A family Van type car with good load capacity, passenger comfort and sports car performance. It is part of the new Chrysler car family that recalls the tradition of the 70s.
Dodge tries to waste power on every vehicle it puts on sale. This time it is the Magnum SRT8 with Hemi engine that joins the family of colossos such as the brand new Charger, Stratus, Durango and Dakota vans and the Viper SRT 10. The only little brother, the younger brother, is the Neon, which also features a sports version.
This wave of Chrysler models impacts its performance. The Magnum SRT8 has a V8 HEMI 6.100 cm3 that produces 425 horsepower. It can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 5 seconds, from 0 to 160 km/h in 16.5 seconds and travel the quarter mile in 13 seconds. And that's not all, it brakes from 100 km/h to 0 in 33 meters. That's enough.
The V8, which reaches its maximum torque of 420 lbs ft at 4,800 rpm, is made of cast steel block, forged steel crankshaft and aluminum alloy cylinder heads with hemispherical combustion chambers (hence its name HEMI).
To achieve the V8 power increase, the camshaft profile was redesigned to allow for a more efficient air flow of cylinders in and out. The stem of the valves are hollow and that inner space was filled with sodium, to dissipate the heat more efficiently. The compression radius was brought from 9. 6:1 to 10. 3:1 to increase efficiency and gain more power. The intake manifold was also almost completely redesigned and the exhaust manifold diameter is widened by ¼ inch per pipe.
As far as maneuverability is concerned, as the previous Magnum model had 85 HP less, the suspensions were readjusted. Replaced the old anti-roll bars with a new larger diameter. The take-off from the ground was reduced by 3.8 cm, remaining at a height of 13 cm.
The ESP (Electronic Stability Program) was reconfigured for the needs of a much more powerful vehicle than the previous one. For maneuverability also helps the use of huge tires, 245/45/20 forward and 255/45/20 rear. The 20-inch diameter wheels are forged aluminum.
Brakes, developed by Brembo and calibrated by SRT, allow exceptional braking capacity for this heavy vehicle, almost 2,000 kg. The discs are 36 cm in diameter at the front and 35 cm in the back. The Magnum has four-wheel ABS system, traction control and electronic stability control.
Some interesting options are: transparent sunroof, heated seats and side airbags. You can also have a “SIRIUS® Satellite Radio and a UConnect” system for talking on the phone with hands-free option and Bluetooth technology. Up to 7 cell phones with this technology can be configured to respond to voice-activated commands.
The safety features include the telescopic steering column, pre-tension inertial seat belts and side curtain airbags. The electrically operated windows feature an Auto-reverse system, which detects if the window is impeded by any object and then lowered again. Another important element is the OCS (Occupant Classification System), which in the front passenger seat detects the weight of the subject and activates or deactivates the Airbag.
The Dodge Magnum SRT8 will be assembled at the Brampton plant in Ontario, Canada. It will be released in the middle of 2005 as a 2006 model. It will be available in 3 colours: red, silver and black.
Rear wheel drive (or integral)
0 to 100 km/h: 5 sec
Rims diameter: 20”
Weight: 1932 kg.
More info at www.dodge.com
© Adrián Blanco 2005 — Prohibited the total or partial reproduction of text and/or images without explicit written consent of the author. —
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