Source: http://www.allpar.com/cars/lx/dodge-charger.htmlallpar.com said:The 2006 Dodge Charger
0-60 in six seconds flat with the Hemi. No 2.7 V6. Standard stability control. Four doors. Five speeds.
Thanks to Chris (E8502) for his work in collating past Dodge Charger rumors and in updating this page.
The Charger does not share much sheet metal with the other LX cars; the most notable differences are the lower door sill and the rounded look common to many classic muscle-era Mopars and resurrected by the LH series and Neon. (Indeed, the side view of the Charger looks more Neon-like than 300-like.) The gas cap is conventional, not the flashy chromed "racer" cap used on the most prototypical Chargers (and on some recent concepts). Detroit News noted "backlash" against use of the Charger name on this car on Mopar enthusiast forums, sadly without naming names.
Read About The Other LX Models (300, 300C, Magnum) Here
The new Dodge Charger, which will be a 2006 model, is based on the LX (Chrysler 300 and Dodge Magnum) platform. Unlike past Chargers, the 2006 model will be a four door sedan, with regular doors as found on the 300 or Magnum rather than the earlier-rumored half- or suicide doors. Headlights on the car are rather large with dark surrounds to give a, "smoked out" aftermarket look. The Dodge crosshair grill adorns the blunt front end. We said we'd expect the Charger to be just a little faster than the 300C (which does 0-60 in 6.4 seconds or so), and we were pleasantly surprised by 0-60 in 6.0 seconds (Chrysler estimate).
We still expect full production to start in March of this year, with Chargers on dealer lots by mid to late Spring. Low-volume production (200 vehicles) for quality testing has reportedly started, most being "fast feedback" cars. Chrysler said that production "begins this spring at the Brampton Assembly Plant in Brampton, Ontario... The Dodge Charger will be available in North American markets early this summer and in select markets in Latin America and the Middle East in late 2005." They seem to be either building up for a large introduction and good initial availability, or to surprise people with earlier-than-expected production, or, perhaps most likely, to cover themselves in case things go wrong.
In the photo below, you may notice that the "shoulders" (the bulge of the sheet metal away from the windows) follows the fuselage look of classic Mopars as well as "Lutz models" like the Neon, Intrepid, and 300M.
The Dodge Charger Daytona
The original Dodge Charger spawned a 200-mph supercar, the Charger Daytona. Meant for NASCAR, it was essentially farmed out to another company which modified the standard Charger R/T with a special front clip, massive spoiler, and other aerodynamic modifications. (Actual top speed on most stock Chargers appears to have ranged from 120-140.) We have a full page of information on the original (which was supplanted by a mere paint scheme later). However, rumor has it that a new Dodge Charger Daytona, just a coupe version of the 2006 Charger, will also hit the streets. It would be more Dodge Daytona (remember those K-derived sports cars? They were pretty good for their time) than Dodge Charger Daytona. It's also possible that the Daytona name will be reserved for a 6.1-powered PVO version, though there's no way of knowing, and it seems more likely they'd just call it Dodge Charger SRT-8.
Dodge Charger performance, handling, and cornering
The Dodge Charger's short-and Long-arm (SLA) multilink front suspension provided the opportunity to tune bushing compliances for a dramatic reduction in road noise, while maintaining vehicle dynamic handling performance. The five-link independent rear suspension allows independent tuning of handling and ride comfort so that each can be maximized. The Dodge Chargers rear suspension complements the performance of the front suspension, resulting in a balanced ride.
*All rear suspension components, except coil springs and shock absorbers, mount on a steel cradle that attaches to the body structure through four large rubber mounts that effectively isolate the passenger compartment from road and axle noise.
*Three levels of suspension tuning will be available on the Dodge Charger. A standard touring package with 17-inch tires will include an athletic suspension with nimble steering and handling attributes. Eighteen-inch tires and tuned dampers will offer added performance on HEMI-equipped Dodge Charger models, while an optional Performance Handling Group, designed exclusively for the Dodge Charger, also will be available with firmer damping and enhanced steering.*The Performance Handling Group suspension package includes wider 18-inch performance tires, and Nivomat self-leveling shock absorbers. This suspension will be tuned to offer slightly more feedback from the road to enhance the glued-to-the-road feel of this driving machine. The packages performance front seats with perforated suede inserts offer significantly improved lateral control in both the seat cushion and seat back. The Performance Handling Group package also includes a 9-land steering gear.
More on the electronic stability control is here; our first-hand experience with it is here.
What is a 9-land steering gear? Chrysler's Joe Grace wrote: "The steering gear for the Charger has a nine land valve which improves steering feel by improved damping characteristics especially in aggressive cornering." Another engineer described it more thoroughly:
"Imagine a shaft that is not round, but has nine sides, and is inside a round tube. That creates 9 separate passages (between the outside flat surfaces of the shaft and the round inner surface of the tube). When the engine is running, power steering fluid enters at the base, and exits through ports in the tube's sides. When you drive straight, there is no power assist because the fluid is passed through the tube tangentially, so all the road feel from the tires come up to the steering wheel. As you enter a turn, at slower speeds, you can turn the wheel faster with less effort because the 9 sides act like a vane pump or pinwheel in a garden sprinkler; the faster the wheel turns, the more fluid passes through, and the more assist you get. In reality it's a little more complicated, but this gets the gist of it across. In my opinion, it is simply a band-aid to a poor, probably Mercedes-based design."
The 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 engine with cylinder deactivation boasts 340 horsepower (254 kW) @ 5000 rpm and 390 lb.-ft. torque (525 Nm) @ 4000 rpm. Dodge Chargers equipped with HEMI engines can go from zero to 60 mph in just 6.0 seconds. The multiple displacement system features fast electronic controls, sophisticated control algorithms, and electronic throttle control, moving from eight cylinders to four in 40 milliseconds (0.04 seconds). We challenge you to feel the mode changes. More on this engine here.
A 3.5-liter High Output V-6 engine also is available on the 2006 Dodge Charger and provides an outstanding blend of performance and fuel economy. This engine provides 250 horsepower (186 kW) @ 6400 rpm and 250 lb.-ft. of torque (340 Nm) @ 3800 rpm. An active three-plenum intake manifold assures high power and torque over the entire operating band, while electronic control of the manifold tuning valve and short-runner valves and an Electronic Throttle Control (ETC) provide smooth operation with maximum performance and fuel economy. More on this engine here.
A standard five-speed automatic transmission with AutoStick offers the choice of a fully automatic or manual shift selection. The Chargers five-speed transmission uses electronic shift controls for a responsive, smooth feel without harshness. The system monitors the transmission as shifts occur and adjusts the hydraulic pressure as needed, and features an electronically modulated converter clutch (EMCC) to control torque converter clutch slippage. The EMCC provides partial engagement in third, fourth or fifth gears, which improves shift feel, fuel economy, driveability and cooling.
Wards' odd prediction of a six-speed stick did not pan out - we would have been very surprised if it had! The base engine will be the 250 horsepower, 3.5 liter V6, with the 5.7 Hemi as optional, as we reported last year; the Hemi will probably be in most retail models. We'd love a stick but let's face it, most of the classic Chargers were sold with automatics... and for good reason, few could beat the TorqueFlite with the Borg-Warner manuals.
Nice, but unfortunately, it has 4 doors...
Other pictures:
http://nouvelempire.net/lasalle/car.jpg
http://nouvelempire.net/lasalle/hemicar.jpg
http://nouvelempire.net/lasalle/inside.jpg
That is the ugliest thing since ugly came to Uglyville. What the fuck were they thinking? Does anyone actually inspect these designs before they're approved? I thought the Durango looked good. I think the 300M looks regal. I even think the Magnum is passable as a decent-looking station wagon. But this is an insult to commuters who'll have to see this visual abortion trundling its way down public roads. 06 Dodge Charger: DOA. PEACE.
