It’s a crazy-great combination: a two-door muscle car with all wheel drive. The 2017 Dodge Challenger GT can boast that it’s the world’s first AWD American muscle car. But that declaration doesn’t do this car justice. The AWD Challenger is great for the daily commute as a crazy-fun transporter. During a week-long test drive, the Challenger’s superb handling and on-demand power were on full display. The new-for-2017 GT trim features paddle shifters and sport mode for a more performance-oriented drive via quicker gear changes and higher holding rpm.
Standard power for the Challenger GT is a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 that produces 305 horsepower at 6350 rpm and 268 pounds-feet of torque at 4800 rpm. Special tuning of the induction system and the dual exhaust means 90 percent of the engine’s peak torque is available from 1800 rpm to 6400 rpm. Challenger’s AWD system (also used in the Dodge Charger AWD) transitions between 2WD and AWD seamlessly with 100% of the torque to the rear wheels under normal driving conditions. The tested Challenger GT AWD has a MSRP of $33,395 and collects estimated mpg of 18 city/27 highway with the 8-speed automatic transmission.