When the smart folks at DaimlerChrysler were looking to beef up the Dodge line, they had to look no further than the Chrysler 300C, the Mercedes derived sedan that was turning heads from the moment it was introduced. What surprised many Mopar fans was that the vaunted Charger name would have affixed not to a coupe, but to a sedan. To this day, purists grumble at that decision but one look at the Charger tells you that this is not some ordinary family sedan. Thanks to the original Chrysler Group design team the Charger received plenty of notice, even better with the later introduction of the SRT group, Dodge has turned everything up a notch yet again.
Street and Racing Technology {SRT} is the name of the performance group within Chrysler that is tasked with taking already potent vehicles and turning them into class leading, road dominating muscle cars. In its earlier day the team transformed the Dodge Neon and most recently this same team did its work on the Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV. When the 2006 Charger was given its opportunity to shine, the SRT team immediately decided to plant a 6.1L V8 Hemi-powered engine underneath the car's hood producing an amazing 425 horses along with 420 lbs-feet of torque peaking at 4800 rpm. Clearly, no car in its class matches the Charger's competency with the exception of the 300C.
With the development of a car of this particular stature, comes an aftermarket products industry bent on meeting the demands of an exacting public. You do not think Charger SRT8 owners are satisfied with the status quo now, do you? With this in mind, busy developers have produced several power enhancing products for the Charger including:
Intake Systems – Leave it to Airaid, the manufacturer of premium air filters to develop a pair of air intake systems for the Charger SRT8. You can choose one with a Ram air scoop or choose one without; in either case your Charger can achieve an extra 14 horses and 17 lb. feet of torque above the stock air box. Airaid's intake system isolates the Airaid air filter from the engine's heat to free up more power while having no adverse impact on fuel economy.
Cold Air Intake – Offering similar increases in power as the Airaid, a Dub Air intake system is beautiful to hear as well as to look at. Polished stainless steel air box seals work to provide a durable and long lasting performance part designed to outlast your Charger. Your Charger's engine craves cold air; give it the "food" that it wants with a Dub air intake system and enjoy the low tone that it makes every time you power up.
Cat-Back Exhaust – Messing around with an exhaust system is not everyone's idea of a fun weekend project. However, a Magnaflow Performance exhaust system is easy to install with its bolt on parts. What's more, each Magnaflow exhaust comes with a lifetime warranty as they are made from the same stainless airliners use. You'll see increase of 16 horsepower and an extra 19 lbs.-ft of torque as this cat-back system works with your engine, not against it.
Okay, you may not be able to get past the Charger's four door design, but you can help make an already powerful car achieve its maximum performance level through the addition of superior aftermarket parts. Of course, if that is not enough, waiting for the release of the 2009 Challenger coupe may be your ultimate consolation!