How Much HP Can A 2006 Dodge Charger R/T Produce And Does It Have A V6 Or V8 Engine?
The 2006 Dodge Charger marked the sixth generation of the iconic model and celebrated the return of the "Brotherhood of Muscle" after twenty years of absence. The American automaker began teasing the public with its next-gen muscle car in 1999 by launching the Charger R/T concept car in Detroit. By 2006, the production Dodge Charger lost many of those styling cues, but it entered the market with a few bragging rights under its belt.
The sixth-gen Charger was built on the Chrysler 300's LX platform, imbued with some German DNA. The car was available with a V6 engine, but if you wanted V8 muscle in a 2006 Dodge Charger, the R/T was the one to get. The 2006 Charger R/T came with a Canadian-sourced Chrysler 5.7-liter Hemi V8 under the hood, producing 340 horsepower and 390 lb-ft of torque. The 5.7-liter HEMI also had a multiple displacement system (MDS) that shut down half of the cylinders to save fuel when appropriate. Meanwhile, the base SE and SXT models left the factory with a 250-horsepower 3.5-liter V6.
Mercedes design helped power the 2006 Dodge Charger
There's been a lot of chatter on social media and online forums over the years concerning how much of the 2006 Dodge Charger's LX platform has Mercedes-Benz DNA as Mercedes and Chrysler merged in 1998 to form DaimlerChrysler AG. The new partnership stopped work on the front-wheel drive LH platform, and Chrysler started developing the rear-drive LX architecture.
The LX platform that underpinned the 2006 Dodge Charger had a five-link independent rear suspension derived from the W211 Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Other features of the model, such as the dual-pivot steering system and five-speed automatic transmission were also derived from Mercedes tech at the time.
It may sound heretical to call the sixth-gen Dodge Charger a Mercedes, but it is what it is. The combination of American and European design ultimately yielded a modern classic. Meanwhile, the V8-equipped Charger R/T got factory-sourced upgrades like beefier brakes and plush leather seats.