You might wonder “Is the Dodge Charger a sports car?” after looking at its growling engine sound and lightning-fast speed. Dodge Charger cars have both the features of muscle cars and sports category cars.
It is due to their powerful engine, agile chassis, and fast handling. In this guide, we’re going to explore how it qualifies as a sports category car.
Contents
Is Your Dodge Charger Considered a Sports Car?
Yes, your Dodge Charger is considered a sports car because it offers drivers options to select driving mode. These modes are of three types: Performance suspension, High performance, and Wide-body competitive suspension performance. It has the enormous characteristics of a sports category car.
One of them is its brake system. It ensures the safety of drivers during high speed with its 4-piston or 6-piston brake system. Brakes during fast speed apply slowly and provide a smooth and perfect experience for the driver instead of miss when braking sharply.
There are certain features you have to take in mind when classifying a car as a sports category car. These are engine cylinders, horsepower, weight, and car height. Additionally, the make and model of the car also matter in this regard. However, you can also feel its nature during a test drive.
The Charger model comes with a horsepower of 290, which is one reason you must consider it a sports car. Its weight of 3,940 pounds also makes it unique. For example, Dodge Charger SXT and SRT Hellcat Redeye are examples of super luxury, great power sports line cars.
– High Insurance Rates
Car insurance is also a factor in deciding about the sports car standing of Dodge Charger because sports category cars have higher insurance rates than normal cars. Due to the high horsepower engine, stylish look, and expensive driving systems, the Dodge Charger costs more money in insurance.
On average, Dodge Charger costs approximately $700 more than a normal Sedan car. This cost is intermediate, neither too high nor too low, because Dodge cars have a mix of features. Some vehicles are close to the normal muscle category while others are sports category expensive cars with high auto insurance.
– Dodge Charger Background
The background of the Dodge Charger is well understood when we look at the starting point where Dodge entered the sports category car market. In 1928, Chrysler, a famous and reliable car manufacturer, bought the Dodge. Later in the early 1930s, Chrysler entered the competitive sports car manufacturing market.
In 1934, Dodge debuted its first entry by releasing the first Charger model. It was a modified version of the Dodge Sedan that proved its worth as a competitive racer. You can learn about it from the first race, Snowflake 100, which won in 1934. This success encouraged Dodge to produce street-legal versions of the car. Additionally, these include racing-inspired upgrades like their track-ready counterparts.
After the successful production of the Dodge Charger SE model, the company launched the modern version in 1966. With a sleek and eye-catching design, it quickly became popular and is considered one of the favorite muscle cars on the road. The more powerful version Dodge Charger R/T is still admired by car enthusiasts.
What Characteristics of Dodge Charger Make It a Sports Car?
The characteristics of Dodge Charger that make it a sports car include its design, engine, drive system, and others. If you’re wondering whether a Charger falls in a muscle, pony, or sports category, then this outline gives you a clear idea about which area fits the best.
Below are some of the characteristics which uncover different aspects of Dodge cars.
– Engine Type
The engine type is one major factor that identifies whether a car is of muscle or sports category. Generally, muscle cars have heavy V8 engines, while sports category cars come with varying engine types. However, in the sports category, cars typically have smaller engine types like V6, Inline-6, or Inline-4. These engines are smaller in weight and provide better handling.
Below is a list of different engine types Charger cars mostly have in different generations. If you carefully analyze the outcome, you’ll see that Charger cars have mixed engine types. Thus, you cannot categorize the Charger cars based on the engine type.
First, all generations of Charger cars have V8 engines, a trait of muscle cars. On the other hand, some models have V6, I6, and I4 engines that you cannot consider muscle cars.
Several engines in different generations are:
- 1965-1968: 5.2 V8, 5.9 V8, 6.3 V8, 7.0 V8
- 1968-1970: 3.7 I6, 5.3 V8, 6.3 V8, 7.2 V8
- 1971-1972: 3.7 I6, 5.2 V8, 5.9 V8, 6.3 V8, 6.5 V8, 7.0 V8, 7.2 V8
- 1974-1978: 3.7 I6, 5.2 V8, 5.9 V8, 6.5 V8
- 1981-1987: 1.6 I4, 1.7 I4, 2.2 I4
- 2005-2010: 2.7 V6, 3.5 V6, 5.6 V8
- 2010-2015: 3.6 V6, 5.7 V8
- 2015 and onward: 3.6 V6, 5.7 V8
Some Charger cars have smaller V8 engines called “pony cars.” Between 1968 and 1971, the first two generations had big V8 engines that made them muscle cars. Later, after 1971 pony generation started, Dodge included various engine types like V6, I6, and I4, which are very close to the sports category.
– Design
Design is essential to categorize whether a car is of sports or muscle type. Generally, when we look at muscle-type vehicles, they have two doors and a large grill at the front to allow maximum airflow to the engine for cooling purposes. While sports category cars also have two doors, their design is based on better handling and aerodynamics.
Sports category cars generally sit low to the ground and look fast. Certain elements indicate whether a vehicle is sports or muscle. First, Charger cars have a big drill in front, which is a muscle criterion. In contrast, sports cars have a low center of gravity with no big grill. In 2005, Dodge further complicated the discussion by introducing a 4-door car, which is not included in any car category.
Stylish designs often confuse people and make them wonder about the car category. One such confusion comes with the Challenger, which has a stunning design and eye-catching look. So, is the Dodge Challenger a sports car? In short, no. It is a heavy car which is not included in a sports camp.
– Weight
Weight is also a factor that helps in differentiating between car categories. Sports cars are generally lighter in weight, which helps in better handling. The average weight of a sports car weighs somewhere around 3,000 pounds. On the contrary, muscle-category vehicles have a higher weight, about 4,000 pounds, which helps in straight-line motion.
Most models of Dodge cars from 2006 to 2021 have a curb weight greater than 3,500, except the Scat Pack and HellCat. So, the more you look at the weight of the Dodge Charger, you’ll realize that cars are heavy, giving little agility. Scat Pack and Dodge Charger Hellcat have much higher weights and are made for straight-line motion.
– The Drive System
Sports and muscle category cars also differ regarding the drive system. In general, most muscle-category cars have rear-wheel drive. While the sports category cars also have rear-wheel drive, they can also be front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.
Thus, it is not clear from the drive system whether the Dodge Charger is a muscle category or sports category car. Most early models have rear-wheel drive, but 2005 and onward models have a mix of both the rear-wheel and all-wheel drive, so we cannot consider the drive system as the deciding factor when categorizing cars.
A car with rear-wheel drive and a heavy V8 engine is a muscle category car. On the other hand, small V8 or V6 cars with small blocks are pony cars, while the rest fall into the sports category cars.
Conclusion
Dodge Charger cars have hybrid versions ranging from purely muscle categories to more sports-like cars. Some features indicate its sports nature, while others are precisely the opposite.
Here are some key takeaways about the true nature of Dodge cars:
- The Dodge Charger is considered a sports car because it has the characteristics of a sports category car.
- The company aimed at producing more sports nature cars and found it a successful venture.
- Dodge cars have mixed engine types from heavy to light sports category ones. The design is also very similar to a sports car, but the grill in some versions shows muscle category.
- In terms of weight, Charger cars are heavy, resembling muscle cars.
- Drive system and insurance costs portray the intermediate nature of Dodge cars.
Although you now have a clear idea about the nature of Dodge Charger cars, if you still have questions, don’t hesitate to mention them in the comment section below!
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