Race driver, Daniel Morad checks out the new Challenger...

When you think of a Challenger, what is the first thing that comes to mind…? Well for me, being a car guy, the first thing I think of is a good old American muscle car! Dodge has brought the past into the present with the new 2009 Dodge Challenger.

When I first jumped into the Challenger, I felt this funny tingly sensation. It was almost like I had just jumped into Hollywood and I was in a 1970’s movie at that scene with the car chase and the police and the… well, I think I’m getting a little carried away. It actually had this certain aura about it that just made it feel right.

Although I only had the Challenger SE model, it was still a joy to drive. To be honest, I thought that the 250 horse powered 3.5 liter V6 engine would have a bit more juice in the tank than it did, but then again, it isn’t the SRT8. I see this model as being the one that people will buy when they want a great looking car and the comfort of being able to control the urge to speed. 

So on that note, it brings me to the appearance of the car. I could not believe how many compliments I was getting about the car when I was driving around. The looks really speak for itself. I wasn’t sure what to think at first. I had some mixed feelings about the appearance of the car. For sure, it takes some getting used to, but it is a car that really stands out from the old American muscle cars that have been redesigned.

The 2009 Challenger looks amazing; similar to the one of its prime, back in years’ 1970 and ‘71. Dodge has done a great job in keeping some of its main features, such as the front bumper and front lights, the rear tail lights and the area just behind the rear seat windows; although it makes for a large blind spot, they have still kept it very authentic to the Challengers that made them famous.

The exterior is one thing, and the interior is another. The seats are very retro and I thought it was pretty cool to see that it looked somewhat original to what it was like back in the ‘70’s. The dash was very clean and simple, the way it should be inside a car of this nature. At the end of the day, it is based on a car from nearly 40 years ago, so I liked the fact that Dodge kept it simple. The navigation system was a very nice feature. I am terrible with directions so it was important that it was there, built into the dash. I have an easy job when I’m out racing cars around the world. It’s pretty much impossible to make a wrong turn when there is only one paved circuit to lap around, but you would be surprised sometimes what happens out there on the race track.

Although I had the automatic version of the Challenger SE, I still really liked the gear shifter when I had to use it. The shifter was very comfortable to hold. Yeah, I have a bad habit of always holding onto the gear shifter even if there is absolutely no need to, like when I’m driving an automatic car.