The first real proof of an all-wheel drive 2017 Dodge Challenger production car has arrived on the internet, but not from the website that you might expect. While the Dodge website still doesn’t reference the AWD GT package – nor has the company made an official comment on the possibility of an all-wheel drive 2017 Challenger – the EPA FuelEconomy.gov website leaves no question that there is an AWD muscle car coming for the new model year.
If you visit FuelEconomy.Gov and search the 2017 Dodge lineup, there are three Challenger options – Challenger, Challenger GT and Challenger SRT. Everything looks the same for the 2017 Challenger and 2017 Challenger SRT, and unlike the 2017 Dodge Charger AWD package, the Challenger GT doesn’t mention all-wheel drive on the main information page. However, when you flip to the “specs” tab on the EPA website, you will see that the Dodge Challenger GT has standard all-wheel drive.
The details for the 2017 Dodge Challenger GT are limited, but we know that it has all-wheel drive and we know that it is powered by the 3.6L Pentastar V6 mated to the 8-speed automatic transmission. Many people had hoped for the Challenger GT to be Hemi-powered after Mopar rolled out the GT AWD Concept (shown below) at the 2015 SEMA Show with the 5.7L V8, but it appears that the production version of the all-wheel drive muscle car will be a V6-only affair.
That seems like a puzzling move to some people, but the 2017 Dodge Challenger GT is marketed to someone who wants the muscle car look year round, even in the roughest winter weather – not someone looking to tear up the racing scene with an all-wheel drive V8 monster.
This is bad news for those folks hoping for a high performance AWD Challenger, but it is great news for those folks in snowy areas of the USA, as you will soon be able to buy a Dodge Challenger that you can drive safely all year long. There is no timetable for when the 2017 Challenger GT will arrive, but with it already appearing on FuelEconomy.Gov, it shouldn’t be too long before the first all-wheel drive muscle car of all time goes on sale at Dodge dealers around the country.
"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.
