The Charger SXT ($25,320) comes with the V6 and upgraded features: An eight-way power driver's seat, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, 60/40 split folding rear seat with fold-down center armrest, Boston Acoustics stereo with six speakers and 276-watt amplifier, fog lamps, trunk cargo net and cast aluminum wheels. Options include leather-trimmed seats ($640), a power sunroof ($950), power adjustable pedals ($125), six-disc CD changer and MP3 capability ($400), satellite radio with one-year subscription ($195), rear-seat entertainment system ($1150), Bluetooth capability ($360). Also available: 18-inch polished aluminum wheels with P225/60R all-season tires coupled with a sportier suspension ($325). In addition to the Protection Group and Smokers Group, there's a Comfort Seating Group with heated front seats, leather-trimmed bucket seats, power adjustable pedals and 8-way power front passenger seat ($1395).
The Charger R/T ($29,320) is a V8-powered, high-performance model. Like the SXT, the R/T builds on what has come before in standard features and offers abundant options, covering the gambit from functional to entertaining to fun. Outside mirrors now fold and are heated, too. A speedometer reading to 160 miles per hour replaces the 140-mph unit on the SXT and SE. Front brake rotors add an inch in diameter to the SXT's and SE's 12.6 inches and spin between twin-piston calipers, and rear discs are vented. A tire pressure monitoring system appears, and the 18-inch, polished aluminum wheels become regular issue. The fuel tank gains capacity, to 19 gallons. And a dual exhaust debuts, with bright metal tips. Stand-alone options originating on the R/T consist of a DVD-based navigation system integrated into the stereo control head ($1895) and a seven-speaker Boston Acoustic setup with a 322-watt amplifier and subwoofer ($535). Convenience Group II includes dual-zone, automatic climate control; heated front seats; power adjustable pedals; 8-way power front passenger seat; and one-touch, automatic up and down power windows with anti-pinch auto-reverse ($955). The Electronics Convenience Group adds a security alarm, programmable universal garage door opener, trip computer, selectable vehicle information display, compass and a set of steering wheel-mounted, redundant audio controls ($630). Behind the fun tab of the option book is the Road/Track Performance Group, what some who remember the ultimate stealth muscle car of the 1960s might call the Road Runner Edition, as in, more go, less show: unique aluminum wheels with black accents, sportier steering, self-leveling shocks, sport seats, performance suspension and, the kicker piece, a tweaked V8 making 350 horsepower ($1600).
Safety features that come standard on all Charger models include antilock brakes, all-speed traction control and electronic stability control with brake assist. The trunk has an inside, emergency release, and rear seats are fitted with child safety seat anchors (LATCH).
But there's more. Getting prepped back stage are two, gussied-up and pumped-up Chargers, the former calendared for summer of 2005, the latter for somewhat later and possibly as an early 2007 model. The first is the Daytona R/T ($31,820), mostly the R/T with the Road/Track Performance Group fitments, including the 350-hp V8 but with a tuned exhaust; choice of two exclusive colors, Go ManGo and Top Banana; deep-set, black mesh grille; assorted aero add-ons; flat-black graphics front and rear; a host of interior upgrades and trim bits; and a bragging-rights, sequentially numbered plate on the instrument panel. It's what might be called the Charger for unredeemable extroverts, if that isn't redundant. The second is the SRT8, whose most notable feature is a Gold's Gym version of the lesser Chargers' HEMI: a 6.1-liter V8 generating 425 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque. A uniquely tuned suspension puts the SRT8 a half-inch closer to the road than the R/T, a re-programmed ESC system tightens and flattens the ride and a 180-mph speedometer registers the rate of travel. Vented discs are clamped by four-piston Brembo calipers at all four corners and grow almost a half-inch in diameter in front to the R/T's and more than in inch in the rear. Goodyear Supercar F1, asymmetrical-tread, three-season, 45-aspect ratio tires ride on 20-inch, forged aluminum wheels. The Daytona R/T's look-at-me black graphics disappear in favor of a functional hood scoop and discreet, almost tasteful badging. Next Page