Dodge Challenger

Revived in 2008 after two previous production runs–from 1970 to 1974 and 1978 to 1983, the Dodge Challenger is a powerful, sporty pony car with a masculine styling concept that hearkens back to the car’s classic first generation. The 2008 generation has an upgraded HEMI engine that outperforms the fabled muscle of the car’s 1970 version while delivering a smooth, stable ride.

The base Dodge Challenger model, the SE, is built with a V-6 engine and four-speed automatic transmission. Among the standard features are a premium sound system and a cutting-edge traction and stability control system. Upgrading to the R/T package, drivers can enjoy the rumbling power of a V-8 that can kick in well over 300 horsepower. Even the five-speed automatic version of the R/T can crank out whopping horsepower, just slightly less than the manual version’s.

Today, the first-generation Dodge Challenger is a valuable collector’s item, with the 1970 and 1971 models fetching the biggest bucks on the open market. All in all, barely more than 100,000 models rolled off assembly lines in 1970 and 1971. By 1972, the company had downgraded the car’s power output, capping it at 240 horsepower and eliminating the big-block concept engines that made this model one of the most fearsome and powerful vehicles on the road.

Read reviews of the Dodge Challenger