Pricing for 2006 models starts at $22,995 including destination charge for the Charger SE; that includes all-speed traction control, four-wheel ABS, electronic stability control, 17" wheels, telescoping tilt-wheel, power mirrors, doors, and locks, cruise, and the 3.5 V6. The SXT, at $25,995, includes a split folding rear seat, power driver's seat, fog lamps, premium sound system, and heated mirrors. The Hemi (Charger R/T) starts at $29,995, including all SXT features and touring suspension, 18" aluminum wheels, heated folding mirrors, leather, and dual exhaust.  The limited edition Daytona is $32,495. Fleet buyers and Canadians can get a cheaper Charger equipped with a 2.7 liter V6, which should be interesting, as Americans who rent a Charger may get a rather incorrect impression of its acceleration (unless it will only be sold to corporate and government, but not rental, fleets.) [Thanks, Geo, for the addition.]

The 2006 Dodge Charger is based on the LX (Chrysler 300 and Dodge Magnum) platform. Unlike past Chargers, the 2006 model will be a four door sedan, with regular doors as found on the 300 or Magnum rather than the earlier-rumored half- or suicide doors. Headlights on the car are rather large with dark surrounds to give a, "smoked out" aftermarket look. The Dodge crosshair grill adorns the blunt front end. We said we'd expect the Charger to be just a little faster than the 300C (which does 0-60 in 6.4 seconds or so), and we were pleasantly surprised by 0-60 in 6.0 seconds (Chrysler estimate). We don't know how fast the Charger Daytona is, but we suspect it's very slightly quicker.

The Dodge Charger police car is equipped with "special police equipment" and either the 3.5 V6, which may well be the option taken by most towns and cities, or the Hemi V8, which we suspect to move quickly among the state police and rural agencies, hopefully moving Dodge past the 4% mark on squad market-share. The Charger squad starts production at the same time as the standard Charger, but we suspect it won't really start selling well until Dodge regains some of the credibility it losts from the Intrepid squads’ “flaming brakes.” The V6 Charger squad is roughly equal to the Crown Victoria in performance, according to the Michigan State Police tests, while the V8 is best in class. Ergonomics numbers, which also factor in, have not yet been released.

The Charger does not share much sheet metal with the other LX cars, with a more tilted windshield, rounded sides, and less of a straight-line appearance. Indeed, the side view of the Charger looks more Neon-like than 300-like. Detroit News noted "backlash" against use of the Charger name on this car on Mopar enthusiast forums, sadly without naming names, but the Charger has a great deal of support, as well.

The original Dodge Charger spawned a 200-mph supercar, the Charger Daytona. Meant for NASCAR, it was essentially farmed out to another company which modified the standard Charger R/T with a special front clip, massive spoiler, and other aerodynamic modifications. (Actual top speed on most stock Chargers appears to have ranged from 120-140.) We have a full page of information on the original (which was supplanted by a mere paint scheme later). However, a new Dodge Charger Daytona, just a tweaked version of the 2006 Charger, will also hit the streets. It is in some ways more Dodge Daytona (remember those K-derived sports cars? They were pretty good for their time) than Dodge Charger Daytona - the engine is slightly more powerful and the spoiler more rice than Superbird.

On Friday, Feb. 11, the Evernham Motorsports team will unveil the new Bud Shootout paint schemes on Dodge Charger race cars at the Daytona International Speedway, alongside the 2006 Dodge Charger Daytona R/T production vehicles. 

The original Dodge Charger race car debuted during the 1966 Speedweeks at Daytona.  In its 11 years of racing, the Charger won 124 NASCAR Cup races and took three drivers to five championships.  Richard Petty won three of his seven titles behind the wheel of a Dodge Charger and was behind the wheel of Charger's last victory at Daytona in the 1977 Firecracker 400. [That's what Chrysler said, anyway. Glenn Quealy wrote: "I beg to differ, it was Neil Bonnett at Ontario Motor Speedway Nov 1977 In the J.D. Stacey #5 Dodge. I was there and have the programs for 1977-8. For what it is worth I was at Daytona in 2001 when Sterling Marlin won the first Twin 125 in his Dodge. I saw the last victory 77 and the first (although not official) in 2001."]

In 1970, a Dodge Charger Daytona made history at Talladega Speedway when Buddy Baker became the first driver to be clocked at more than 200 mph for a lap on a closed course. That speed record was held for a good number of years.

Dodge Charger performance, handling, and corneringThe Dodge Charger's short-and Long-arm (SLA) multilink front suspension provided the opportunity to tune bushing compliances for a dramatic reduction in road noise, while maintaining vehicle dynamic handling performance. The five-link independent rear suspension allows independent tuning of handling and ride comfort so that each can be maximized. The Dodge Charger’s rear suspension complements the performance of the front suspension, resulting in a balanced ride.

All rear suspension components, except coil springs and shock absorbers, mount on a steel cradle that attaches to the body structure through four large rubber mounts that effectively isolate the passenger compartment from road and axle noise.

 Three levels of suspension tuning will be available on the Dodge Charger. A standard “touring” package with 17-inch tires will include an athletic suspension with nimble steering and handling attributes. Eighteen-inch tires and tuned dampers will offer added performance on HEMI-equipped Dodge Charger models, while an optional Performance Handling Group, designed exclusively for the Dodge Charger, also will be available with firmer damping and enhanced steering. The Performance Handling Group suspension package includes wider 18-inch performance tires, and Nivomat™ self-leveling shock absorbers. This suspension will be tuned to offer slightly more feedback from the road to enhance the glued-to-the-road feel of this driving machine. The package’s performance front seats with perforated suede inserts offer significantly improved lateral control in both the seat cushion and seat back. The Performance Handling Group package also includes a 9-land steering gear

The 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 engine with cylinder deactivation boasts 340 horsepower (254 kW) @ 5000 rpm and 390 lb.-ft. torque (525 N•m) @ 4000 rpm. Dodge Chargers equipped with HEMI engines can go from zero to 60 mph in just 6.0 seconds. The multiple displacement system features fast electronic controls, sophisticated control algorithms, and electronic throttle control, moving from eight cylinders to four in 40 milliseconds (0.04 seconds). We challenge you to feel the mode changes. More on this engine here.

A 3.5-liter High Output V-6 engine also is available on the 2006 Dodge Charger and provides an outstanding blend of performance and fuel economy. This engine provides 250 horsepower (186 kW) @ 6400 rpm and 250 lb.-ft. of torque (340 N•m) @ 3800 rpm. An active three-plenum intake manifold assures high power and torque over the entire operating band, while electronic control of the manifold tuning valve and short-runner valves and an Electronic Throttle Control (ETC) provide smooth operation with maximum performance and fuel economy. More on this engine here.

A standard five-speed automatic transmission with AutoStick offers the choice of a fully automatic or manual shift selection. The Charger’s five-speed transmission uses electronic shift controls for a responsive, smooth feel without harshness. The system monitors the transmission as shifts occur and adjusts the hydraulic pressure as needed, and features an electronically modulated converter clutch (EMCC) to control torque converter clutch slippage. The EMCC provides partial engagement in third, fourth or fifth gears, which improves shift feel, fuel economy, driveability and cooling.

Wards' odd prediction of a six-speed stick did not pan out - we would have been very surprised if it had! The base engine will be the 250 horsepower, 3.5 liter V6, with the 5.7 Hemi as optional, as we reported last year; the Hemi will probably be in most retail models. We'd love a stick but let's face it, most of the classic Chargers were sold with automatics...and for good reason, few could beat the TorqueFlite with the Borg-Warner manuals

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