2021 05 22 CCC Featured External Listing
2012 Dodge Challenger R/T
Dodge brought back its Challenger for the 2008 model year. It was originally introduced in 1969 with its cousin, the Plymouth Barracuda, as the Chrysler Corporation’s entry into the pony car wars, to compete with Ford’s Mustang as well as GM’s Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird, all of which had been in market several years at the time Chrysler joined the party. While the Camaro was not produced from 2003-2009 (and the Firebird cancelled altogether with the disbanding of Pontiac), Challenger was not sold from 1975 to the re-intro. In 2008 – that is, if one excludes an import Dodge commissioned from Mitsubishi from 1977 – 1983, which really did not live up to the nameplate. The ‘cuda, like the Firebird, also did not re-emerge from its pause – and for the same reason, the discontinuance of its make. In Canada, there were 670 units in 2008, all in SRT-8 trim, and each sports a “500” in the grille – homage to the Challengers and Coronets of yesteryear. Many were snapped up by collectors, but they have depreciated, not the other way around – though some hold out hope.
CCC Vital Info
Odometer – 73,000 km
Engine Info – front-mounted 5.7L V8
Transmission Info – 5-speed automatic
Exterior Colour – Grey
Interior Colour – Black
Other features – Factory original 20″ wheels, Functional hood scoop, HIDs, Stripe kit
Seller – Dealer
Category – American
Model page
Note – For CCC live auctions, this space will also include: VIN; a map link to seller location; a link to a Carfax report and a lot number.
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This 2012 came some years later but does not appear or perform substantively differently. In fact, the current year model’s exterior looks largely the same, with some subtle details updated. This car runs a 5.7L engine, a moderate step down from the 2008 SRT8’s 6.1L, preceding a 6.4L introduced in 2011. SRT stands for Street and Racing Technology, a program recently mothballed by the Dodge and Chrysler lines.
All three of these engines are Hemis, the 5.7 in this car produced 372 HP when it rolled out of the factory. This is supported by 398 lb.ft. of torque and an 5-speed automatic transmission sending all of that power to the rear wheels only. While the Challenger is a big, heavy car, all of those performance characteristics ensure that it is not lazy. We sure wish the seller had included photos of the under-hood powerplant.
The example at hand shows 73,000 km on the clock. While the premise that this eight-year-old car could have been stored winters is plausible, we would want to make sure. The severe Manitoba winter can be hard on a car, especially a V8 rear-driver like this. That is, if it has always been a Manitoba car – check the Carfax, deftly offered by the selling dealer.
The dealer seller has taken care to post a reasonable number of photos and good detail in his ad, for a Marketplace posting. We couldn’t help but notice the eye candy in the background. We don’t think these are the premises of the selling dealership, but someone has an impressive collection.
Items that pique our interest are the quad exhaust the rear spoiler, 20-inch factory wheels and the stripe kit, an effective complement the factory borrowed from the ‘60s and ‘70s Challengers. Same goes for the cursive “Challenger” exterior badges. The instrumentation, not surprisingly, is Dodge all the way. By this we mean unexceptional, if effective. Infotainment includes Sirius radio and Navigation, though drivers of new cars might find the Chrysler nine-year-old system a little dated.
Find this 2012 Challenger in Brandon, Manitoba on Facebook Marketplace for $30,650.
Special thanks go to new CCC member Marlon T. for submitting this.
