Photo: YouTube screenshot
There's not much sense in owning a performance car during the winter if you live in the colder parts of the country but try telling that to a muscle car enthusiast, and you'd better be ready to run because they won't take it kindly.
If you've caught the bug, then the weather - and pretty much everything else - is just noise that may or may not get in the way of you enjoying your passion. Besides, it's only winter three months of the year - what about the other nine?
Dodge is kind enough to cater to all of its clients, which is why it offers all-wheel-drive versions for its Charger and Challenger models. People who live in snowy areas have found them useful for a while, particularly since the AWD system also comes with a one-inch (25-mm) lift, improving the vehicle's ground clearance and thus the risk of scraping its bottom against anything.
As good and helpful as that may be, these cars have also had one other trait: 19-inch wheels. As if the smaller diameter wasn't bad enough, they also had a narrower 7.5-inch profile, making finding performance tires for the warmer part of the year quite a challenge.
Now, according to Mopar Insiders, Dodge is getting ready to offer 20- by 8-inch wheels with its 2021 Charger AWD and Challenger AWD, removing the need to access the aftermarket for the larger rims. The upgrade will come standard on the more expensive GT AWD versions but will command a premium for the less expensive SXT AWD.
This opens up a whole new segment of the tire market while also better filling up those wheel arches made to look bigger by the one-inch lift. That's just a visual gimmick because, in reality, the 19-inch have a larger overall diameter, as proven by their revs per mile (km) figure: 715 (444) for the 19" and 726 (449) for the 20".
As exciting as this piece of news might be for some, owners doing a lot of driving in the snow might want to think twice before making the switch. In most cases, the wider 20-inch wheels provide a larger patch and better grip, but in deep snow, the narrower the tire, the better.
At the end of the day, though, it's all about having an option that wasn't there before. Starting with the 2021 model year, Dodge customers buying AWD Chargers or Challengers can choose between two wheel sizes, each with its own pros and cons.
Dodge is kind enough to cater to all of its clients, which is why it offers all-wheel-drive versions for its Charger and Challenger models. People who live in snowy areas have found them useful for a while, particularly since the AWD system also comes with a one-inch (25-mm) lift, improving the vehicle's ground clearance and thus the risk of scraping its bottom against anything.
As good and helpful as that may be, these cars have also had one other trait: 19-inch wheels. As if the smaller diameter wasn't bad enough, they also had a narrower 7.5-inch profile, making finding performance tires for the warmer part of the year quite a challenge.
Now, according to Mopar Insiders, Dodge is getting ready to offer 20- by 8-inch wheels with its 2021 Charger AWD and Challenger AWD, removing the need to access the aftermarket for the larger rims. The upgrade will come standard on the more expensive GT AWD versions but will command a premium for the less expensive SXT AWD.
This opens up a whole new segment of the tire market while also better filling up those wheel arches made to look bigger by the one-inch lift. That's just a visual gimmick because, in reality, the 19-inch have a larger overall diameter, as proven by their revs per mile (km) figure: 715 (444) for the 19" and 726 (449) for the 20".
As exciting as this piece of news might be for some, owners doing a lot of driving in the snow might want to think twice before making the switch. In most cases, the wider 20-inch wheels provide a larger patch and better grip, but in deep snow, the narrower the tire, the better.
At the end of the day, though, it's all about having an option that wasn't there before. Starting with the 2021 model year, Dodge customers buying AWD Chargers or Challengers can choose between two wheel sizes, each with its own pros and cons.
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