2012 Dodge Charger SRT8 ‘Super Bee’ – A Super bargain?

April 5th, 2012 by Road Test TV

What do you get when you take a formidable late-model Dodge Charger SRT8 and strip it of most of its non-go-fast parts?  The 2012 Dodge Charger SRT8 Super Bee — and a check for about $4300.  Dodge took a weight-is-the-nemesis approach when applying the classic Super Bee name to this modern Hemi V8 sled.

So you’re shopping around for a lot of car with a lot of motor (6.4L Hemi, 470hp/470lb-ft to be exact) but you don’t require all the creature comforts commonly found on SRT-labeled Detroit ground-pounders.  Well here’s what Chrysler says that $4300 could have bought, but didn’t.

  • Heated and ventilated seats (dress in layers)
  • Heated steering wheel (wear gloves)
  • Six more driver’s seat adjustments
  • Heated and chilled cup holders (call Coleman)
  • Factory GPS navigation (aftermarket has plenty of options)
  • Leather seating (won’t notice with all the layers you’ll be wearing)
  • Forged wheels (cast is better than nothing!)
  • Adaptive dampers at the corners
  • Active exhaust (you want the Hemi, not tranquility)
  • Sunroof (keep your eyes forward)
  • Driver Confidence Group (rain-sensing wipers, a rearview camera, blind-spot monitoring, auto high-beams)
  • Adaptive Cruise Group (adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning)

The savings in wallet and weight turn in impressive acceleration numbers for the new Bee.  With the five speed automatic as your only choice, 60mph arrives in just 4.2 seconds — 100mph in 9.8 seconds — and the quarter mile is over in 12.6 seconds with a 115mph trap speed.  These figures absolutely demolish the 68-71 Super Bee with any engine configuration available at that time.

At just under $42,500 MSRP, it’s the second least expensive way to get behind the wheel of a (new) Hemi (see RAM 1500 Express).

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