped will sit lower than the jacked-up stance of the previous AWD car. No official word yet on a high-po SRT8 offering, but we’ll go ahead and say to expect one, with a new 6.4-liter Hemi V-8 producing somewhere in the neighborhood of 500 hp.
The 2011 Charger features a bunch of new goodies like standard keyless start and electronic stability control, as well as options including adaptive cruise control with forward collision warning, blind-spot monitoring with rear-path detection, and a rearview camera.
The new Charger will hit dealers at the end of 2010. We know it’ll have the powertrains to back up the appearance, and although it may look angrier than before, count us among those happy to see it.
@3:42
A fitting look for the Charger name.
BY JON YANCA
October 2010
It’s been a long wait since we first caught a camouflaged 2011 Dodge Charger rolling around. But our desire for fresh sheetmetal and an interior devoid of hard plastics has finally been fulfilled, as Dodge released its first official images and a few sparse details on the next Charger. Who’da thunk the car could get any angrier?
Meaner Demeanor
Back in 2005, when the previous model made its debut, many decried the use of the Charger name on a sedan. If it was attitude the naysayers sought, they ought to be satisfied now. A larger crosshair grille is nicely accented by an enlarged lower intake and better integrated with the new hood—which is aluminum, and sports two scallops recalling Chargers of the late ’60s. The sharply creased hood lines and squinting headlights give the Charger a pissed-off, snorting-bull, I’m-going-to-destroy-you scowl.
Moving to the side, the eye is immediately drawn to a scallop that again recalls the late-’60s Charger. The line’s execution is very striking, creating a natural shoulder that looks much less forced than on the previous car. The greenhouse adds to the aggressive demeanor with a faster windshield angle and a skinnier A-pillar. The beltline stays flat—as opposed to the dramatic upkick on the last car—promising better outward visibility. Dodge says the wheel wells are tighter, and filling them with the available 19-inch rims only tightens them further.
Cues from the ’60s give the stern of this animal more personality as well. The taillight valance gets a recessed look, but is fully modern in its functionality: the lights themselves are composed of 164 LEDs. The exhaust finishers are no longer an afterthought, but instead are integrated into the lower fascia on all models.
Dodge has yet to furnish an interior image, but we’ve caught a glimpse before and we know the company is promising premium soft-touch materials. A new steering wheel and a full host of technologies are on the menu, including Uconnect and navigation. Customers will be offered their choice of four interior colors.
Dodge Promises a Hemi, We Predict Another
The Charger’s platform mostly will be carried over, but its suspension has been retuned for more-agile responses. Underhood, the Charger SE and Rallye trims will feature the new 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6, which we’re expecting to be tuned for about 300 hp. Moving up to the R/T will yield the 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 from the last Charger, with at least the same hearty dose of 368 hp and 395 lb-ft of torque. All-wheel drive will remain an option on the R/T model, but Dodge says cars thus equipped will sit lower than the jacked-up stance of the previous AWD car. No official word yet on a high-po SRT8 offering, but we’ll go ahead and say to expect one, with a new 6.4-liter Hemi V-8 producing somewhere in the neighborhood of 500 hp.
The 2011 Charger features a bunch of new goodies like standard keyless start and electronic stability control, as well as options including adaptive cruise control with forward collision warning, blind-spot monitoring with rear-path detection, and a rearview camera.
The new Charger will hit dealers at the end of 2010. We know it’ll have the powertrains to back up the appearance, and although it may look angrier than before, count us among those happy to see it.
@3:42
:cheeky: