2018 Dodge Challenger Engine Guide

Dodge and SRT have worked really hard to make the Dodge Challenger THE muscle car to get, and all of that hard work has resulted in the most powerful muscle car model lineup, as well as the most diverse lineup. The 2018 Dodge Challenger lineup is made up of 16 trims and five different engine options — that’s a lot more than the Chevy Camaro and Ford Mustang combined! While all of those options give consumers a lot more options and ways to get exactly what they want, all of those options can also make the shopping process a little confusing, at first. So we’re here to take a closer look at the 2018 Dodge Challenger lineup.

Power and Performance

There is one major decision consumers need to make before buying any muscle car – do I want a muscle car for the look or do I want the muscle car for power? All three muscle car manufacturers (Dodge, Chevy and Ford) make their muscle car models available with fairly standard engines as well as extremely powerful engines, and the difference between the standard and performance engines results in performance, practicality as well as overall cost. Consumers that want a muscle car that can double as a daily driver and something to have fun in, will likely want to go for a model with a more standard engine, while consumers that want to go fast and cruise around town on the weekends will want one a model with a performance engine. However, Dodge offers three different levels of daily drivers and performance cars, which is not available on the Ford Mustang or Chevy Camaro lineup.

2018 Daily Drivers

There are plenty of options for buyers that don’t want a high performance model, which is a Challenger equipped with a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 engine or a 5.7-liter HEMI V8 engine. Furthermore, the Challenger is the only muscle car that is available with all-wheel-drive, so it is a great daily driver even for those that live in places that experience snow and ice.

3.6L V6 Engine

*_Dodge Challenger SXT x Dodge Challenger SXT Plus x Dodge Challenger GT AWD_ *

The 3.6L engine produces 305 horsepower and 269 lb-ft of torque, which is an excellent amount of power for traveling on the highway or in the city. The 3.6L engine makes the Dodge Challenger a great daily driver because it is powerful, but not so powerful that the Challenger is a gas guzzler. When equipped with a 3.6L engine, the Challenger averages 30 mpg on the highway, which is excellent.

Since Dodge intended the Challenger trims equipped with the 3.6L V6 engine to be more practical daily driver options, they come standard with an automatic transmission, which is not a standard option on the Ford Mustang or Chevy Camaro.

5.7L HEMI V8 Engine

*_Dodge Challenger R/T x Dodge Challenger R/T Plus x Dodge Challenger R/T Shaker x Dodge Challenger T/A x Dodge Challenger R/T Plus Shaker x Dodge Challenger T/A Plus_ *

The other engine that makes the Challenger a practical daily driver is the 5.7-liter HEMI V8 engine. The 5.7L HEMI V8 engine increases the Dodge Challenger’s horsepower to 375 horses and 410 lb-ft of torque, which definitely improves the Challenger’s acceleration and speed in comparison to the 3.6L engine, but its not an overwhelming amount of power. Dodge Challenger models equipped with a 5.7L engine average 25 mpg on the highway, which is great for such a powerful vehicle.

Dodge designed the Challenger trims that are equipped with the 5.7L engine to feel a little more like a muscle car than the trims that are equipped with the 3.6L engine, so these models come standard with a TREMEC 6-speed manual transmission, which makes drivers feel more in control of the vehicle, but the 8-speed automatic transmission is an available option.

In addition to the manual transmission, all of the Challenger trims that come standard with the 5.7L engine feature some type of unique design that pays tribute to the Challenger’s muscle car heritage. R/T stands for “Road/Track” and all of the Challenger R/T trims come with R/T badges, a badge that goes all the way back to 1970. Challenger Shaker models feature a shaker hood, which adds a vintage look to the Challenger, while also increasing performance. Finally, the 2018 Challenger T/A trims are inspired by the original Challenger T/A model created to compete in drag races in 1971 and they feature unique T/A badging and a couple extra special details.

2018 Performance Models

The 2018 Challenger lineup is more powerful than ever and it includes three different SRT performance engines, and two all-new Challenger performance models, which brings the entire Challenger performance lineup to a total of seven trims!

All of the Challenger trims that are equipped with a performance engine also have some high performance equipment. The performance equipment includes high-performance Brembo brakes, improved tires and wheels and SRT Performance Pages, which provides drivers with important car information as well as track times and driving performance.

6.4-liter HEMI V8 Engine

*_Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack x Dodge Challenger 392 HEMI Scat Pack Shaker x Dodge Challenger T/A 392 x Dodge Challenger SRT 392_ *

The 6.4-liter HEMI V8 engine was reintroduced to the Challenger lineup in 2011. 6.4 liters is the equivalent measurement of 392 cubic inches, and that is why many of the Challenger models that are equipped with the 6.4L engine have “392” in the trim name. The 6.4L engine produces 485 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque, and it gives Challenger models a 0-60 mph acceleration time in the low four-second range. Challenger trims equipped with the 6.4L engine come standard with a 6-speed manual transmission, but there is an option of the 8-speed automatic transmission.

Supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI SRT Hellcat V8 Engine

*_Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat x Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody_ *

Introduced in 2015 is the supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI SRT Hellcat V8 engine, which produces 707 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque. Until the 2018 model year, the SRT Hellcat engine was only available on one Challenger trim, the Challenger SRT Hellcat, but a second trim, the Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody, joined the lineup in 2018. The new widebody model features 3.5-inch wider fender flares, which provides more room for wider tires, and that means the vehicle has more grip on the road and can accelerate faster. The Challenger SRT Hellcat accelerates from 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds and completes a quarter-mile in 11.2 seconds, and the Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody accelerates from 0-60 mph in 3.4 seconds and completes a quarter-mile in 10.9 seconds.

Supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI Demon V8 Engine

*_Dodge Challenger SRT Demon_ *

Introduced for the 2018 model year is the all-new 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon and its all-new supercharged 6.2L HEMI Demon V8 engine, which produces up to 840 horsepower and 770 lb-ft of torque. Though the Demon engine sounds similar to the SRT Hellcat model, it is actually quite different and significantly more powerful. Some of the engine features that make it possible for the SRT Demon to produce so much power include the Air Grabber, which is largest functional hood scoop of any production car, the TransBrake and the SRT Power Chiller.

The Dodge Challenger SRT Demon accelerates from 0-60 mph in 2.3 seconds and completes a quarter-mile in 9.65 seconds, making it the most powerful and the fastest factory production car in the world.

Want to come see how all of these Dodge Challenger trims look in person? Come by Miami Lakes Dodge to see all of these 2018 Dodge Challenger models and trims and even take them for a test drive!

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