The Best Of Automotive: 2011 Dodge RedLine Charger

Sunday, July 31, 2011

2011 Dodge RedLine Charger

The 2011 Dodge Charger finally made its grand debut late Tuesday at the 2010 SEMA Show as the Redline Charger by Mopar Underground. Though thinly disguised with Mopar performance and dress-up parts, it's the real, production-spec Charger underneath, and it promises to be a good one.
Some of the biggest news for the new Charger is under its hood. Dodge has confirmed to Motor Trend that the new 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 will produce 305 horsepower in the Charger and Challenger. Though it and the carryover 370-horsepower 5.7-liter V-8 will only be available with the old five-speed automatic transmission at first, an eight-speed automatic is on the way. Interestingly enough, the Redline Charger is equipped with a prototype flat-bottomed steering wheel with paddle shifters. When pressed about the possibility of getting paddles on the production car, the Dodge folks would only say "wait and see."
Though it may look rather similar to the old Charger in pictures, up close you can tell just how different it is. In fact, Dodge says the only thing really carried over from the old car was the floor pan. The new nose is more aggressive and the Redline Charger show car features a new lower fascia and hood to make it even angrier. Around the sides, the scallops in the doors are a nice throwback to Chargers of old and make the car much more visually interesting. This car features some add-on ducts that fit in the scallops that, like all of the show car's body modifications, may one day end up in the Mopar catalog. Around back, a massive spoiler rides above the new 172-LED taillight fixture that makes the car unmistakable. Big aftermarket wheels are present, per SEMA law.
Dodge CEO Ralph Gillies boasted to the crowd that the new interior "will make Audi jealous," and it's not quite as audacious as it sounds. Inside, the Mopar crew finished the interior in red Katzkin leather and they tell us they have developed a nice relationship with Katzkin that could result in more partnerships in the future. The interior as a whole is vastly improved, both in design and materials quality. All Chargers will get a trick touchscreen in the dash handling HVAC, stereo, nav and more, though more expensive models will get larger screens. The new thick-rimmed three-spoke steering wheel feels good in your hands and has much more user-friendly controls. Behind it, Dodge took their time to craft some handsome watch-like gauges. They topped it all off by putting seat heaters on not only the front seats but both outer rear seats.