First Impression: Dodge Viper

From 1987 to 1994, Lamborghini was owned by the Chrysler Corporation. During that time, Lamborghini and Chrysler worked on developing a high performing front-engine, rear-wheel drive sports car for Dodge, a car brand under the Chrysler marque. The result is the Dodge Viper, a car that can go head-to-head with the Chevrolet Corvette. The Viper was first put into production in 1991 and production continued until 2010, when Dodge stopped production to make the Viper meet new automotive standards. Production for the Viper will continue in 2012, when the Viper gets new safety technology that was not present in previous Vipers.

I see the Dodge Viper everywhere. People drive them as their everyday car in Houston. There are several Vipers at Houston Cars and Coffee events. This car has a huge following. The Viper comes in either a coupe or roadster variant. The Viper has a huge hood for the massive engine that powers the Viper. It looks fast.

The current generation of the Dodge Viper is powered by a 8.4L V10 engine, paired with a six-speed manual transmission, that produces 600 hp and 560 lb-ft of torque. The Viper goes from 0 to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds and reaches a top speed of 202 mph. Prices for the Viper start at $90,255. That is cheap for a car with a 0-60 mph time under 3.5 seconds and a top speed over 200 mph. Not even the Corvette ZR1 can match that price.

Jay Leno showed off his 1993 Viper R/10 and a 1996 Viper GTS coupe. Top Gear USA's first ever segment featured Tanner Faust driving a Dodge Viper SRT-10 while trying to evade a Cobra Helicopter. The Dodge Viper SRT-10 ACR went around the Top Gear USA test track in 1:22.0, the fastest lap of the season. Jeremy Clarkson reviewed the Dodge VIper SRT-10 during Series 5, Episode 3. The Viper went around a very wet Top Gear UK test track in 1:28.5, the 107th fastest lap. The Dodge Viper is playable in almost every major racing game. It is playable in the Need For Speed games, Forza games, Gran Turismo games,
Blur, Test Drive games, Project Gotham Racing games, Burnout games, Grand Theft Auto games, Twisted Metal 3, Moscow Racer, Road To Fame, and many, many other racing games.

Final Thoughts: The Dodge Viper is for those who can drive without electronic driving aides. Only the bravest and experienced drivers should own the Viper. I am not the biggest Chrysler/Dodge fan, but I know a great performing car and the Dodge Viper can compete with the Lexus LFA, Corvette ZR1, Lamborghini Gallardo, and Ferrari 458 Italia. Dodge has stopped production for a year to add electronic driving aides to the Viper to comply with new automotive standards. The next generations of the Viper will not have the same driving experience as previous Vipers.

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First Impression: Dodge Charger SRT-8

The original Dodge Charger was a two-door muscle car, first released in 1966. When Dodge was looking for a name for replacing the Intrepid as its full-size sedan, Dodge decided to bring back the Charger name. Production for the Charger started in 2005 and it is on its second generation, which went into production in 2010. Like many other car companies, Chysler has its own high performance group called Street and Racing Technology, or SRT. SRT got its hands on the second generation Charger and created the Dodge Charger SRT-8, a four-door muscle car. 

The Dodge Charger SRT-8 was on display at the 2012 Houston Auto Show and is a regular at Houston Cars and Coffee events. The Charger is one aggressive sedan. The front grill extends from the top of the hood to the bottom of the bumper. It has an agressive rear bumper and aggressive side profile lines. This sedan means business.

The Dodge Charger SRT-8 is powered by 6.4L HEMI V8, paired with a five-speed automatic transmission, that produces 470 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque. It goes from 0 to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds, covers a 1/4 mile in 12.8 seconds at 110 mph, and reaches a top speed of 175 mph. Prices for the Charger SRT-8 start at $46,795, which is very reasonable for a four-door muscle car.

The Dodge Charger SRT-8 has been featured in Street Kings, Stilleto, Supernatural, Fast Five, Castle, Dark Blue, JDM Mischief Vol. 2: Attack of the Killer Tuners, Auto Esporte, and the Car Show. The Charger SRT-8 is playable in Need for Speed: The Run, Asphalt 7: Heat, Forza Motorsport 4, Car Town, Driver: San Francisco, Need For Speed: Most Wanted, Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit, Need For Speed: World, NItto 1320 Legends, SteetRally, Burnout Paradise, Midnight Club: Los Angeles, Race On, Fast Five the Movie, Midnight Club: L.A. Remix, Urban Crime, Charger Urban Racing, Need For Speed: Carbon, Grand Theft Auto IV, Forza Motorsport 2, Forza Motorsport 3, Test Drive Unlimited 2, Dodge Hemi Highway, Saints Row: The Third, Need For Speed: Undercover, and the Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. 

Final Thoughts: The Charger is an aggressive muscle car and a good performing four-door sedan. I think that the Dodge Charger SRT-8 should have an optional manual transmission. The original Chargers came with manual transmissions in addition to automatic transmissions. I love that this car is powered by a HEMI engine as Chrysler muscle cars used HEMI engines. The car has very good performance for under $50,000. SRT has created some incredible machines, including the Dodge Challeger SRT-8, Chrysler 300 SRT-8, and Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8, which all use the same 392 cubic inch HEMI V8. The Charger has the most aggressive styling out of all the SRT-8 vehicles. SRT is also responsible for the next generation Dodge Viper. SRT has done a great job in tuning Chrysler products, but SRT is not quite on the level as Mercedes-Benz AMG, BMW M Division, or Audi quatto. After seeing what SRT did with the Charger, I look forward to seeing more SRT tuned vehicles in the future. The Dodge Charger SRT-8 proves that even four-door full-size sedans can be muscle cars and that muscle cars should not be limited to just two doors. This is overall a good car.

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First Impression: Dodge Dart

The original Dodge Dart was a four-door sedan sold from 1960 to 1976. It was a successful car that was sold as a full-size sedan from 1960 to 1961, as a mid-size sedan in 1962, and as a compact sedan from 1963 to 1976. The Dart was always a front-engine, rear-wheel drive sedan, regardless of what class it was in. It was replaced by the Dodge Aspen. In 2012, Dodge started producing and selling a new compact car, called the Dodge Dart. This was the first Dodge compact sedan since the Dodge Neon and Neon SRT-4 were discontinued in 2005. The new Dart is a front-engine, front-wheel drive sedan that has the Fiat compact platform similar to the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, but it is enlarged by 1.5 in in width and 3.7 in length. The Dodge Dart is sold in China as the Fiat Viaggio. 

I first saw the Dodge Dart outside a Dodge dealership in Houston. The car has a sporty, aggressive styling. It has an aggressive front, aggressive side profile, and an aggressive rear. Since it is a sporty compact sedan, there is minimal head room and leg room for the rear passengers.

The Dodge Dart comes available with three different engines is available with a six-speed manual transmission, a six-speed automatic transmission, or an optional six-speed dual-clutch transmission for the turbocharged engine. The base engine for the Dodge Dart is a 2.0L I4 engine that produces 160 hp and 148 lb-ft of torque. This engine will get the Dodge Dart from 0 to 60 mph in 9.9 seconds and reaches a top speed of 120 mph. The Dart is also available with a turbocharged 1.4L I4 engine that produces 160 hp and 185 lb-ft of torque. The turbocharged Dart will go from 0 to 60 mph in 8.3 seconds and reach a top speed of 120 mph. The Dart R/T will be available at a later date and will come with a 2.4L I4 engine that produces 184 hp and 171 lb-ft of torque. Prices for the Dart R/T start at $22,495. There are also plans for a future Dart SRT model in the future.The Dart has great styling, but acceleration for the base 2.0L engine leaves much to be desired.

The Dodge Dart has been featured on Motorweek.

Final Thoughts: The Dart has a sporty, aggressive design, but the base Dart lacks acceleration. Any car with a 0 to 60 mph time of over 9.0 seconds is to slow. The turbocharged 1.4L engine gives the car better acceleration, but it is only adequate acceleration. I hope that the Dart R/T and Dart SRT have greatly improved performance. The car looks good, it just needs better acceleration.

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First Drive: Dodge Dart

In 2012, Dodge came out with a compact four-door sedan called the Dart. This was the first compact sedan to be sold by Dodge since the Dodge Neon ceased production in 2005. Since I was at a car event next door to a Dodge dealership, I decided to test drive the Dodge Dar SE. The version I drove had a 2.0L VVT I4 engine with a six-speed automatic transmission. The car also had a front-wheel, front-engine layout. With available options, the car I drove cost $18,685.

The Dodge Dart has a sporty, aggressive profile. While there is plenty of head and leg room for the driver and front-seat passenger. However, there is very little head room and leg room for rear passengers. I am 5' 9" and my head was hitting the roof of the car. 

The Dart had a great ride quality. The car was not noisy. It was very quiet in the cabin. The car drove very smoothly. Throttle and break pedals responded nicely. There was no issues breaking. Although it takes over 9 seconds for the car to go from 0 to 60 mph, the car was very smooth will accelerating. Steering was very responsive. For city driving, the car was great. No highway/freeway driving was done on the test drive. The Dart gets an estimated 41 mph for highway driving.

Overall, this is a good compact sedan. It has a great exterior design and impressive drive quality. The car suffers from insufficient room for rear passengers and slow acceleration. I would recommend the Dart for beginner drivers who want to start off with a new car and for drivers who want a stylish car with good gas mileage. For drivers who want good acceleration, look at getting the turbocharged 1.4L I4 engine or wait till the Dart R/T and Dart SRT-4 become available.

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First Drive: 2013 Dodge Charger SRT-8 Super Bee

The Dodge Charger served as Dodge's entry in the muscle car market from 1966 to 1978. It was a front engine, rear-wheel drive mid-size two door coupe. In February 2005, Dodge revealed a new full-size sedan to replace the Dodge Intrepid. Dodge decided to bring back the Charger name. With the new Charger comes a Charger SRT-8 powered by a hemi V8. In 2010, the second generation of the Charger came out. Starting in 2012, SRT got its hands on the second generation Charger. I first was the second generation Dodge Charger SRT-8 at the 2012 Houston Auto Show. At the 2013 Houston Auto Show, I got a change to take one out for a test drive. The version I drove is the 2013 Dodge Charger SRT-8 Super Bee. This was one of two SRT vehicles available for test drives. You have to first drive a non SRT Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, Ram, or Fiat before getting into one of the two SRT vehicles.

The Charger SRT-8 Super Bee has an aggressive styling. It starts with the front bumper, grill, and headlights. It looks mean. The is a rear spoiler that does not hinder visibility when looking at the rear view mirror. I have driven some cars where the rear spoiler hinders visibility when looking at the rear view mirror. The yellow paint job with black trapezoids on the hood. The Charger has a sporty interior. No leather seats are in the Super Bee. The seats are covered with an exclusive Z-stripe cloth with the Super Bee logo on the headrests. The are two gauges and a screen behind the steering wheel. I had a good amount of head room and leg room behind the wheel. The seat was comfortable, especially for a performance vehicle.

The Dodge Charger SRT-8 Super Bee is powered by a 6.4L hemi V8, paired with a five-speed automatic transmission with manual shifting mode, that produces 470 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque. It goes from 0 to 60 mph in 4,2 seconds and reaches a top speed of 178 mph. The Charger felt fast, for the few seconds I could unleash the Charger. I was behind a very slow driver and every time I gave myself some distance, I caught up. This was frustrating because I wanted to test the power and acceleration of the Super Bee, but I just could never give myself some room because the person test driving the Chevrolet Spark in front of me was driving very slowly. As far as drive quality, the Charger has a smooth ride. The Charger also has responsive handling. It was also very quiet inside the Charger as well. This is a good ride, I just wish I was not behind a very slow driver.

Overall, the Dodge Charger SRT-8 Super Bee is a great muscle car. It is quick, fast, and comfortable. The Dodge Charger is available with a 3.6L V6 engine for people who want a good full-size sedan ideal for everyday driving. For those who want a four-door sedan for both everyday driving and track days, the Super Bee is the ideal car. A Dodge Charger SRT-8 Super Bee will set you back $43,450, but that is a great value for what you get. If you are in the market for a full-size sedan that is practical and fun to drive, give the Super Bee a test drive. There was another SRT vehicle available for test drive, and when I was in that car, I did not have a very slow driver in front of me.


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First Drive: 2013 Dodge Challenger SXT

The first time Dodge used the Challenger was in 1959 with the Dodge Silver Challenger, a two door coupe that only came in silver and was available with either a six-cylinder or eight-cylinder engine. The first generation was produced from 1970 to 1974, serving as Dodge's entry in the pony car market, competing with the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro. The Challenger shared the Chrysler E-Body platform with the Plymouth Barracuda. 165,437 first generation Challengers were sold. The second generation Challenger was sold from 1978 to 1983. It was a rebadge Mitsubishi Galant Lambda. The second generation Challenger was a subcompact two-door coupe. It was available with either a 1.6L I4 engine or a 2.6L I4 engine. On February 6, 2008, Dodge debuted the third generation Challenger at the Chicago Auto Show. For the 2008 model year, the Challenger were only SRT-8s and came with a 6.1L Hemi V8 and a five-speed automatic transmission. Starting in 2009, more options and trim levels were available for the Challenger. After years of seeing Challengers at various Houston car events, I was able to drive one at the 2013 Houston Auto Show. The version I drove featured a 3.6L V6 and an automatic transmission. The Challenger I drove is also a front-engine, rear-wheel drive, two-door pony car with a 2+2 seating arrangement. Since it did not have a V8 engine, I cannot classify the car I drove as a muscle car.

The Dodge Challenger has a retro styling. It looks like a modern day version of the first generation Challenger. The Challenger has a sporty, aggressive styling. It is  The Challenger has a small spoiler on the edge of the trunk lid, which I prefer over a large wing. I like the design of the hood. It is not flat like most cars. Since the version I drove was a Challenger SXT Plus, there are fog lights in the lower part of the front bumper. The interior is nothing special. The seats are comfortable. I had a good amount of head room and leg room behind the wheel. There is space for rear passengers.

The Challenger I drove is powered by a 3.6L V6, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission with a manual shifting mode, that produces 305 hp and 268 lb-ft of torque. It goes from 0 to 60 mph in 6.7 seconds and reaches a top speed of 114 mph. The Challenger SXT has a comfortable ride. The car drove smoothly along the test route. The Challenger is also responsive when I turn the steering wheel, push the accelerator pedal, and press the brake pedal. The Challenger has a good drive quality. It has good performance, while being comfortable to sit in. Prices for the Challenger SXT start at $25,795.

Overall, the Challenger is a good car. It is comfortable behind the wheel while having good performance. This is the base model and is good for everyday driving. If you want more power and performance and want a V8 engine instead of a V6, then go with either the Challenger R/T and Challenger SRT-8, both being available with Hemi V8 engines. The only thing Dodge needs to do is to improve the interior of the Challenger. The Challenger's interior is nothing special and is very similar to interiors found in other Dodges. Dodge and Chrysler should put a sportier interior into the Challenger, something that compliments the retro sporty exterior styling of the Challenger. But if you are looking for a good pony to use as an everyday driver, give the Dodge Challenger SXT a test drive.

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First Drive: 2013 Dodge Dart GT

The Dodge Dart made its debut at the 2012 North American International Auto Show. The new Dart is based on a slightly enlarged Fiat Compact platform. The Fiat Compact platform is used in the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, but is enlarged by 1.5 inches in width and with a 3.7 inch longer wheelbase. The Dodge Dart is a front-engine, front-wheel drive four door compact sedan. The last Dodge compact sedan was the Dodge Neon and Dodge Neon SRT-4, which were discontinued in 2005. I have driven the Dodge Dart back in 2012, one with a 2.0L I4 engine that produces 160 hp and 148 lb-ft of torque. The Dart is also available with a turbocharged 1.4L I4 engine that produces 160 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque. The Dart GT comes with a 2.4L I4 engine.  I recently went down to Helfman Dodge Chrysler Jeep RAM (professional new car sales team and great service) and took a 2013 Dodge Dart GT for a test drive. The Dodge Dart GT comes standard with a six-speed manual transmission. The version I drove came with a six-speed automatic transmission with Chrysler's Autostick that allows for clutchless manual shifting.

As far as the compact sedans go, the Dodge Dart has the most aggressive styling to it. The dart has sleek body lines and a beautifully shaped hood. The Dart GT has LED racetrack tailamps, black headlamp bezels, day light opening moldings, body color door handles, hyper black crosshair with black surround on the grill, and 18 inch aluminum wheels. These additions help enhance the Dart's exterior. The Dart is well equipped on the interior. The Dart GT includes a reverse camera, a 7 inch thin film transfer instrument cluster display, Chrysler's 8.4 inch Uconnect touch media center that includes AM/FM/Sirius XM radio, Bluetooth connectivity, climate control, and customized settings. The Dart GT also 10 airbags and the version I drove has blind spot and rear cross path detection. The version I drove also had Nappa leather seats with heated front seats and a heated leather-wrapped steering wheel. The Dart is spacious on the inside. The Dart boasts best-in-class shoulder and hip room plus more rear seat legroom and overall interior room than some mid-size cars. The Dart has a great interior and a roomy interior.

The Dart GT is powered by a 2.4L I4 engine that produces 184 hp and 171 lb-ft of torque. It goes from 0 to 60 mph in 8.3 seconds and reaches a top speed of 130 mph. With the 2.4L engine, the Dart feels faster and has better throttle response than the 2.0L version. It has better performance than most compact sedans. On the roads and highways, the Dart GT has a quiet, smooth ride. The Dart GT responds well when I turn the steering wheel. Prices for the Dart GT starts at $20,995, not including the $995 destination charge. The version I test drove cost $25,520, which includes a $995 destination charge. 

Overall, the Dodge Dart GT is a great value. It has good power and performance, especially for a compact sedan. The Dart GT also has a roomy interior with a great infotainment system. The Uconnect system is AOL Autos' 2012 Technology of the Year. The Dart GT benefits greatly from the Uconnect 8.4 system. Compared to other cars in its class, the Dart GT has one of the most power engines in its class and has best-in-class shoulder and hip room. Also, the Dart GT benefits from an aggressive styling. The leather seats and leather steering wheel give the Dart GT a luxurious feel. All this for starting at just under $22,000. The Dart GT is a great car at a great value. 

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