While Ford likes to brag about its Mustang being the only American muscle car officially available on sale on the Old Continent, the reality is a bit different. It’s true, but only at the OEM level.
Otherwise, various European dealerships will gladly facilitate the acquisition of its main rivals. Case in point, AEC Europe, which is the official importer of Dodge and Ram products on 20 of the most important markets across the Old Continent. And also seems to be the owner of this 2021 Challenger that was recently put through its paces by the good folks over at the AutoTopNL channel on YouTube.
Naturally, we are here to see how the brash American sports car features when unleashed on the limitless part of the Autobahn. And, unlike other occasions when the guys spend ample time admiring the sound and visual assets of the tested vehicle, this time around they spring into action immediately after showcasing the technical presentation card.
This, by the way, signals that we are dealing with a recent Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack Widebody. It’s one of two versions offered up for grabs by the importer in Europe alongside the SRT Hellcat Widebody. As such, it arrived at the Autobahn top speed party with a 6.4-liter (392ci) Hemi V8 that flaunts 492 ps/485 horsepower and an eternally long-geared eight-speed automatic transmission.
According to the official specifications, the feisty muscle car should be good for a sprint to 62 mph (100 kph) in 4.6 seconds and a maximum speed of 285 kph/178 mph. But of course, everyone knows the Challenger feels more at home on the quarter-mile dragstrip than doing some canyon carving or enjoying the no-speed-limit parts of the German Autobahn.
That much becomes clear during the short top speed run, when it’s clear the brick aerodynamics and the gearing will prevent it from reaching that official quota too easily. As such, without a perfectly barren stretch of highway and enough time to allow that long eighth gear to do its bidding, the Challenger only reaches around 268 kph/167 mph. Actually, not that bad for such a hulking machine, right?
Naturally, we are here to see how the brash American sports car features when unleashed on the limitless part of the Autobahn. And, unlike other occasions when the guys spend ample time admiring the sound and visual assets of the tested vehicle, this time around they spring into action immediately after showcasing the technical presentation card.
This, by the way, signals that we are dealing with a recent Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack Widebody. It’s one of two versions offered up for grabs by the importer in Europe alongside the SRT Hellcat Widebody. As such, it arrived at the Autobahn top speed party with a 6.4-liter (392ci) Hemi V8 that flaunts 492 ps/485 horsepower and an eternally long-geared eight-speed automatic transmission.
According to the official specifications, the feisty muscle car should be good for a sprint to 62 mph (100 kph) in 4.6 seconds and a maximum speed of 285 kph/178 mph. But of course, everyone knows the Challenger feels more at home on the quarter-mile dragstrip than doing some canyon carving or enjoying the no-speed-limit parts of the German Autobahn.
That much becomes clear during the short top speed run, when it’s clear the brick aerodynamics and the gearing will prevent it from reaching that official quota too easily. As such, without a perfectly barren stretch of highway and enough time to allow that long eighth gear to do its bidding, the Challenger only reaches around 268 kph/167 mph. Actually, not that bad for such a hulking machine, right?