It’s been nearly a decade since Dodge reintroduced the retro-flavored Challenger. The rear-drive muscle car debuted for the 2008 model year as an SRT8-only, automatic gearbox-equipped affair, though the following year would see the range expanded to three distinct offerings with the SXT, R/T, and SRT8, each with its own distinct power plant and the latter two offering the choice of a five-speed automatic transmission or a Tremec six-speed manual.
In the years since, the lineup has continued to expand, with 2015 seeing the roster grow to five separate models with the addition of the R/T Scat Pack and the SRT Hellcat models. But as both the Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Mustang have moved to all-new, modernized platforms in recent years, Dodge has sought ways to both keep the Challenger fresh and further differentiate it from those cross-town rivals.
To that end comes the 2017 Challenger GT. First seen as a SEMA concept car in 2015, the production version of the GT takes a more pragmatic approach than the slammed and tuned SEMA concept. Serving as the first and only “all-wheel drive muscle coupe” on the market, the Challenger GT’s sure-footedness in inclement weather is said to offer year-round practicality that simply isn’t available elsewhere in the pony car segment.
“We looked at regional buying habits,” says Ben Lyon, brand manager for the Dodge Challenger. “We noticed that, more than any other car, Charger owners were cross-shopping with the Challenger, but that lack of year-round usability in colder parts of the country was keeping some buyers away.”
In conjunction with this year’s Spring Festival of LXs – a massive annual meet-up for Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, Dodge Magnum, and Dodge Challenger owners – the folks from FCA brought along a Challenger GT and gave us some seat time behind the wheel of their latest offering to see how it fares in day-to-day use on the backroads of Silverado, California.
The GT Formula
Astute followers of modern Mopar muscle cars will note that this is not the first time an all-wheel drive system has been applied to an LX platform vehicle. In fact, the now-discontinued Magnum wagon offered an optional all-wheel drive system on SXT and R/T models as far back as 2005, and the Charger would get similar options for the 2007 model year.
While the new setup is mechanically similar to the Borg-Warner designed system from the Charger and Magnum (which can disconnect the front axles on the fly for improved fuel economy or more dynamic performance), the folks from Dodge tell us that this implementation has a personality all its own. “Although the AWD components are the same as the Charger, the Challenger GT was designed from the beginning to be tuned uniquely,” says Scott Brown from Dodge communications.
“We also added a technology called Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC). VDC helps to enhance handling on all surfaces, especially snow and ice. In addition to providing excellent traction on slippery surfaces, VDC also helps the driver maintain the vehicle’s desired path helping with oversteer and understeer to make the vehicle more maneuverable. This is accomplished by changing the front-to-rear torque distribution based on the dynamics model within the VDC system. In addition, we’ve customized the Electronic Stability Control system to help further support vehicle stability and driver comfort in Challenger GT.”
Getting the system to fit in the tightly-packed confines of the Challenger was a trick in and of itself. “The Challenger’s floor pan was modified to fit the transfer case,” Brown explains. “The right side hot end exhaust and transmission cross member were used from the Charger to clear the transfer case.”
Currently the GT is available exclusively with the naturally aspirated 3.6-liter V6 engine, good for 305 horsepower and 268 pound-feet of torque, which is paired with the eight-speed TorqueFlite automatic transmission.
On The Road
A sunny, 80-degree day in Southern California is admittedly a less than ideal locale to experience the virtues of the Challenger’s new all-wheel drive system, but our seat time did reveal a few interesting things.
“To deliver a unique driving experience we actually started with the springs and sway bars from the Charger Pursuit and refined both the shocks and steering calibrations,” Brown tell us. The result is that, while remaining a great grand touring cruiser, the Challenger GT is significantly more taut and composed at speed than you might expect from a V6 Challenger.
And while the GT’s 4100-pound curb weight is a substantial amount for 305 horsepower to contend with, the quick ratios and responsiveness of the eight-speed gearbox provides reasonably hasty acceleration. You’re not likely to confuse it for a Hellcat drivetrain any time soon, but the V6 and eight-speed combination provides enough guts for the Challenger to stay out of its own way.Like all Challengers and Chargers for the 2017 model year, the GT also gets a new version of FCA’s Uconnect infotainment system. New, faster hardware is coupled with an expanded feature set that provides Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality, as well as a number of other enhancements like a sharper-looking, more responsive touch screen, gesture control in the navigation function, and other miscellaneous improvements.
Ultimately, FCA sees Challenger GT as serving a niche in the coupe market. Could there be a V8 AWD model in the future, or perhaps even an SRT-tuned version of this system? Dodge is staying tight-lipped about the possibility, but also seem to indicate that the chances are pretty remote.
“While we don’t announce future product plans, there’s more sales volume opportunity with our V6 buyers,” says Brown. “Charger offers all-wheel drive and has a balanced mix ratio of V6-to-V8 across the country. Challenger sells about a third of its volume in Northern states where V8 sales are strong. We see incremental sales opportunity in the snow states by offering the all-wheel drive Challenger GT.”
So, at least for the time being, what you see is what you get – and that’s certainly not a bad thing for folks who want the Challenger’s chiseled good looks but need all-wheel drive functionality.