Sunday, February 10, 2013

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.


CarJunkie
Photo was taken by a digital camera.
To see more car related articles, check out http://carjunkie713.blogspot.com/.
Follow me on Twitter @CarJunkie713

1 comment:

  1. What an awesome post. I have always loved the Chargers. I once had one for a few years after high school. I made sure I always took it to the Dodge service center to keep it running it's best. I had no idea that the new models looked so neat. I think my husband and I may have to go and test drive one of these! Thanks so much for your post.

    ReplyDelete