A month ago, I was contacted by Dodge – through Facebook of all things – to see if I’d be interested in spending a day during this year’s NHRA Winternationals weekend event at the Fairplex in Pomona, California, driving the new 392 SRT8 Challenger; the same Challenger that had completed Dodge’s nationwide HEMI Highway Tour.

Without a doubt, I’d be there. The National Weather Service could’ve said it was going to rain fire and brimstone and I still would’ve agreed to come along.

Pulling into the media lot entrance, I was met by Dodge rep. David Hakim, who ushered me through NHRA security, through the staging lanes lined with vintage Super Stock machines waiting to make their initial passes of the morning, through the throngs of roaming high octane enthusiasts and finally up to the massive Mopar tractor trailer where the Bright White and blue-striped Challenger sat flocked by wide-eyed on-lookers.

I had already seen the 392 Inaugural Edition in person once before and had poured over all the high-resolution digital images earlier. Seeing it outside – in natural light – is a different experience altogether.

White is already a striking color on the Challenger; 1971’s “Vanishing Point” proved that. The blue stripes, while looking sporty and very Euro-inspired, are obviously lifted from the Viper and simply don’t fit the Challenger’s vintage skin, at least to the eyes of guy who loves how strong this current Challenger resembles its iconic predecessor.

Apart from sliding behind the wheel of an R/T for a short spin a year ago, the majority of my experience with the new Challenger had been from the outside looking in. Finally getting behind the controls of an SRT8 afforded me a chance to see if Dodge’s pony car could stack up against the 5.0L Mustang and Camaro SS.

For 2011, the previous 6.1L SRT8 has been replaced with a 103.9mm increased bore and a stroke of 94.5mm, totaling 6410cc’s, spelling 391.15 cubic inches, or 392 cubes to you and me. All of this math equates 470 horsepower and foot pounds of torque, which is 50hp over last year’s SRT.

Priced around $46,000 before the dealerships slap on a couple more “additional fees,” the Challenger is nearly $10,000 more than the aforementioned competitors, pricing the coupe outside of muscle car territory and deep into luxo sedan waters.

The skies turned charcoal with cloud cover, the deluge soaking the asphalt with heavy rain when I was finally handed the keys, er…the remote keyless fob. Looking at the tiny electric doodad in my palm, I was struck at how disconnected it made me feel from the Challenger. Rather than turning the starter over, I pressed the “Start” button and listened as the 392 purred to life.

If you expect this to be a slightly-unhinged lopey-cammed gnarly street machine, you’ll be as surprised as I was. The Challenger idled quieter than my Ram pickup. On the street, strolling amid traffic through downtown Pomona, the SRT8 behaved as any modern car would. It was almost disappointing.

The manual TKO-6060 rowed through the gears effortlessly as they do in all the cars they’re found in. The clutch doesn’t wear out your left leg but isn’t spongy, it engages naturally and doesn’t require any effort to pedal through traffic or snap through gears under hard acceleration.

Inside, the slate gray interior is monochromatic, almost soulless; something which I hope Dodge’s new commitment to interior design quickly amends for next year. The white-faced gauges are surprisingly small and vanish behind the wheel when adjusted anywhere south of “bus driver.” The white-and-blue-striped seats are hulking and look to weigh 100 pounds a piece, but they wrap snugly around me, goading me into taking a couple of corners a little too hot.

Now, this is where the real difference between today’s SRT8 and yesterday’s 6.1L stands out. The new Challenger’s handling is taut, sharp and rigid without being stiff and jostling. The steering is responsive and curiously light considering how much hood stretched out before me.

Finally having enough of being a good citizen, I disengaged the traction control. Like swilling down a vial of Dr. Jekyll’s tonic, the Challenger’s deep, dark secret came bubbling up to the surface with an eruptive howl of its back tires breaking loose.

Second gear was more of the same, and staying in it only put the big coupe sideways. I easily could’ve carried the spin all the way through third gear even if the streets were dry. While I might’ve been fooled by its sheep’s clothing, this wolf definitely had some teeth. It’s high 12-second quarter mile times testify to it.

All of my previous gripes suddenly made sense. I realized that the problem wasn’t with the Dodge, it was me. I was expecting something more like what the disengaged traction control gave me but all the time. I came in expecting a loose, raucous, rowdy ’70 Challenger. This Challenger might look like a ’70, but that’s where the resemblance ends. This is a modern car. It’s polite. It’s user friendly. It’s domesticated. That is, until its unleashed.

Being a die hard Mopar lover, I’m very interested in seeing how enthusiasts will tweak this machine. It’s a great canvas from which to create some seriously insane street cars from. For me, it’s just too hard to look at this Dodge as being “finished,” particularly as directly next to the SRT8 392 was Mopar’s all-aluminum Gen III 426 HEMI on display, just begging to be under that Challenger’s hood.

Wow, a true all-new 426 HEMI Dodge Challenger. Maybe someday…