Richard Hammond is an English television presenter who is best known for his work co-hosting Top Gear on BBC. This TV car show rose to prominence while he co-hosted with Jeremy Clarkson and James May from 2002 till 2015. In 2016, Hammond began presenting a separate television series, and launched DriveTribe, a social media automotive website.
He was able to obtain the Top Gear gig after working for several BBC radio stations like Radio York and Radio Newcastle. He started on satellite TV, and then got lucky in his audition for Top Gear. Through his time on the show, the audience learned of his affinity towards muscle cars. No wonder he has so many muscle cars in his garage. Don't believe me? Just see the photos of his incredible collection yourself.
On the show, he was able to test-drive numerous cars, which gave him ideas for his own car collection. In season 12, the trio traveled across the country in muscle cars, and Hammond was coerced into buying a Dodge Challenger SRT-8 since he wasn’t able to borrow one.
This spurred him to absolutely love the car, and here's why we think it is his favorite muscle car.
The beginning of the Dodge Challenger SRT-8
The Dodge Challenger is one of three generations of automobiles produced by Dodge. Two of these three generations are pony cars, which is a separate classification regarding affordable, compact, and sporty cars. The first use of the Challenger name was in 1959 for a full-sized Silver Challenger.
The Coronet Silver Challenger was the first version of the Challenger produced by Dodge, and was marketed by Dodge as a full-size car in the 1950s. From 1965 to 1975, the name was used on intermediate-sized cars. The second generation spanned form 1978 to 1983, and featured a coupe version of a compact car.
2008 Dodge Challenger SRT-8
In late 2005, Dodge leaked a prototype photo of the Challenger on the internet. Then the Challenger was unveiled in 2006, and was a preview for the 3rd generation. Numerous designs in the new concept car were modernized from the original 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T. This was the second pony car to reuse a previous design.
The last generation of Challenger was a pony car that was born in 2008, originally created to rival the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro on the market.
Specs
The new Challenger featured a 2-door notchback coupe, which contained seating for 5 passengers, and was longer and taller than the original Challenger. The hardtop body was replaced with a B pillar, and the LC chassis was modified to have a shortened wheelbase. All 2008 models, contained a 6.1-liter V8 engine and a 5-speed automatic transmission.
Evolution of the 2008 Dodge Challenger
After the 2008 model, production of the limited edition 2008 SRT-8 ended in July. Later in 2008, Chrysler debuted the full line-up, containing four different rims, including the SRT-8. The only difference between the 2009 and 2008 versions of the SRT-8, is the option of a 5-speed automatic or 6-speed manual transmission.
Hammond's favorite muscle car
As you can see, with all of these specs it is no wonder this is Richard Hammond’s favorite muscle car. During season 12, He bought the Dodge Challenger SRT-8 to drive across the country, and has never looked back since.