2005 Dodge Magnum R/t Wagon 4-door 5.7l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2015 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack

We all knew That Kid. As a freshman, he was a big kid, overweight but surprisingly strong. Still, he was often picked on for his size. Then, he chatted with the football coach, who convinced him that his true calling was on the team's offensive line. After a season on the freshman squad and a summer of two-a-days, this mild-mannered, husky high schooler returned for his sophomore year as a big, imposing, solid piece of muscle. Needless to say, the same bullies that picked on him were praying he'd forgotten about them as a 10th grader.
That's the V8-powered 2015 Dodge Challenger. It arrived on the scene with a max of 425 horsepower and a bit of a weight problem. It completed its proverbial freshman year with a nice 2011 refresh, where the SRT8 was bumped up to 470 hp, but it still had some work to do.
Enter 2015, and fresh off three months of constant burpees and wind sprints, the newest Challenger is as big and powerful as it's ever been, but it's now got poise and potential, and my goodness, it's fun in a way that Dodge's muscle car has never been.

This or That: 2005 Dodge Ram SRT-10 vs. 2005 Subaru WRX STI [w/poll]

Some cars, due to ultimate desirability, particular rareness, or spectacular performance/prestige eventually become collectible. It's darn near impossible to know which ones will make it into the rarefied stratosphere of collectibility – why is a late 1960s AMC AMX so affordable these days, whereas prices for late '70s Pontiac Trans Ams are soaring? – but there are some useful indicators to keep tabs on. We're not exactly experts on investing, but we do know cars. As such, we've decided to take our non-expertise on one hand, combine it in the other with our knowledge of all things automotive, wad it up, throw it out and ask for your forgiveness. Or something like that. I've challenged Senior Editor Seyth Miersma to choose a car he thinks will become a future collector's item that's not more than 10 years old, and for no more than $25,000. I've done the same, and we vigorously argued for and against each other's picks. I feel good about my choice, but I don't have the best track record in these contests (I've lost three times, won twice, but they've all been pretty close), so, while I'm not going to beg (please vote for me!), I do hope you find my argument convincing. But first, let's hear from Seyth: Miersma: Ten-years old or newer makes this challenging. At that age most vehicles feel like a plain old used car to me, few hit the "classic" button. But the Subaru WRX STI has always been a special car, and the 2005 cutoff year proves to be very attractive for the parameters of our contest. It's rare; with fewer than 5,000 STI models sold that model year. It's probably the best looking WRX STI ever sold in America; narrowly avoiding the dreadful "horse collar" front fascia. And it's got one of the more die-hard car-geek followings out there. For $25,000, you can also still find examples that have reasonable miles, are in good condition, and haven't all been molested by grown-up Initial D wannabes. With the street racers hacking up collectable examples every day, I like my odds for steep appreciation by way of conservation. I couldn't agree more. It really is difficult to predict what cars will catch the eye of collectors, and the WRX STI seems like a pretty good choice. But I think mine is even better, and I can't let him know that I'd love to park just such an STI in my very own garage. And so goes my argument: Korzeniewski: I like your choice as a driver, Seyth. I'm less convinced of its status as a sure-fire collectible.

Find these Star Wars-themed Dodge muscle cars near you

Getting excited for the upcoming release of The Force Awakens? Well you're not alone. Aside from the legions of fans squeezing into their costumes to line up for the theatrical premier on December 18, Dodge has been roaming the streets of Los Angeles with three Star Wars-themed muscle cars. And you can track where they're going on Twitter. The trio includes a Charger and Challenger, both in SRT spec, with Hellcat engines, and wrapped to look like Stormtroopers from the First Order Legion like the Fiat 500e we saw at the LA show last month. They're joined by a Viper ACR done up in a black livery inspired by Kylo Ren – one of the villains in the upcoming sequel. The special squadron has been patrolling the streets of LA since Friday and will be through Monday. If you spot them, you can post their location to Twitter with the hashtags #Dodge and #TheForceAwakens – and if you haven't, you can see where others have in real time. As we go to press, they've already been spotted in Beverly Hills, at The Grove, and on Hollywood Boulevard. Of course, this isn't the first time we've seen cars used to promote Star Wars, or vice versa. Volkswagen famously channeled Darth Vader, Toyota used everyone's favorite droids to advertise the Prius PHEV, and Nissan used Stormtroopers to promote the Juke. Red Bull even had its whole team dressed up in costume at the 2005 Monaco Grand Prix. We doubt this will be the last time we'll see the Force propel itself on four wheels in our galaxy, either. Related Video: Specially Wrapped Dodge and Viper Vehicles Patrol L.A. Streets This Weekend in Celebration of Upcoming "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" - Fans can get their pictures taken with First Order Stormtrooper-themed white Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat and Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, plus Kylo Ren-inspired black Dodge Viper ACR - Vehicles patrol Los Angeles-area streets Friday, Dec. 11 – Monday, Dec. 14 - Track vehicle locations in real time on Twitter using hashtags #Dodge and #TheForceAwakens - Dodge social media activation part of FCA US partnership with Disney and Lucasfilm to co-promote "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" opening in theaters December 18 December 11, 2015 , Los Angeles - The weekend before "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" opens in theaters worldwide, Dodge is taking to the streets of greater Los Angeles with a team of specially wrapped Dodge vehicles to give fans the opportunity to take photos and videos with them.