Let’s start with an important point. This is a 2500 series truck, meaning it’s 3/4-ton job in the normal truck language. This means that you will not have the supple and smooth ride quality of the 1500 series half-ton with Ram’s great air suspension. You are going to know that you are in a 3/4-ton truck rolling up on great looking wheels and 33″ tires. If serenity of ride quality is one of your largest concerns when truck shopping, we’d recommend skipping anything above a half ton. If you want payload capacity, towing capacity, the look and feel of a larger truck, and absolutely zero concerns about not having enough power, the Rebel 2500 Heavy Duty with the 6.7L Cummins is the right place for you.

If we start from the bottom up there are a few great things to note about this truck. There’s a LOT of Power Wagon DNA living under here where it counts. From the Articulinks up front to the five link rear axle, the suspension is far more off road capable than the majority of buyers will ever need, but having and not needing is a whole lot better than needing an not having. The ride is not bone jarring, overly stiff, or unpleasant, but it does ride like a truck, which is something that increasing numbers of truck buyers seem to have a problem with. The steering weight and on-center accuracy were really good in this rig, even with the 33″ tires and all the weight of the big diesel up front. I’d take the ride of the Ram Rebel 2500 over the F-250 and place it very close to in concert, if not a little better than the GM offerings at this level of truck.

This Ram Rebel 2500 Heavy Duty is equipped with a bed that is six feet, four inches in length and as it carries the Ram Box option on each side, the payload area is narrowed up. This is an interesting trade off and one that may be an adjustment for shoppers who have never really given a close look to the Ram Box bed. Obviously this has been a successful option for Ram and it continues to be. For me? The usable space in the boxes far outweighs the loss in width for normal cargo stowage. The old “sheet of plywood” test which was a large benchmark for trucks for years doesn’t apply as much in this world of truck buying habits. These are not vehicles majority bought by contractors anymore. They are bought as family transportation and more. The Ram Box volume is larger than you’d expect if you have never seen one in person. LOTS of normal every day stuff can fit in these weatherproof compartments. You can still haul a load of mulch, loam, or sand home from the local material yard, just make sure the guy running the loader has it centered up properly!

If you have the money to spend, this is the only way to fly in the modern truck world. Diesel power is so good, so efficient, and honestly so well engineered these days that if you can pony up for it, these engines are the killer choice. In this truck the 6.7L Cummins makes 370hp and 850 lb-ft of torque. The transmission is a six speed automatic. The trick with diesels has always been to get as many gears behind them as humanly possible. Obviously the operating range is at far lower RPM than gasoline engines, so the more gears the better. I enjoyed the power, the responsiveness, and the smooth action of the transmission but as opposed to the competing options, this drivetrain felt a little long in the tooth. The reason? The competition has 10-speeds. Both GM and Ford use the 10-speed Allison transmission behind their diesels. This huge truck is not slow by any means but it sure does not attack the seat of the pants acceleration feels like the Ford and GM trucks with the 10-speeds do.

In a crew cab truck, size matters and we’re thinking that some of you reading this could experience a truck cab larger than your first home when you climb into this rig. The cab is literally enormous and it’s wonderfully quiet. Yes, you can hear some nice Cummins sounds when you flatten the pedal, but we want that. What you won’t here is wind noise, whistling, etc. The tires can sing a little but again, the cab is so well insulated that the noise is not at all unpleasant. The materials are nice, not over the top but you can tell they are durable and they present well. Trucks are obviously large ticket items, especially rigs like this with more serious engines and suspension options than a standard run of the mill half ton.

Up front there’s a lot happening and I think in a good way. The massive screen is the centerpiece of the whole operation and while many of you out there may shudder at the thought, there’s no putting the technology toothpaste back in the tube at this point. Screens are here, this one supplemented by plenty of physical buttons. The presence of the screen and the fact that it’s the first thing your eyes seek out keeps the interior property value up. Four wheel drive selections are made via dash buttons, the transmission is shifted with a good old column shifter, and the massive center console is both functional and proportional to the rest of the cab, which again, is the size of a small home.

The 2024 Ram Rebel 2500 Heavy Duty is, in my opinion as perfect a blend between a work and play truck as can exist in the 3/4-ton space. This truck would be fun with the 6.4L hemi engine but with the 6.7L Cummins, it has an entirely different level of burly personality. The truck is fun to drive, it is functional with its huge towing capacity, robust cargo capacity, and indestructible driveline from the engine on back (and forward).

The on-road presence of this truck hits different than some of the more “rebellious” models in the Dodge lineup. This is a well dressed brute that could just as easily rumble into the country club parking lot as it could the construction site on Monday morning. Hardcore without needing to apologize for itself, and a stout performer despite its transmission hamstring, this thing is BangShift approved up, down, and sideways.

The post We Drive it: The 2024 Ram Rebel 2500 Heavy Duty – Cummins Power, Good Looks, Power Wagon Parts appeared first on BangShift.com.

A quick rundown on the Slingshot’s basics: it’s a three-wheeled “autocycle” that is powered, in the case of pre-2020 models, is powered by a 2.4L Ecotec inline-four sourced from General Motors. 173 horsepower and 166 ft-lb of torque sound kind of meek, right up until you remember that this thing weighs about half as much as the Pontiac Solstice that powerplant was raided from. The Ecotec’s power is pushed through an Aisin AR-5 five-speed out through a belt-drive to the single rear wheel. The interior is pretty much on-par for anyone familiar with the interior of a RZR: the tub body has enough space for two people, with two cubby boxes behind the seats, a steering wheel last seen on a Cozy Coupe, and oddly enough, a Bluetooth sound system. In the case of the one we rented, we also had an aftermarket exhaust system that made the Ecotec sound like a pissed-off Chevy Cobalt SS.

Aside from my phone syncing up to the Bluetooth sound system with the wrong song cued up (which treated everybody scrambling for their rented rides to the explicit chorus of “I’m Only Joking” by Kongos), the acquisition of our rented ride was simple enough: no dirt trails, don’t chase the wildlife, and any ticket you get is all on you. Fill it up when you’re done, and have fun. After the usual two minutes of figuring out where the clutch pedal was happiest and how the controls would respond, we were off to roam around the forests.

Any concerns that the Slingshot would be a torture chamber after twenty minutes went completely out of the window. So long as you’re smart enough to wear a full-face helmet in something that can easily run at Interstate speeds and you’re dressed for the weather, you’re good. The Ecotec, unburdened from all of the excess baggage, is a lively little thing, one that actively pleads to be cut loose. The few times I had roads open enough to do so, I went for it and the Polaris would simply book in the direction pointed. Once the roads got twisty the Slingshot’s true nature started to shine through: it’s a corner carver that’s happiest at 7/10ths. If you want true track-attack mode, go find a Honda S2000 that’s wound tighter than a chihuahua that needs to be let outside. The Polaris is in fine form sweeping through curves at a grand touring pace, fast enough to be fun but not fast enough to bother the tires any. The Aisin box is a joy to row through, both up and down, and the brakes proved to be plenty adequate for the run to Clingman’s Dome and back.

After four-plus hours of road touring, I found myself loving the Slingshot. But the real question is this: does it qualify as a car replacement or a toy? Haley and I talked about that for a while, and we came to this conclusion: if I still lived in Arizona, in a place where open-top motoring was available most of the year with ease, the Slingshot has a chance of being a neat little commuter, a funky alternative to a econobox if you will. But don’t expect it to be truly frugal (we saw about 22 mpg during our stint), don’t expect it to hide in plain sight, and don’t expect the cops to ignore you. Where we live, the Polaris could only be a sunny-day driver at best, and that equals “toy”. Suddenly, the Miata, or the S2000, or the Solstice make a lot more sense.

I don’t want to disparage the Slingshot any. This might be the first vehicle I’ve driven in years that I could call “cheerful”. This thing was like a puppy…it wanted to get rambunctious and play everywhere it went and you couldn’t help but love it for that reason alone. It had the perfect amount of power for what anyone could or should intend to do with one. If you’re looking for a ripper, move along. What the Slingshot does is give you a feeling for that old-school small convertible feel, the kind British roadster enthusiasts go on and on about. Small, peppy engine, good handling, just enough gadgets to keep you sane, a proper manual trans, and the feeling like the world all around you is open. We could smell the grass, the creeks, the leaves. We could hear the water rushing uninterrupted, see every little crevice in the asphalt. The wind rushed around us, the view was spectacular, and the driving joy amplified the experience. That’s the Slingshot’s party trick.

But damned if I would want to drive one on the Interstate. Screw that.

The post BangShift Test Drive: 2018 Polaris Slingshot – Sports Car? Motorcycle? Eh, Have Both! appeared first on BangShift.com.

The Positives:

The positives…where to start? This thing looks like an armored escort for an overseas contractor, sounds like Germany’s answer to the Chevrolet LS6 454 when in sport mode, is as plush inside as a freaking Learjet, and has so much snob factor that even the normal blue-bloods that haunt Bowling Green took notice. Only the Mercedes-Maybach and the V12-powered AMG S65 ring higher on the chart, but by BangShift standards, this is the one you want anyways. That V12 might have the cylinder count and the big badge that says you’re swinging big, but 603 horsepower out of the 4.0L twin-turbocharged V8 does wonders, not to say anything about the 664 ft/lbs of torque. Naturally, one of the first things I had to do was to see just how provoked any executive sedan with the AMG badge could be. The answer: I was spitting out expletives like Gunnery Sergeant Hartman after he slammed his pinky toe against the dresser as the big German up and moved out, while Haley, pinned to her seat, could only get out, “Whoa…” The V12 goes away for 2019, and trust me, it’s not worth lamenting. The nine-speed automatic does it’s duty in either fully automatic or paddle-shift mode, with fully auto being seamless to nearly undetectable and manual mode responding like a scared underling who is fully aware that their job is on the line. Driving the big Merc around also tosses up a seriously impressive note: this thing does not feel as huge as it actually is. It’s a big car, make no mistake, but it’s only a slight bit heavier than the Angry Grandpa Chrysler. For the size of the car, the road manners are impeccable. The suspension tends to hover towards the softer side of good, the steering is crisp, and the nannies aren’t intrusive: the speed limit warning doesn’t even start flashing on the heads-up display until you’re a few miles an hour over, unlike the BMW’s, which panicked at (x + .001) MPH.

The other bright spot regarding the S63 is the interior space. Do you miss the heyday of the 1970s and full-size vehicles that allowed six-footers to stretch out comfortably in the rear seat? Welcome home, we’ve been expecting you. There is so much I could wax lyrical about regarding the interior. The driver’s seat has active bolstering, which not even a warning could have prevented me from being surprised by. Once the S63 realizes that you are turning, the bolster that is going to take your weight inflates and prepares to coddle you in. Turning left? Right side bolster inflates. It’s a neat feature, but until you actually get used to it, it throws you off. I’d like to break down all of the electronic gadgets that this car has…and it has three pages’ worth, that I can promise you…but I would need one of Mercedes’ “personal concierge” members to spend a full day showing me how all of it worked. I’m was happy figuring out how to work the HVAC, sound system and the seat cooling fan, which was all I was going to get a chance to check out on my short test drive. Maybe if I had a week or so with the car, I could offer more here.

How was it being chaffeured? Haley was instantly enamored with the window shades (I swear, at one point I thought I heard her say, “Goodbye, plebes” before shading the windows), but she found the ride in the back a little more bouncy that she’d personally prefer in Comfort mode. But overall, the perks for her obviously outweighed the faults as she watched the world roll by the windows, soaking up the almost ridiculously opulent setup in the back. The only thing that we didn’t do was bring along a DVD for her to watch on the rear seat entertainment screens. Had I known that was a thing, we could’ve tried that out.

The Negatives

I’ll be honest here…it is damn difficult to find fault with this car. I’m not swooning over it by any measure, but being honest, Mercedes has built one hell of a sedan. The engine is a stomper, the interior is really that good, and it eats up the miles on the Interstate like none other, with grace and the authority of a general on a mission. It’s damn good…and it had better be for it’s $172,545 asking price. By far and wide, meet the most expensive car that I’ve ever been behind the wheel of. We snapped the photos quickly, doing our best to get clear of a storm front that was packing good-sized hail and other fun we wanted no part of in this car, and on the way back to the dealership the price became a talking point. There’s lots to love about the S63…but who buys this car and why? And could another model, with this engine, suit the purpose better than the “bow, peasants” status of this car? Is that what makes the cost worth it? Wouldn’t the S-class coupe be more exclusive? Wouldn’t the droptop be a bigger middle finger to the lesser folk? Wouldn’t the E63 S be a better option overall?

At this price point, I simply do not have those answers. Sometimes, showing off how much money you truly have to waive around is the point. Sometimes, having the biggest hammer in the realm of the HOA is the point. The S63 isn’t what you want to tool around in town in. It’s not shouty but it’s nowhere near subtle. It’s a road-going answer to the private plane, exorbitantly comfortable and powerful, beautiful to look at, and yours if…and only if…you can cover the cost of entrance.

Big thanks to Scott Renshaw and Luxury Imports of Bowling Green for the opportunity to test out their Mercedes-AMG S63. 

The post Best of 2019: 2018 Mercedes-AMG S63 – Beyond Indulgence appeared first on BangShift.com.

Yes, I got the keys to a Hellcat Redeye. The red key, in fact, the party key, the one that allows every ounce of fun. It was a very quick jaunt around the Beech Bend property while light rain fell, so if you want to know how this thing’s highway manners are or what the car is like to live with, go read Lohnes’s take on the Hellcat Challenger and add the horsepower into the mix. My drive was simple: I took the car to the far end of the return road, turned around, made sure nobody was around me, and pinned the throttle. What, exactly does 797 horsepower actually feel like? When you start the car, the Redeye feels somehow even more substantial than the normal Hellcat. Each piston happily announces it’s presence and it’s intent to help make you involuntarily soil yourself. The whole car rocks at idle. Each shift of the automatic is direct and sharp. At low speeds, you’re driving a normal car…one that you barely need to use a toe to accelerate with, but otherwise normal. It stops fine, it turns fine, it feels fine. Everything says “normal Challenger” except the blower whine and the heavy metal bassline thumping out of the pipes.

Then I found my straightaway, turned the traction control off, took one deep breath, and went for broke.

When I drove the Hellcat Charger, in similar conditions, I found that the car would break the tires loose at highway speeds with enough provocation. The Redeye offers up the same overall sensation, but the sensation is even more violent. When the engine revs, the whole car becomes somehow that much more involved. The way the steering wheel shakes in your hand as the tach needle sweeps around, the way the seat compresses as physics compress seat foam and the fat of your ass in one fluid motion as the car starts forward motion…every last over-the-top back in the day story of how cars were, this one is. 

I only have two regrets: One, I can’t afford one. And two, that I didn’t rip a quarter-mile tire-fire that rose the dead and would have Dallas kicking me out of Beech Bend. The Hellcat is like a drug. The Redeye narrows that drug down: speed, in a heavy dose. The Redeye should honestly come with a waiver in the purchase process, holding FCA harmless from the medical and spiritual effects of what you are about to experience.

I’m now a junkie. I need a power fix. Damn you, SRT. Damn you.

A big thank you to the Hemi Bear for turning me loose in his personal Hellcat Redeye. That’s a lot of trust!

The post BangShift Test Drive: 2019 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye: It’s Overkill! Glorious Overkill! appeared first on BangShift.com.

The Negatives:

So, let’s start with the irritations that the 8-series caused me, simply because they must be addressed. The iDrive infotainment/computer system that BMW has used since forever is present in the 8-series. It’s functional, the quick-trip buttons are a nice touch, and it wasn’t buggy, but you need to spend some time learning the system, otherwise it will piss you off to no end. I actually spent five minutes trying to find the damn volume control for the music. The ventilation controls should probably be set before a trip as well, because they are fairly difficult to see on the move.

Opening the hood requires two pulls of the hood latch handle, once to release the main catch and again to release the secondary catch. I figured that out after a few minutes of muttering, “Where’s the f***king latch?!” while kneeling in front of the grilles. I did get a great view of the active aerodynamic shutters in the grilles, so that’s a plus. And, of course, the warning that the M850i gave me about the engine being hot to the touch had to set a nerve or two off…because I was all about grabbing ahold of the hose from the radiator after my cruise up Interstate 65. Speaking of warnings, in the gauge display and the heads-up display, you get a speedometer reading and the car reads the speed limits for the road. The moment you go one mile per hour over the limit, the displays start pulsing the speed limit sign and the numbers on the heads-up display turn red, as if to say, “Hey…HEY! SPEED LIMIT! Do you not understand law, idiot? You are breaking it!” And do not get me started about the lane assist system…any car that actively tries to steer without my own input has deeply earned my ire.

The Positives:

Was that enough bitching about my drive in an expensive GT coupe? Ok, here’s how it really went down: After figuring out the audio system, I left the dealership in the BMW’s Comfort mode. This keeps the V8 quiet, with just the slightest hint of engine burble audible. It’s nice for day to day use. The seats have just enough bolstering to be sporty, but they are plenty comfortable…at least the front two seats. Don’t attempt to put anything but a small weekend bag in the back seats…those aren’t fit for a human of any size. I drove the M850i up to NCM Motorsports Park in Comfort and there was no surprises. The car felt just a touch soft, but in a nice way. The engine pulled hard enough to be fun, and at 70 MPH you could have a very quiet conversation with no problem whatsoever.

At the track, I asked for and got permission to take the BMW onto the track for some shots (Thanks again, guys!) and got my work done. That’s when I finally checked out the “Sport Plus” mode. The suspension clamped down, the throttle response sharpened up a little bit, and the exhaust went from quiet and subtle to straight-up obnoxious. Even if some of that bark and cackling, popping goodness is piped in, I didn’t care…this thing went from nice, quiet German to some guy in the middle of a Rammstein mosh pit in half a second. At the first straightaway I pinned the throttle and without the hint of tire spin, the big BMW just shoved me into the seat while gaining speed at a rather entertaining rate. It doesn’t feel like an all-wheel-drive twin-turbo anything. In fact, I didn’t know about either of those points until a half-hour after I returned the car! It feels naturally-aspirated and it goes off like a bomb. Officially, the M850i is quoted running 0-60 MPH in 3.5 seconds and is supposed to be good for a mid-11 quarter mile. I don’t doubt that for a second. I also don’t doubt that the 0-100 MPH time is in the single-digits, either. I didn’t push it further than that, but give me the opportunity to take this car to a one-mile event and I’ll bet you’ll see the far end of 150 MPH at least, if you don’t smack the speed limiter in the process. Oh, one other thing: to the owner of the Ferrari F355…I’m sorry.

Final Thoughts: 

So it’s got some foibles that I’m not used to, some electronic nannies that can simply f*** right off, and it’s a ball and a half to drive. It’s not a bad looker, either, provided you are looking at the car from a rear three-quarter view. (I’m still not quite sold on the nose yet.) It acts less like a GT car and more like BMW’s proof of concept that they could make a better Camaro or Mustang. Seriously, that’s what driving the M850i had me thinking the whole time. Long hood, short deck, two doors and a V8 noise that is properly Germanic (read: bass-heavy and very angry) help that image. But one thing absolutely and utterly kills the joy: the price tag. The base MSRP is $111,900 and the cost of this Barcelona Blue example rang up at a total of $117,445. The $3,000 M Carbon Roof, $650 Anthracite alcantara headliner, $900 Comfort Seating Package (remote start, ventilated seats, and heated armrests) and $995 destination charge make up the difference. Running the Beemer was a fun treat, and to drive it is to enjoy it. But to own it…no, thanks. For that kind of money I’d be looking at one of the upper-end musclecars  and keep some money in my pocket, or would patiently wait for the C8 Corvette first.

Thanks to Bowling Green BMW for loaning me the 2019 M850i to test.

The post BangShift Test Drive: 2019 BMW M850i xDrive – GT Proper Or German Camaro? appeared first on BangShift.com.

And here’s the thing: unlike some people that I’ve met in life, instead of borrowing a jackhammer and trying to keep tunneling further downwards, Kia’s quality, fit and finish, appearances and longevity have been improving, markedly over the last ten years for sure. Kia took cars like the Spectra and Sportage SUV and focused on fixing the problem issues and the basic elements that early U.S. market cars and SUVs lacked. Around 2010, the company started to work on style, with their Optima sedan becoming a sleeper hit with it’s sleek shape. And now, for 2018, Kia has built something so out-of-their-element that all of the hyperbole that can be used is being used: they built a no-shit sports sedan, available as a rear-driver or an all-wheel-drive five-door hatchback. From the moment Kia dropped the GT concept car at the Frankfort Auto Show a couple of years ago, the automotive world has been watching. Is the world ready for a hot-rodded Kia, or even a premium-price Korean sedan that is aiming really high in the marketplace? We sampled a bit of the Stinger GT at SEMA during a test-drive and came away wanting more. And we got more, in the form of this Micro Blue 2018 Stinger GT AWD that the Martin Group allowed me to run loose with.

Let’s get this part out of the way right now: $52,405 is the number on the Monroney sticker for this GT2 AWD example. That’s a lot to choke down for a Kia, I get that. The GT2 is the bucks-up variation of the Stinger GT, the one with the twin-turbocharged 3.3L V6 that you want, and there were only two additional options over the base $51,400 price: $50 for a cargo net and $55 for wheel locks. So there is no pairing down further on this variation. But if you can live without the full-width sunroof, the thumping sound system and some of the technological add-ons, you can get into a RWD Stinger GT for $38,350 or an AWD Stinger GT for $40,550. You’ll still get the good V6, you’ll get the Brembo brakes, the LED headlights and taillights, and the 19″ wheel/tire package. The options are up to you, but before you read further, here’s the TL;DR summary: you can get a Stinger GT in the everything you want, nothing you don’t setup for a relatively decent price. I test what’s on the lot, not what is ideal for most readers or buyers, and this one was ready to roll. Got it? Ok, now read on to find out what driving this thing is like.

If you can’t say anything else nice about the Stinger lineup, you have to admit that Kia has come a long, long way in the style department. The Stinger GT is a handsome and fairly aggressive looking machine. It’s based on a shortened platform raided from the Genesis G90/Kia K900.

The party piece, the reason the Stinger GT has been on everybody’s lips: the aluminum 3.3L twin-turbocharged and intercooled V6. It makes 365 horsepower and 370 ft/lbs of torque, and has more than enough grunt to get silly with, especially in the rear-drive cars. YouTube search “Kia Stinger SEMA drifting” and you’ll see what we mean. You want to know the kind of grunt this Kia can make? Car and Driver managed to eek out a 12.9@111 MPH out of an early production model, and Road and Track’s times were within the noise. I’ll promise you this: line this car up against that Durango SRT I drove recently and you’ll have one hell of a drag race. It will be damn close.

Like most other performance-minded cars coming out lately, going to Brembo for good brakes is just common sense. Here, it’s four-piston front calipers and twin-piston rears. For driver use, it’s radical overkill. For track workouts, they are a spot-on choice, hustling the two-ton machine down easily and with no drama.

The Stinger GT is roomy. The front seats are exactly what you want in a driver-oriented car, and the backseat passengers aren’t going to be hurting for legroom…though taller passengers will notice that slope cutting into the headroom. The sound system in this car can silence any bitching…I don’t know what the Harman Kardon system goes to number-wise, but “3” was enough to feel the bass a little bit and “10”, still low on the scale, was bothersome. Nice!

Overall, the inside of the Kia is a nice place to be, but I will nit-pick a couple of things. First off, this Stinger had the nannies…lane-keeper assist being one that cropped up a couple of times, beeping at you when it detects road striping and you don’t have your signal on. Luckily, the nannies are an option called the Kia Drive Wise package and are not standard equipment. The iPad-like center display is fixed in place, which for me personally kills the otherwise attractive dashboard. It is, however, very easy to use. The dead pedal is a treat, the flat-bottomed steering wheel nice and comfortable, and the heater will roast you out of the car in minutes.

Another car where the drive modes actually do something! I tried out “Comfort” and “Sport”. Comfort is the one you want for daily use. Sport is when you want to play…the throttle gets seriously aggressive and the shift points in the eight-speed automatic get very crisp. There is a bit of turbo lag from a launch or at very low revs, but get into the RPM range just a little bit and the Kia comes alive like you poked the nitrous button.

I might be nit-picky about the dash, but the shifter was genuinely annoying. The thumb button is an “unlock switch” that allows you to cycle between reverse, neutral and drive. To put it into park, you hit that “P” button. Shift lever or buttons…not both.

It’s a hatchback! And a nicely useable one. See, we do care about practicality here. Driving the Stinger GT around town is a pleasant affair, though the virtually telepathic steering inputs initially had me using the word “nervous” a lot. The steering is that direct, though…you move that wheel any and the wheels will go with you. Overkill for a commuter, perfect for a road rocket. But the Kia isn’t a brutal-riding sedan…it’s not soft, but it’s not spine-compressing, either. That “GT” badge is accurate here…this car will make the drive enjoyable without kicking your ass the whole time.

Mitch Wright, NCM Motorsports Park’s general manager, initially thought that a BMW had appeared when he saw the car. After I dangled the keyfob in front of him and told him nobody would find out (sorry, buddy!), he got behind the wheel and flexed the Stinger GT’s muscle on the autocross pad. What that really means is that he went from one end of the asphalt to the other at WFO, drilled the brakes and went the other direction. The car hustles…you can wring the hell out of it and look like a star. The RWD version will step out if you get stupid and there’s a bit left on the table in the name of driver safety, but the look on his face after his drive said it all…very impressed.

So where does BangShift sit on the Stinger GT? That engine is a gem…it pulls from the second the turbos become involved to redline. The transmission is just about on point…every now and then the paddle-shifters aren’t as speedy as you’d hope, but we have seen much worse than these. They play along for the most part, but at 10/10ths, you’ll notice the slight delay that kicks up every now and then. The ride is going to come down to personal preference, but we appreciate that Kia stuck to the middle ground. Let the tuners and aftermarket dial up the harder-charging parts for those who like to fiddle. The body is attractive, the interior great (shifter being ignored) and it’s perfectly practical as a daily driver. You could have the 2.0L four-cylinder powered Stinger if you really want to go for the budget, but instead skip the options list, go for the baser-level Stinger GT, and do us one big favor: get over the brand name issue we’re sure many will have with this car. Kia has made a very competent sedan that will shock the hell out of plenty of vehicles on the road.

I can’t wait to read the hate mail on this one.

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Today, the buyer is spoiled for choice for a sport-utility vehicle…small, medium, large, jumbo, you can get it into your driveway for a price, but what price do you pay for the be-all, do-all vehicle? What is the magical family hauler that doubles as a cargo carrier and, usually, the main V8-powered machine really setting you back? Normally, it’s boredom. Yes, it can tow, yes it can haul items and people, but it isn’t going to stir your soul or anything else, is it? A few try and succeed…the Chevrolet TrailBlazer SS, the GMC Typhoon, and the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT have earned their places and have proven that the SUV can haul more than groceries. And one of the newest examples of the wonder wagon on the block is the Dodge Durango SRT, a three row unit that has recently gotten the SRT treatment. This means that the 392 Hemi from the Charger/Challenger line has made it under the hood, along with a lot of engineering time spent to make sure that once you drive one, that you don’t walk away thinking “big motor SUV and nothing more”. It’s a comprehensive package that clicks just right…and will leave the gearhead of the family jaw-dropped at what they just drove.

I’ve wanted to drive the Durango SRT since last summer’s Woodward Dream Cruise. We got to look at one there, but we weren’t allowed to even see inside of it. We didn’t even hear it run. I’ve been patient, but I didn’t know when the dealership was going to get one in. The folks at Martin Dodge didn’t wait for me to come into the dealership on the right day. Instead, they shot me a message and told me to move my hide before one got snapped up once it appeared. I guess I have an honest face. Yes, the Octane Red example I got my hands on was dirty…nobody has left this one alone since it arrived! To say this one is something special will require more photos and more words, but understand this: not only were both General Manager Bryan Metzger and Internet Sales Manager Scott Renshaw smiling like Cheshire Cats over having me drive the SRT, they were insistent that I go find somewhere open and have at the throttle at least once…I guess they were making up for my soaked drive in the Hellcat Charger. Read on to learn more…

The most obvious difference between the standard variety Durango and the SRT is seen up front: the open grille and the Hellcat-like hood treatment (with functioning heat extractors and intake scoop) give away the intention. A closer look also showcases the subtle fender flares needed to clear the rolling stock.

295/45 ZR20 Pirelli Scorpion Verde all-seasons tuck up underneath and offer up a decent ride with minimal tire noise. The brakes are Brembos, 15-inch rotors with six-piston calipers up front, 13.8-inch rotors with four-piston calipers in the rear. When you’re hauling this much ass (both speed and curb weight) having these brakes isn’t just important…it’s a necessity.

Underhood is a fairly well-known story: the 392 Hemi. 6.4 liters of modern Mopar grunt, cranking out 475 horsepower and 470 ft/lbs of torque. If you’re going to quip “only” 475 horsepower, then go throw your name on the list to buy a Trackhawk and be gone. The Durango SRT can, when equipped with the towing package, cart around 8,700 pounds (that trumps a Chevy Tahoe) and rip a quarter-mile a new one. Dodge claims 12.9 seconds in the quarter, and Car and Driver got 13.3@104. In a 5,300-plus pound SUV, that’s stout.

We will make no bones about it…the Durango SRT is going to cost you a pretty penny (think somewhere between $65,000-$72,000). So if you’re going to shell out that kind of money for a hot-rod SUV, it better be damn well worth it, right? The engine doesn’t let you down and the interior puts on it’s best face. The seats in our tester were leather-and-microsuede covered buckets up front, with the foldable second-row captain’s chairs and rear third row skinned the same. I drove this longer than any other vehicle I’ve test-driven, including highway miles, and you will not be lacking for comfort in these chairs.

Nor will you be lacking for room. It’s a true three-row SUV, and you might even be able to get adults back in there. Or you could fold down the seats and utilize the cargo space as you need.

The dash layout is themed along with the rest of Mopar’s modern offerings and functions well. The Uconnect infotainment system still is one of the better ones I’ve dealt with, and the Performance Pages is even easier to work here. The driving modes are no joke…I only operated in two: Track, which causes the Durango SRT to be wound tighter than a watch, and Sport, which got the big SUV to unwind just a touch. The paddle-shifters for the TorqueFlite 8 automatic trans work, but in both Sport and Track the trans does a great job of holding gears and shifting at the right times.

Speaking of the Performance Pages, the Durango SRT has, among other things like auxiliary gauges and the engine monitor (pictured, reminding me that I’m only using thirty horsepower and 75 ft/lbs of torque at speed), an on-board dynomometer that can record up to sixty seconds of information and showcases the shift points for the transmission. Something neat to watch as you’re scaring the hell out of your wife on the next on-ramp of opportunity.

During the key hand-over process, one thing that Metzger suggested that I do was to test out the truck like I meant it. Now, I want you to keep in mind, reader, that what I was encouraged to do with the Durango SRT is basically everything that YOU tell me to do with these test-drives…and they are things that make me nervous because I have no intention of breaking a vehicle or worse, wrecking one. It’s different that the deal that Lohnes has…if something happens while I have the key, it’s on me. That being said, it was a clear, cold day and the sun was out. So…

Let’s talk about the Launch Control system. This did get tested out…a couple of times, because the acceleration is wicked. The Durango SRT is AWD and it’s a system that can shove torque rearward as needed. In the Performance Pages, you can configure the RPM limit and the pattern is straightforward: be on level ground, have the steering wheel straight, be in first gear, and be ready for the fun. With one foot on the brake, you bury the throttle and once you get off the brakes, hang the **** on. All four tires dug in and the Durango SRT launched hard enough to remind me that I have nerve damage between my shoulder blades…that’s no joke. 4.4 seconds seems to be the typical 0-60 MPH run, and while I didn’t have enough room to test out the full run on KingSpeed Power and Performance’s concrete apron, there was more than enough room for the two-step rev limiter to kick on and for the Durango to show it’s stuff.

If you have the money to play, the Durango SRT is one hell of an option, but is it a real-deal option for an SUV for every use a family could have? It can haul cargo. It can haul people. It can tow. It can hustle like a modern musclecar. And, the kicker: it drives smaller than it should. What does that mean? A late-model Tahoe feels like a truck. It’s big, it’s roomy, it makes truck-like movements when you work the suspension out. The Durango SRT feels like a tall Charger SRT. The drive is almost car-like…you don’t forget that you’re taller than you would be in the sedan, but every other aspect, from the acceleration to the suspension to the brakes, doesn’t give you the impression that you’re in a hot-rodded truck. It would be easy to just say that the Durango SRT is just a regular Durango with a huge engine, but that isn’t accurate…if it was, the suspension would be playing catchup to the engine’s performance. Not here…we didn’t lap NCM Motorsports Park’s course at full chat (no way I’m doing that in 30-something degree weather) but I did flex the suspension out and trust me…it’s more than capable of embarrassing a lot of cars. It’s a whole-package deal that works very well. Dodge has been trying to build their reputation as a brand of performance…and the Durango SRT is a worthy offering for the SUV market.

Thanks again to Bryan Metzger and Scott Renshaw from Martin Dodge-Jeep-Chrysler-Ram for the opportunity to drive the Durango SRT, to Mike and Chase at KingSpeed Power and Performance for letting me cut loose in the parking lot and to Mitch Wright and Taylor Howard at NCM Motorsports Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky for allowing me onto the track on an off day for the photographs!

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In fact, let’s focus on Ford for a minute. While they weren’t the first to walk away from cars (excepting the Charger and 300, FCA is just about out of the game themselves), Ford is the one that made the big announcement first: No more cars after 2020 except Mustang. Originally there was supposed to be a Focus variant that looked like Ford copied Subaru’s homework from twenty years ago but it died when the word “tariff” started hitting the nightly news every ten minutes. Everything else, from the fuel-sipper Fiesta to the long-in-the-tooth Taurus, is getting the ax. I won’t miss the Taurus, and I feel that Ford is shooting themselves in the foot by getting rid of the Fiesta and Focus with fuel prices always ready to make that climb back up to four or five bucks a gallon. 

Now, the Fusion. The current version has been around since 2013, got it’s last facelift in 2017, and is going to get one more next year before it’s killed…or potentially turned into a knock-off of the Buick Regal TourX, a station wagon that isn’t, because marketing types automatically vomit at the thought of the word “wagon”. I’ve always thought the Fusion was just a Damn Good Car, nothing too special but well worth the cost. I first drove a 2009 Fusion Hybrid during my last few months in the Army, when I got one to be my personal TMP car, and I loved it. Everything I needed, never left me wanting anything except to get rid of the stupid “growing plant” gauge on the dash that told me how well I was behaving behind the wheel. I’ve recommended the Fusion every time I’m asked about a car, without question. And thanks to Scott at Hunt Chrysler Center in Franklin, Kentucky, I’d get a shot behind the wheel of one of the latest Fusions, a Sport. 

Here’s everything you should want or need to know about a car like this: 325 horsepower, 380 ft/lbs of torque, all wheel drive, and the tarted-up blackout treatment turn the Fusion into the sporty family sedan by looks alone. A little tweaking of the seat and steering wheel and my tall by large frame fit in beautifully. Around town it’s quiet and solid, moving right along with no drama or theatre. Hit the “S” mode on the shifter and nail the throttle and you’ll be pinned down as the four wheels dig in. Shift yourself with paddles or leave it in Drive, it doesn’t really matter…the twin-turbocharged and intercooled V6 will move you in a way that will leave you stunned that 164 cubic inches could be so capable. The ride is surprisingly good, partially due to what Ford calls Continuously Controlled Damping, the system that keeps the rolling stock from dropping down into potholes. I highly doubt that the sound I heard in the cabin was legit, but whoever picked that note found the perfect lower register for a V6. This one is a used trade-in that had 18,xxx miles on the clock, and I was cut loose for my own devices in the car. 

Instead of one of my more typical used-car reviews, I went for a drive and tried to sort out why a sport-ute is better than this sedan. I’ve got a pretty decent comparison in my head going, between this Fusion Sport and the Ford Edge Sport I drove back in 2015. Outside of hauling larger items in the back compartment, I have no reason in my mind why I would choose the Edge over the Fusion. Absolutely none. In fact, driving the Fusion brought back memories of the last V6 vehicle I owned, a 2001 Buick Regal GS. Both are sporty four-doors, both are decently quick, both treated the interior occupants quite nicely, and both had stereo systems that could raise the dead. The only difference between the two? Hard-launch the Fusion in boost and the car digs in HARD with all four. Hard-launch the Regal in boost and the front tires are going up in puff of smoke that can trail out for a few hundred feet if you did it right. I beat on this car, and I drove it like a sane individual. I enjoyed it either way. At no point in time was I concerned about whether or not I could fit that large package from Big Box Mart in the back. I didn’t care. I could haul three friends with me comfortably and enjoy the destination the whole way. I didn’t need to pack two families into three rows, with each seat serving up individual headset ports and screens.

If Ford is truly sincere about culling the car as we know it, if they are abandoning sedans to anyone else, then let the Fusion Sport go down as a fond memory. The regular Fusion was a damn good car. The Fusion Sport is a proper sleeper, a de-badging away from hiding in plain sight, a car that even your spouse shouldn’t suspect if you know how to keep your foot out of it. It’ll do everything but haul a pig to market or an 80″ television home with the hatch shut. And it’ll be yet another victim in the urgent need for anything to be everything to everyone, the car that didn’t need to be a monster or an ultra-luxury, six-figure machine to survive.

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This F8 Green model with its flared fenders, 20×11″ Devil’s Rim wheels, cloth interior, 8-speed automatic transmission, active suspension, deleted rear seat, 3.09 rear axle, and six piston brakes clicks all the boxes I want. The Hellcats are awesome, the Red Eye even more violently awesome still but they lack something when compared to this particular car. The standard R/T model with the 5.7L Hemi is great and makes for the coolest rental car in America but where the Hellcat and the Red Eye skew heavy on one side of the scale, the standard R/T just doesn’t quite bring enough when you have driven all the other cars in the lineup.

This is a handling muscle car that is the most balanced of the awesome Dodge lineup. That’s what I best enjoy about this car. I think the money is smart. Taking some of the options off the sticker of this thing gets you back deep into the $40k range and keeps all the performance range there. Then again, holy hell this thing looks amazing.

Because I didn’t want to hog all the Hemi myself I wanted to bring in Tony Sestito and Dave Nutting to have some fun here as well and get their respect takes on this car. What did they think? Read on to find out.

As for me? I love this thing.

Tony’s Take

Have you ever heard the expression “never meet your heroes”? The implication is that they will never live up to the person you hoped them to be, or worse, they could be a real jerk. This, of course, also applies to cars. Like many other car nerds, I’ve put more than a few cars up on a pedestal, only to be disappointed when finally sampling the car in person. Some of the cars I had plastered on my bedroom wall as a kid ended up being flatulent turds in the real world, never living up to the hype and praise constantly heaped upon them.

That brings me to the topic of the F8 Green Widebody Scat Pack Challenger you see here.

Ask anyone who knows me (especially my poor wife), and they will tell you that I’ve been borderline obsessed to the point of incessant annoyance with the modern Challenger ever since the unveiling of the original LX-based concept car back in 2006.

I was a huge fan of the original E-Body cars, and thanks to movies like Vanishing Point and my trusty pile of car magazines, I gravitated toward them. Unlike the GM F-Body cars, the Mustang, and even AMC’s offerings, there was something about the Challenger and ‘Cuda that made them just a tick more insane than the rest. The best Mopars from back in the Musclecar Era were always a step beyond that fine line between a sensible performance car and something wearing a Surgeon General’s warning label. Once modern cars like the original SRT8, Hellcat, and insane Demon started showing up, I wasn’t surprised at all. It was the modern equivalent of stabbing a 440 6-pack or a Street Hemi in between the fenders of the original Challenger. Mopar gonna Mopar, as the kids say, and it warmed my heart to see it.

With that introduction out of the way, let’s focus on my encounter with this “hero”.

First, the looks. Back when I was a kid, my parents had a 1970 Olds 98 Convertible that my sister and I called the “Big Green Booger Machine” for its dark green pigment, and we loathed the thing. Over the years, I’ve grown to like the color (and that car, which we miss dearly), and the shade that this Challenger is adorned with is much like the Highland Green that FoMoCo slathers all over certain special Mustangs named after movies with cool chase scenes. The base V6 Challenger looks great, so it’s no surprise that the SRT-style nose and the wide flares further compliment the visual package.

There are little details all over the car that let you and others know that you are driving something special, from the cool vortex pattern on the headlight-style air intakes to the small silhouette of the car embedded into the windshield glass, much like the Easter Eggs FCA has been hiding all over their Jeep products in recent years.

With that paint and the black wheels and accents, the whole visual package bridges the gap between classic and modern Mopar muscle, and people’s heads automatically swivel when you roll by. In layman’s terms, it looks absolutely badass.

Moving inside, you get an all-business environment equipped with everything you need and nothing you don’t.

The interior of the Challenger was upgraded for the 2015 model year refresh, and it still holds up well.

In lieu of the plastic dash and white faced gauges of the early cars that screamed dated cheapness and your mom’s old Tupperware, you get a sort-of-rubbery soft-touch dash and some very modern gauges and switchgear.

The steering wheel is big and meaty, and being equipped with the 8-speed automatic, there are the requisite flappy paddles attached to the wheel.

The front seats are covered in basic houndstooth cloth and were very comfortable, even with my XXL American posterior planted in them. This car was optioned with the rear seat delete package, which replaces the rear seats with a plastic tray with a cargo net. Even though the air bag warning sticker on the sun visor still says that the back seat is the best place for children, that cargo net isn’t going to keep them safe, so you may want to leave little Billy at home.

Speaking of cargo, the trunk is massive; Nutting had no problem hopping in and getting comfortable, so maybe you could stow the kids back there, who knows.

The gauges are fantastic, as is the 8.4” Uconnect infotainment system. Yes, this has the “good” radio, and for good reason: that large touchscreen has a suite of SRT Performance Pages that monitor the car’s systems as well as display all sorts of helpful data. The thing even has its own track timers, simulated on-board dyno, g-meters and a lot more. And unlike some other modern pony cars (ahem, Mustang GT), accessing the performance settings is simple and easy to perform. Instead of having to drill down into a bunch of menus, a couple touches of that screen and you’re right there.

Enough about the looks and all that; let’s talk about how this thing drives!

I’ve only driven one other Challenger: a 2018 GT AWD model with the Pentastar V6. That car was decent, but it felt more like driving a giant 2 door Subaru than a muscle coupe. Not that it was bad, it was just not what I expected. This Scat Pack Widebody was an entirely different beast. For 2019, Dodge tossed some Hellcat suspension bits at the Scat Pack cars, like bigger sway bars, stiffer springs, and adjustable shocks. And speaking of adjustability: by accessing the Performance Pages, you could configure the car’s drivability in all sorts of ways. Transmission settings, traction control, suspension and steering are independently reconfigurable with three modes: Street, Sport, and Track. The Street modes were the softest and cushiest, while Sport tightened everything up a notch, but keeping things civilized enough for loafing around town.

Then there’s the Track settings.

When selecting Track on the steering and suspension, the car felt even more planted, and even though it tracked a little rutty on the uneven New England roads we drove it on, I believe that’s due to the massive 305/35/20 steamrollers than anything else, and I’ve honestly driven a lot worse.

The transmission in Track Mode is up to the task as well, letting you wind out the gears and shifting harder than your buddy’s 3^rd Gen Camaro with a shift kit and the ever-important Corvette Servo. Not once was I pining for a third pedal and a row-your-own 6-speed shifter. I can’t believe it, either. It was that good. Also great were the large-by-huge brakes, featuring slotted rotors and Brembo calipers all around. Stopping in this thing is not a problem. And the handling: wheeling this thing around the twisties is completely effortless, and it feels great. It defies all logic as to how well a car this large can handle the way it does.

And what good is all of that technological wizardry unless it can put the power down on the ground? This car comes equipped with 392ci of pure Hemi awesomeness, and I’m pleased to inform that all 485 horses are thoroughbreds. Man, this thing will go if you ask it to! We’re talking sub-4 second 0-60 times and ¼ mile passes in the high 11’s. A twitch of the toes, and you’re blasting down the road at extra-legal speeds before you can say Scat Pack. And the best part: the car feels very balanced, no matter what you are doing. Whether you are commuting to the 9 to 5, carving up a fun driving road or blasting down the two-lane blacktop, it’s impossible not to enjoy yourself in this thing. While it’s not the fastest car I’ve driven, it might just be the most fun, and that’s saying something.

Now, pardon me while I start re-arranging my priorities for the impending purchase of a Dodge Challenger. My sincerest apologies to my wife; Challenger Want Syndrome has only been exacerbated by this review. Sorry, honey.

Nutting’s Take

I’m going to keep this short and to the one to the point. Mostly.

Recently we test-drove a brand new red on red Mustang GT convertible (CLICK HERE), which was an exercise in how far the American car manufacturers have come from the Bad Old Days of the 80s and 90s in regards to quality and technology: IRS, heated leather, and steering effort, transmission response, and even an exhaust note that could be changed at the flip of a switch, all with a 460+ horsepower V8 to put a smile on your face every time you stabbed the loud pedal.

It was a blast to drive, and yet, not surprisingly, absolutely no one gave a rat’s ass when it rumbled up next to them. After all, just another Mustang, right?

In stark contrast, within 10 feet of pulling out of Lohnes’ street we had an old dude walking down the sidewalk stop dead in his tracks, point his “finger guns” at us, and then yelled for us to do a burnout (You can’t make this stuff up). And yes, we obliged, because that is exactly what this car was made to do: Big Dumb American Things from a Big Dumb American Car (Which borrowed some components from Mercedes, but let’s not worry about that).

From the extra-wide tires that manage to scrub at full lock even with the fender flares to the aggressive bodywork and just-right exhaust note, this is a car that demands attention.

Now, let’s go through the typical “new car test drive” items that consumers seem to care about, because this is a new car review, after all:

 Fuel Economy

Sucks. Floor the throttle and literally watch the gas gauge move. Driving this car daily will cost you at the pump. Doesn’t matter, it’s worth it.

Interior

Don’t let Tony’s portion of the review fool you with his “soft-touch rubber” commentary, because this is the one part of the car that is somewhat lacking. Then again, let’s be real in that you’re not buying the car for the interior. The seats keep you planted, the steering wheel feels great, and the touch screen is intuitive and easy to use.

The rear seat delete is a questionable option, as this car’s raison d’être is to hoon around with as many friends as you can cram into it. Making a 4,000+ pound car a two-seater for “weight savings” is more futile than ordering a Diet Coke at McDonalds. You ordered the large Big Mac meal and a 20 piece nugget on the side. Own your decisions.

Also, can we talk about how the dash in this thing is slightly larger than the state of Rhode Island? Buy this car and win the “If you can reach this $100 bill on the dash and it’s yours” bet every time, even while parked. Trust me, I tried. This thing has to be two feet deep at parts. Dodge, what are you hiding behind that mass of rubber and plastic?

Overall though, it’s passable, and again, you didn’t buy this car for the interior.

Handling

For a big, heavy car, this thing is grounded to the ground as the experts say. Not surprising given the 305mm-wide tires at all four corners. That off-ramp speed limit? Merely a suggestion. I’d love to see how one of these does in the SCCA Classic American Muscle autocross class.

Engine

It’s 485 horsepower from a naturally aspirated 6.4L Hemi V8. No, it’s not the most powerful Challenger available, but it’s quick enough to break loose the tires (And break the law) at pretty much any speed.

Given that it was a brisk 30 degree day during our time with the car, we kept the car in Sport mode with the exception of the traction control because of that. Call us out on it, but with summer tires and cold pavement this thing will get sideways with ease. It’s perfect.

Exterior

You ever own a car where you can’t stop turning back to look at it while walking away after you parked it? This is that car, partly because it’s so freaking cool looking, and partly because you want to make sure that it hasn’t eaten the Toyota Camry parked next to it while you had your back turned.

If you’re going to buy one, opt for the green. It’s like stuffing a cage fighter into a tweed suit. Stunning to photograph and even better in person.

Overall

If you’re looking for a pony car and want something with an old-school look and feel, this is that car. Big V8, brash looks, and just enough modern amenities to keep any non-car enthusiasts in your life from thinking it’s completely ridiculous. Until you hit the gas, that is…

The post BangShift Test Drive: 2019 Challenger R/T Scat Pack Widebody – 485hp, Fender Flares, Tire Smoke, and True Muscle Car Spirit appeared first on BangShift.com.

You can pick and choose which advancement set the tone for the last fifteen years of staggering power figures but when Ford dropped the Cobra nameplate in lieu of “Shelby GT500”, Ford knew that pure power had to be applied. When the first ones came out in 2007, 500 horsepower was a stark wake-up call to the world that Ford was going to fight for supremacy…maybe it had something to do with the 2006 Camaro concept that wasn’t yet a sure thing. For 2011, when the Mustang got a facelift, it also got a fifty horsepower thump in power and tweaks that surprised the press. How could a car with a live rear axle drive like the Shelby did? How does a Mustang smack around a BMW M3 and a Corvette Grand Sport?

Then came the Internet, the YouTube videos, the moronic drivers who have turned hot Mustangs of this generation into punchlines and memes. “Insert Crowd Here” stickers might be funny, but there are plenty of news stories and videos that show talentless morons taking out everything from random shrubs to themselves. And yes, there are at least a couple of videos where the Mustang goes into a crowd of bystanders. Does that mean that too much power in an S-197 Mustang is a bad thing? Is it dangerous? Well, let’s find out.

The test car that Hunt Chrysler turned me loose with is a 2012 example with just over 20,000 miles on the clock. It’s a Performance Pack car that is now sporting Michelin Pilot Super Sport rubber at all four corners, so traction is only a slight worry. The options list on a Shelby of this vintage is gearhead heaven: 5.4L DOHC with a blower, Tremec TR-6060 six-speed, 3.73 rear gears, and one of the most wicked exhaust notes I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying in some time. The seats are the same design that was found in the Boss 302 Mustang of this vintage, and they grip and hold you nicely. The shifter’s cue ball grip is perfection, and when you key the ignition and wake it up, the whole car communicates with you at every touch point. This is no Mustang GT, and you know it from the word “go”. 

I want to say that I babied this stripe-less wonder. I’d be lying my ass off and then some. I did baby it as I drove out of town towards Interstate 65, and thanks to a ton of tractor-trailers, I didn’t get to do an onramp test. But instead I went and found a nice, curving backroad surrounded by soybean fields and that’s where the testing really started. We know that a Shelby can rip in a straight line, but what about corners? How does it do with that power and that rear axle? Simple: third gear, find your rhythm, and don’t get stupid with the throttle and the Shelby will make you look absolutely heroic. The steering, which is electric assist, makes transitions feel like you’re whipping around a fast go-kart, and I mean that…it isn’t just a stretch of wordplay.

So, low speed civility and the ability to corner without immediately diving off into farmland are good signs. But was I ready to let the engine eat? Yep. I found a solid four-lane rural highway with a good straight and made sure there was no traffic, then went for broke. Until I get a Hellcat or better under my belt, the Shelby is my current benchmark for how many times I can scream sharp obscenities in between gear changes. I launched about 3500 and after the initial traction scratch the Ford dug deep and proceeded to twist the speedometer around with alarming intensity. There wasn’t any real rear-end sway or anything that would catch me off-guard, but then again I’m not beating up the rev limiter in second with the tires boiling, either. Each new gear, another chirp and another set of words, until I was into triple-digits and backed off. Forget speed as an addiction…torque properly applied is better for your heart rate in the longer run. From that moment until I returned to town proper, I was romping the Shelby just about everywhere. Not beating on it, but not pussyfooting around, either.

The best part, though, came when I pulled into a parking lot next to a semi-truck wash station to shoot some still photos. I apologize to any trucker who was waiting for their wash, because the whole damn crew came out with phones at the ready to start snapping photos. I lost track of how many times I heard something to the extent of, “That’s a (clean, bad, wicked) muh-fuh right there!” I got asked if it was my car. I explained that I was just doing a write-up. I got asked how a job like that. I was not about to explain that story, so I just mumbled something about being very lucky and rowed the gears on my way down the road.

Ever since the Hellcat was unleashed, that 707 horsepower number has been the benchmark. Sure, the Demon and RedEye have bigger numbers. Even the 2012-13 Shelby GT500, with the 5.8L Trinity mills, throws down 662 horsepower. Doesn’t matter. Not one bit. If you have to own the top horsepower car, and you’ve got the cash, you’ll buy it. But if you want to reduce your reliance on a pacemaker, or simply want to remind yourself what a good adrenaline shot feels like, you will be hard-pressed to find a better car. Does it have problems? Yeah…the six-speed is a box of rocks being stirred with a shifter whose throws are measured in millimeters and finding sixth gear is an actual challenge that will piss you off. The interior plastics suck. It’s a Mustang, a “bellybutton” machine. Who gives a shit in the long run, really? You won’t…just drown out the detractors with that exhaust note as you start rowing the gears again. As if you needed a reason to do that.

The post BangShift Test Drive: 2012 Ford Shelby GT500 – No Crowds Were Harmed In The Testing Of This Vehicle appeared first on BangShift.com.