Pay Attention Chrysler – Pentastar V6 Chargers Need A Stick. Badly.

One of the early complaints with the 2008 Dodge Challenger
SRT8 was that it only came with a sloppy 5-speed automatic transmission with
the mighty 6.1L Hemi V8 but they fixed that problem with the introduction of
the 2009 model year Challenger SRT8. 
Chrysler also included a 6-speed manual transmission option for those
Challenger buyers who opted for the R/T models fitted with the 5.7L Hemi but
the V6 models were only available with a 4-speed automatic transmission mated
to the balmy 3.5L base engine – leading many to question just how much claim
the V6 Challenger has to boast of being a muscle car.

The early V6 Challengers were too heavy for the 3.5L V6 with
just 250 horsepower and 250lb-ft of torque so performance suffered due to the
lack of power but the 4-speed automatic transmission didn’t help matters
any.  Chrysler changed to a 5-speed
automatic that helped a bit but unlike the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro –
both of which come with a manual transmission with their entry level models –
the Challenger remained without a stickshift option while also offering less
power.  The ability to bang your own
gears is one of the aspects that makes driving a sports car fun and even though
some prefer the reliability and ease of use with the automatic transmission,
many muscle car owners want the option to row their own gears.  In the event of the entry level muscle cars,
the manual transmission also offers better performance than the automatic
models with more power making it to the ground.

The Dodge Challenger got the big boost that it needed for
the 2011 model year as the entry level SXT now packs the 305 horsepower
Pentastar V6 but while this engine offers comparable power to the cross-town
rivals, the new 3.6L V6 sends its power to the wheels via a power-sucking
automatic transmission.

Look around Chrysler!  The Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Mustang are selling
like hot cakes with part of that success coming from their entry level models
but with the Challenger weighing more and having less power than the other two
V6 muscle cars, a manual transmission option would go a LONG way in helping the
Challenger V6 keep up with the entry level Ford and Chevy muscle cars.  Chrysler realized with the Challenger SRT8
that a manual transmission was a must but with the base model Challenger –
owners are still stuck with the slushbox.

The Pentastar V6 brought the Challenger base model into the
same level of power with 305 horsepower in stock form and having spent a week
driving a 2011 Challenger Rallye with the 3.6L mill, it is clear that this is
plenty of engine for the brawny Mopar muscle car but please…oh please…find it
in your corporate heart to fit a manual transmission to the Pentastar in the
future entry level Challengers.  A
6-speed manual transmission in the Challenger V6 models would improve
performance while also making the entry level Challenger a whole lot more fun
to drive.

Do you think that a manual transmission option would improve sales of the V6 Challenger?

Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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