I hear ya, as long as your happy.

BUT, I 100% disagree on the CTS-V. Yes it is more cash, but a much, much better car with more power and pedigree. The interior is beautiful and IMO it looks as different from a regular CTS as the SRT-8 looks from a Hemi Charger. But if you ask me the two cars can't be compared. Two totally different classes.

 

looks cool but i oculd never understand not offering a 6 speed manual. That fact alone would keep me from buying one of those.

 

I have a CTS-V & there's no comparison. It's no where near 30k more. A better comparison would be the G8 GT. It's $10k less than the SRT & the G8 a better car in all aspects (a 6 speed is available). The early 90's E Class Merc chassis is showing its age. I hope the new platform is better.

 

I agree the CTS-V is a different class, i.e. price-point. As for it being a much, much better car, that isn't correct IMO and I've driven both. The interior on the Caddy blows the Charger away, and it should. It is also cramped in the back even if you only have 2 people back there. There are plenty of CTS-V owners who would argue, and rightfully so, that there car was "better" than th E63 or M5 costing 20-30 thousand more. The cost difference new-to-new IS $25-30 grand as I bought one and my friend bought the other. If they offered a 6-speed manual I probably would have bought it that way, but the car isn't a sports car and doesn't beg to be driven that way anyway. The G8 is a BMW rip-off that looks generic Holden (see GTO failure) that is stillborn anyway. A nice car for the money no doubt but there's a reason you don't see too many. I'm in no way saying the Charger SRT-8 is a "better" car than the CTS-V, but in my opinion I'd rather have what I have, and I could have either...

 

I forgot about the G8, my buddy has one NICE car and they are better performers then the Chargers.

 

The 2011 Charger is getting a wickedly improved interior and the SRT8 is getting a 6.4L HEMI with around 500HP.

The 6.4L is a larger version of the VCT MDS 5.7L and gets better MPG than the current 6.1L. I follow the Chrysler stuff very closely and here is what we know about the 2011..
Side profile teaser shot...


Dash teaser


Camo'd spy shots






Info on the 2011:
http://www.allpar.com/cars/dodge/charger-2010.html

YOUR 2009 is quicker than a CLS63 around any road coarse and they used a very ROUGH basis of the older e-class platform. So much has been changed for 2011 they are unrecognizable now....they were in 05, but Cerberus OVER spent on it during R&D in 07 and now even Fiat CEO Marchionne says its ridiculously expensive (greek for, "its better than the Quatroporte platform")

 

God I just hope it doesn't get any heavier. What are they now like 4100? It needs 500 hp....

 

All the Chrysler insiders are saying is that the 6.4L will make 475-525 HP. Which..IMO..means it'll make less in the Ram and more in the SRT8 cars. Car shouldnt be any heavier, it may actually shed lbs, especially in SRT trim. Expect a serious effort from the Italians.....I mean that. We all know what they are capable of doing to the super-sedan wars...

Daimler had to cap the current ones at 425 HP so not to interfere with the AMG's.

Those rules dont exist anymore.

 

Oh and the car should be debuting at the Detroit autoshow in a couple weeks....

 

On paper and in the spy photos/internet rumor dept., things look pretty good for the revamped LX line. SRT engineers will tell you that MDS is a compromise and not something you really want in your performance car or truck, but a concession to better MPG cycles. Technology is a double-edged sword and if you think the Italians have had much chance to influence the forth-coming LX cars, then you don't know really how far out product design, engineering, etc. works. They've been at the helm long enough to approve/kill-off things but certainly not long enough to send the engineers back to the drawing board or influence much, if any exterior/interior design. You'd have to be nuts to be one of the first to purchase a 450-550 MDS engine. I truly hope the forthcoming LX cars are great b/c I'd like to continue to "buy American". If the new Charger or 300 SRT version looks & drives well then I'm sure I'd buy one in a couple of years. It doesn't have to be the fastest or have the least weight or most-modern chasis, b/c all of that is crap. If you like the car for what it is or what it does, then who cares what someone else is doing? Even if you are "the best" or "the fastest" or whatever, you won't be that for very long so at least like/love what you are...