Let’s get the biases out of the way first. I’ve always loved the way the Dodge Challenger looks, and am shallow enough to let a hot body rule an already weakened mind. Added to that, absolute power can absolutely corrupt me, so while my R/T Scat Pack 392 tester wasn’t an SRT Hellcat, Redeye or Superstock, it was one of the model’s fabulous looking and better handling Widebody designs, plus it was powerful enough to get into wild trouble if not paying proper respect.
To be clear, this car is a beast, and by that I’m referring to a curb weight of 4,308 lbs (1,954 kg), so you’ll need some serious drift skills to keep its rear end in check if you let its stock 305/35ZR20 rear performance rubber go wayward. These are the upgraded tires included with the Widebody package, which come wrapped around special 20x11-inch Devil’s Rim forged alloys, providing a lot more grip than the regular-bodied Scat Pack’s 245/45ZR20s.
The widening process requires just under $6,000 ($8,000 in Canada), but it buys you more than just tires and muscled up bodywork. In addition, you’ll get a competition suspension with active damping, which together with those meatier tires makes for a wider track that measures 63 inches (1,610 mm) up front and 64 inches (1,621 mm) in back. This means the Challenger’s nicely sorted short/long arm front and multi-link rear suspension setup is even more capable of being flung through fast-paced curves, let alone providing rock-solid stability at higher-than-posted freeway speeds.
Speed Comes Naturally Thanks To Nearly 500 Horsepower
Getting off the line won’t be too difficult either, thanks to the 6.4-liter (392 cubic inch) Hemi V8’s more than adequate 485 hp and 475 lb-ft of torque, but just in case you’re thinking this level of power is going to lift the front tires off the tarmac as G-forces press your backside deep into the driver’s seat, understand this isn’t one of Mopar’s lightweight Drag Pak-equipped pony cars. It weighs over two tons, so straight-line response isn’t going to break the 4.0-second mark no matter how hard you slap the shifter, although at 4.3 seconds from standstill to 60 it’s no slouch either. That’s a tick slower than the same car without the chunkier body, and, of course, comparatively slothful compared to the 807-hp Superstock’s 3.2-second 60-mph dash, but hey, it’s also $35,000 cheaper than that musclebound bad boy.
Of course, Dodge addresses the performance in between, with the Hellcat Widebody hitting 60 in 3.7 (or thereabouts), and the Redeye doing the deed in 3.4. The two alternatives add approximately $20,000 and $32,000 to the window sticker respectively, so at under $50,000 the R/T Scat Pack Widebody is more of a performance value proposition.
Challenger's Launch Control Makes Anyone Faster Off The Line
You might want to try “LAUNCH” control to get off the line faster. You’ll first need to set it up in the infotainment system’s “Launch RPM Set-Up” page (found in the Performance Pages section), opting for launch revs between 1,500 and 3,500 rpm (you can set the Shift Light rpm on this page too), all before pressing your left foot hard on the brake pedal to hold the car still, flooring the throttle with your right foot, and then releasing the brake.
Launch control takes care of everything else, except for your need to keep the steering wheel straight. Do the latter and the system will automatically optimize traction and wheel spin balance for the quickest takeoff possible, but a slight angle to the wheel will instantly kick the system out of launch mode, leaving you on your own. It should also go without saying that you should select the Sport setting in the drive mode system, because you’ll get even more out of Launch control.
By the way, if you’re sitting in a six-speed manual-equipped car while reading this review, launch mode works much the same, except instead of releasing the brake pedal you’ll be dumping the clutch. The only difference is in the setup, where you should choose engine revs between 2,000 and 4,500 rpm.
Performance Pages Offer Cool Car Geek Tech
Notably, the Challenger’s Performance Pages section includes a lot more than just Launch control, such as realistic digital coolant temp, oil temp, and oil pressure gauge graphics on page one, boost pressure, air fuel ratio, intercooler coolant temp, and intake air temp gauges (plus battery voltage and trans temperature for the eight-speed automatic) on page two, a timer page for keeping track of your personal launch response, plus a lap time counter.
Additionally, it comes with a G-force page that graphically displays the amount of lateral and longitudinal force (both current and best) your car is undergoing when pushed hard through curves, plus an engine page for horsepower, torque and engine related details. You can save all this info to a USB too, making it possible to review later on another device.
If you’ve never done four-or-so seconds in a straight line, you’re in for some serious fun, especially when piloting this Challenger R/T Scat Pack 392 Widebody. Straight-line stability is its main game, but that’s not saying it’s unwieldy through corners. Don’t get me wrong, as you’ll feel the big coupe’s transitional weight when flicking it through tight curves, but with much of its mass in the engine bay it tends towards understeering, or pushing out at the front, unless digging into the throttle too heavily mid-corner, or worse, doing the same to the brakes, which will loosen rear grip and cause its hind end to let go. Depending on your skill-set, this situation will either sound ultimately scary or like blissful nirvana, but respect is required either way.
Challenger Widebody Delivers Better Handling
Tracking along some quick-paced mountainside two-laners, I found the Widebody more controllable and generally better balanced than I remember its narrower counterpart feeling. The regular Challenger’s electrically-assisted rack and pinion steering already delivers decent feedback for this size of car, and after finding out this Widebody concurred, I was happy to experience the rest of the chassis responding rationally, even when asked to perform unreasonably well for its considerable heft. It always gave ample notice before requiring steering, throttle, or braking input, with wheel-mounted shift paddles to add even more hands-on control, which all resulted in predictable road manners. Still, if you’re the type that gets spooked by tons of mass transferring from side-to-side during aggressive maneuvers, this might not be your ideal ride.
Dodge provides all the necessary traction and stability control tech too, of course, which does a fine job of keeping the widened fender flares within the painted lines, as do the sizable Brembo brakes at each corner, which scrub off speed at a surprisingly brisk pace with very little fade after repeated stomps.
All 2021 Challengers Come Well-Stocked With Gear
As for non-performance equipment, all Challengers come with automatic halogen headlights incorporating halo LED accent lighting, plus LED taillights, proximity entry with pushbutton start/stop, a 7.0-inch full-color customizable in-cluster driving display (splitting two stunning analog dials), tire pressure monitoring, a center touchscreen (7.0 inches for the base model and 8.4 inches for other trims), Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration, two USB ports, six-speaker audio, a leather-wrapped steering wheel (flat-bottomed in the Widebody) and shift knob, dual-zone automatic climate control, an auto-dimming center mirror, a 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat with four-way lumbar, and more.
Moving up through the various Challenger trims provides exterior upgrades such as bigger wheels and tires, an SRT front splitter, fog lamps, a functional hood scoop (or a performance hood with dual heat extractors for the 392), active exhaust (V8 only), remote start (with the automatic), paddle shifters, bright metal foot pedals, heated front seats and steering wheel rim (that can get therapeutically warm), cooled seats, navigation, a 276-watt amp (in the 392), satellite radio, and more, while options include a power moonroof, Harman Kardon or Alpine audio upgrade, plus plenty of packages.
Interior Quality Feels More Premium Compared To Most Rivals
My Challenger R/T Scat Pack 392 tester’s cabin looked and felt more like a premium-branded car than some of its competitors, with soft, pliable surfaces nearly everywhere. Even the front roof pillars were wrapped in plush microsuede, as were the perforated seat centers. This came as part of a Carbon & Suede Interior package, the pseudo-psuede also making up the roof liner, whereas carbon-fiber inlays added yet more to the premium look.
The seats were very comfortable, with superb side bolstering and ample adjustability, plus the driving position was excellent as well, with plenty of reach from the upgraded power tilt and telescoping steering column. To that end I’m only five-foot-eight, but I have a few six-foot-plus, larger-girth friends that attest to the Challenger’s overall roominess.
A Performance Car You Can Live With Every Day
No one should expect as much space in the rear quarters as up front, however, but this two-door is roomier in back than most of its peers. In fact, there’s not much difference between the rear seats of this Challenger and a Charger, thanks to decent headroom, legroom, plus plenty of elbow and hip space. Sure, the rear side quarter windows are small, causing some in back to feel a tad claustrophobic, but they shouldn’t be uncomfortable. A fold-down center armrest with dual cupholders is included, while the Challenger’s trunk is also larger than you might expect, although the high lift-over might cause problems for smaller folk. The second-row seatbacks flip down in the expected 60/40 layout, which provides a practical solution for stowing longer cargo.
Looking back, this review might’ve come in like a lion, but for the past few paragraphs it’s been going out like a lamb. So, in lieu of getting fully stuck into yawn-inducing pragmatic liveability issues, I won’t even comment on fuel economy, other than to say if it’s something you care about, Chrysler has a plug-in hybrid minivan that might suit you better. Instead, the Challenger R/T Scat Pack 392 is a muscle car you can live with on a daily basis. It’s a comfortable two-door coupe you can commute to work in, before taking the long, unwinding yet circuitous scenic route home, enjoying every second of each moment.
You don’t need to me to tell you whether to buy it or not. You already know. All I’m here for is to confirm your weak biases, just like I’ve reconfirmed mine.