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-   -   Team BHP's First! Hemi Powered 2012 Dodge Charger (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-term-ownership-reviews/122551-team-bhps-first-hemi-powered-2012-dodge-charger-3.html)

Sweeeeeeeet ride amitoj!! I didn't know the charger came with AWD and all! But out of all the american companies, Dodge makes the most aggressive looking cars! The charger has such a angry face that could send Mustangs and Camaros cowering into their caves ;)

Can you post a video of the start-up, idling and revving (not too much as your car is new!!). I'm just lusting over the car shaking on start-up as you said in your post!

Cheers!!

As promised, here are some pics of the interiors.
Upon close look, the plastic is not really all that great. But it somewhat makes up for it with decent equipment levels.

Nappa leather front seats (heated)


8 way power seat adjustment with 4 way lumbar support adjustment for both front seats


Front door holds a standard sized water bottle (500 ml) and some other stuff


Thick chunky steering wheel with audio/phone/voice controls on left and cruise control buttons on right


Busy and yet simple dashboard. Everything that can be done via the touchscreen, can also be done through the buttons below the touchscreen. I have not taken a picture of the cup holders between the two front seat, because they are pretty ordinary cup holders, except for the fact that there is a button next to each one of them that can heat or cool them.


Leather gear knob


The charger logo on the dash. Looks kinda neat.


Alpine logo on the driver side door


Rear seats. I didnt take the child seat and booster seat out though. Driver's seat is pushed to the front a little (so that i could take a pic of the controls). Passenger seat is pushed all the way back. And they are heated too


Pretty standard rear door. By standard, i mean all 4 doors have same design


Also, pretty standard bootspace for a car this size. Rear seats have a 60:40 split to provide more bootspace.


The HEMI logo on the fender


And how can a post about interiors of a car on TBHP be complete without a pic of the engine bay.


Hemi on the engine cover


Another thing i forgot to take a picture of is the sunroof. It has two settings. One which opens it all the way, and second which just lifts it from one end as a vent.

Cheers
Amitoj

I'm so glad you went with the American instead of the regular and most boring Camry and Accord route that most Indians simply can't seem to do. VFM is a concept that is useful where both 'value' and 'money' are in short supply. I never understood why people hang to this concept in the US where you've access to so much variety within reason. Reliability is not the holy grail of auto motive experience. It it was, there will be very few BMW, Mercedes and other such cars sold, not even including the exotics. And even if it was, I'll put any post 2005 American car against the Japs, and I guarantee you, that most American models will win that battle, not withstanding the overrated Consumer Reports.

You've just opened an other and far more exciting world of cars and driving. It looks great. Congrats and the let the grinning begin. And when you do thank your stars that you're not in a Camry.

Thank you!

Well, I wont really blame them for taking that route. The honda-toyota reliability conception is not exactly a myth after all. And moving to a different country, you are already taking a big risk. I guess it is natural for us to minimize the risk factors and go for at least one proven reliable thing.
And the American cars just need to be given some time to show that they have indeed come a long a way and can be a viable option for any car buyer. Ford has the lead right now among the American cars.

Cheers
Amitoj

Congrats Amitoj. Great buy. I am Dodge fan, though more of the Vintage and Classic stuff considering in India only these are still available

The earliest known Charger in India is a 1968 Dodge Charger RT SE owned by a collector in Mumbai and posted in the Classic Cars section
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/vintag...ml#post2277156

Here is a picture is a comparison of the car so that you could see the progress in 44 years.



Cheers

KPS

congrats Paaji! that's hot!!

btw, you've not answered my question yet: kitna deti hai? :D

have you done a tank-to-tank yet?

treat to banta hai; when coming to Meenakshi mall? lol:

btw, what a car; can play badminton in the boot! *green grinning fella*

Thanks for the pic, KPS! I have been eyeing that R/T logo on the grill for some time. It is available, i think, as a standard Mopar accessory.

By the way, the Mopar website still seems to belong to old ages. Take a look at this link:
Nameplates, Emblems & Medallions - NAMEPLATE, R/T - 04806323AB | Mopar

They have diagrams!!

Arre baba let the car settle down first! And let me also settle down in the car.
I've seen mileage vary between 15 to 20 mpg with mostly city driving. I've realised that this car does not like idling at all! When cruising, it has this FuelSaver technology where only 4 cylinders are firing. But when idling, all 8 cylinders are running and i can literally see mileage drop at the rate of 0.1 mpg per 15 seconds. 4 cylinders would probably not be enough to move this 2+ tonne mass anyway.

On the subject of logos and emblems, I have noticed that the Dodge company emblem does not appear anywhere on the outside. It is only put on the steering wheel. Strange.

And, while you are on the Mopar website, maybe you want to consider putting the Fratzog emblem on your car - as a tribute to the original Charger?

Well, there are plenty of other logos on the car, so i guess they let that one go stupid:

Get a rubberized seat protector ASAP lest you should spoil your rear seats. even with that I feel a towel under it provides better cushioning.

Amazon.com: Munchkin Auto Seat Protector: Baby
it's usually available in walmart too.

EDIT: just read the reviews and some mention a dye issue. use a towel between the protector and the seat leather anyway.

So no Abarth? At least you fell for a brand now owned by Fiat:D

Jokes apart, my only experience driving a hemi is when I had rented a Ram 2500 for couple of days. And it was addictive enough that I returned it with a (very) heavy heart.

It can't get any more American? Congratulations on adding some American Muscle to your life.

Congrats Amit, its a great looking beast & that engine bay looks fantastic.

Do keep us posted on the overall ownership :)

Thanks!
I guess American cars can do with a little bit of European flair. And Europeans can maybe start considering "big" as "good"

Thanks Vivek. Right now the car seats are doing duty in another car, but I will surely get something like these this week.

Thanks Techno. I should be coming up with a short travelog soon

Did a trip to NYC in the charger over the weekend. It was nice to get a few thumbs up on the way by complete strangers on the way :D

I was super surprised to come across another red charger on my way back. And so was he! The usual exchange of thumbs ups happened and then we travelled together for quite some distance. Finally we waved goodbyes when i had to take a pit stop. The "only" difference was that his was the SRT8 with the beautiful all black grill and the works.

Also, for all you mileage freaks, i managed to achieve 24mpg on this trip! clap:

On an aside, people in NYC are not all that rude. We had a double stroller that needed to be carried up and down the stairs of the subway (with two kids asleep in it!!). A LOT of people came forward to help us out. Felt nice and taught us a lesson about not giving too much importance to perceptions.

Alright. So I am back in Nashua after a week long trip to Canada (Toronto)

Overall I must have covered nearly 1800 miles over the past one week. The car gave me a mileage of 26mpg!! And this included quite a few slow crawls on the 401 between Brampton and Pickering in Ontario.

Maybe the fact that i have not been filling it up with anything other than Shell 91 after switching the oil to Pennzoil Ultimate had something to do with it.

Time to treat her to some Meguiar stuff now!