Proving once and for all that base model muscle cars are no longer an afterthought, Chrysler has joined GM and Ford in adding a potent new V6 powerplant to the Challenger’s lineup. The all-new 3.6 liter Pentastar V6 provides 305 horsepower and 268 ft-lbs of torque, replacing the long-standing 3.5 liter V6. The new engine makes 55 more horsepower and 18 more ft-lbs of torque, a very respectable offering in any car. But how does it stack up against the Camaro and Mustang?

The Pentastar V6 is Chrysler’s new corporate mid-size engine, and it will serve as the base engine for the Challenger, Charger, and Chrysler 300 as well as many mini-van offerings. Chrysler knew it had to step up its game as both Ford and GM placed 300-plus horsepower V6 engines in their muscle cars as well. This engine is a step in the right direction, no doubt. Stacking it up against the competition though reveals the Challenger still has the odds stacked against it.

• Chevrolet Camaro – 312 horsepower/278 ft-lbs torque
• Dodge Challenger – 305 horsepower/268 ft-lbs torque
• Ford Mustang – 305 horsepower/280 ft-lbs torque

First, the Camaro V6; like the new Pentastar engine, the Camaro’s V6 displaces 3.6 liters. The GM engine has been out for a few years now though, and as such engineers have had time to refine the engine. When it first debuted, it made 304 horsepower and 274 ft-lbs of torque, which has since been bumped up to 312 horsepower and 278 ft-lbs of torque. The Camaro, which is no lightweight itself, still weighing 78 pounds less than the Challenger, while making 8 horsepower and 10 ft-lbs of torque more.

• Chevrolet Camaro – 3,741 lbs – 17/28 MPG
• Dodge Challenger- 3,819 lbs – XX/XX MPG
• Ford Mustang -3,453 lbs –  19/31 MPG

Then there is the Mustang, which has a 3.7 liter V6 making 305 horsepower and 280 ft-lbs of torque. Not only does it have the most torque, but the car itself also weighs the least, tipping the scales at just 3,453 lbs. For those of you keeping score at home, that is a whopping 366 lbs. less. The Mustang also gets the best gas mileage, rating 19 mpg in the city and 31 on the highway compared to the Camaro’s 17/28 rating. The Challenger’s gas mileage has not yet been rated.

The Challenger has made some impressive progress since it first debuted. It was the aptly-named 2008 Challenger SRT8 that spurred the current crop of muscle cars to up the ante, so to speak. Will they do it again when the release the final ratings for the improved line of V8 engines?