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The Challenger is the third in Chrysler's triple-play of styling hits, following the retro-look PT Cruiser and the Chrysler 300/Dodge Magnum/Charger from which it's derived. Get one early (the 2008s were sold out before the 2009 was announced) and it will make your day longer because everyone wants to drool over it and quiz you: "Is this the new Challenger?" Duh. "Is it fast?" Duh again. "Can I drive it?" Duh, no.

Although it's quite faithful to the 1970-vintage Challenger that powered its creation, the current Dodge Challenger avoids coming across as a retro car or a new car; it's the sort of middle ground that may better stand the test of time. It was unanimously praised by on-lookers as a cool-looking car and is as faithful to the original as has been done in recent years.

Part of the Challenger's appeal comes from its commanding presence; it's a big car. Just four inches shorter than the Charger sedan but wider and lower, it's also just five inches shorter and two inches narrower than Dodge's big Grand Caravan box and fills the average garage slot. The Challenger is also about 10 inches longer than the Ford Mustang, its closest competitor until the Chevrolet Camaro returns.

Unlike most new cars, the maximum width is carried well out to the ends resulting in a broad, menacing car. The very wide, horizontal grille, spoilers, and tail lamps accentuate the width, as does a turret-like roof and window treatment, and the haunches over the rear wheels where the roof fairs into the trunk and the character line kicks up. The proportions all seem just right, from the carrier-deck expanse of flat hood larger than most modern pickups, to the foot-high side glass and dark lower body trim, and into the massive rear roof pillars.

The major lines are only part of the equation, with details just as well executed. The four round headlamps and deeply inset grille of the original are still there, though now the inside lights are turn signals and the outer pair the headlamps. Where signals rode below the bumper on the '70 the new one has fog lamps, and careful sculpting has maintained the classic look without destroying aerodynamic efficiency.

From the side, the SRT8's 20-inch wheels frame bright red brake calipers and slotted discs and fill large fender openings that are creased along the edges. Hood scoops carry Hemi badges on V8 cars and are functional in that cool air goes in or warm air vents to atmosphere, but they do not feed cold air straight into the engine; the ducts in the spoiler direct cooling air to the front brakes and small winglets at the front wheel openings better define airflow. The fixed side rear windows do not allow the full open hardtop of the original with its frameless doors but in a nod to that look Dodge kept the pillars behind the glass so they aren't so obvious. A bright fuel filler cap on Challenger R/T and SRT8 finishes off the driver's side. The door handles look retro and stylish, but they're hard to grab.

Out back, a full-width panel of red lights with a pair of backup lights wedged in the middle of it, along with chrome DODGE lettering in a font right out of "That '70s Show." While only the outer pairs of bulbs light for brake and turn functions, the entire width is used for tail lights. On the Challenger SRT8 the trunk spoiler is a flat black low-profile piece like that on the original T/A, and of course V8 cars have dual chrome rectangular exhaust outlets in the lower bumper.

Paintwork on the cars we saw was very good, as it must be, given the vast surfaces lacking any ornamentation or style lines. The paint feels smooth to the touch and looks great. But, at least in V8 form, the Challenger is a muscle car that many insist requires stripes, so plenty of wallpaper is optional if you don't want to paint your own.

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The interior harkens back to the muscle car era in that many muscle cars were born of generic sedans and had similar interiors, and so too does the Challenger mimic recent Dodge and Chrysler sedans. It appears functional and well put together, yet has the least emotional impact of any aspect of the car.

To preserve the ensconced feeling the headliner is a dark material; in fact almost everything is dark. On the Challenger SRT8 we tested, the monotony is broken with chrome highlights on door handles, control knobs, and gauge bezels, light-faced instruments, semi-glossy carbon-fiber-look center panel trim, a big chrome band around the shifter that bounced sun glare all over, and dark orange leather stripes across the front seat backrests. Everything else inside, seats, carpet, trim, was dark.

While a race-inspired interior is one of the SRT division's major criteria, the primary inspiration here is manifested in the front seats. The contrast-stitched, heavily bolstered buckets in the SRT8 with their leather outers and velour inserts do an excellent job of keeping you in place. However, unlike many so-called sport seats these do not feel overly firm: The driver lumbar can tune out some squish in the backrest. Nor are they confining: Big bodies are more prone to be comfortable here than in a BMW or Infiniti sport seat. Front-seat headrests are adjustable for height only and the seatbelt loop goes with it to avoid belt chafing.

Although it's almost hidden in dark recesses, the rear seat is also quite comfortable and roomier than most expect. The back seat can accommodate two plus someone little in the middle. Back-seat riders get only moderate legroom, however, caused by the very thick front seat backrests. The rear bench seat has three shoulder belts, baby seat anchors, a fold-down armrest with cup holders, coat hooks, two central vents, and two integral headrests. The seat folds down to expand the trunk when the front seats are no further back than average. On the minus side the only lights back here are in the front seat backrests, the side panels are mostly plastic, the windows are fixed and getting in is a nuisance; the passenger seat has a lift lever that tilts the backrest and slides the seat forward but it doesn't automatically return to its previous position.

A manual tilt/telescope steering column allows plenty of adjustment and a view of the instruments but its overly generous diameter is more appropriate for a small power yacht than a sporty car. The fingertip button arrangement is good.

Lights and the trunk release are to the left on the dash, and the single stalk on the left shows evidence of Dodge's old relationship with Mercedes: It has auto-blink signals (one touch gives 3 blinks) and high beams/flash-to-pass, plus wash/wipe controls that require you to take your hand off the wheel to activate them. Cruise control is on a smaller stalk to lower right.

Gauges include fuel on the left, which descends progressively more quickly as the tank is consumed, tachometer, speedometer (140, 160, 180 mph on SE, R/T, SRT8 respectively) and numbered coolant temperature. On the SRT8 these are light-faced with dark numbers and blue-green illumination that matches the various digital displays.

Standard on Dodge Challenger SRT8 and available on R/T is a message center in the tachometer that does the display work for 128 functions from radio station to performance data; you can do your own 0-60, 1/8-mile, 1/4-mile, braking distance and lateral acceleration. It does fuel economy, too, but you don't need that reminder.

Also available on some models is keyless go, a no-ignition-switch setup that uses a simple pushbutton to start the car. However, unlike every other similar system we've tried the Challenger does not have a lock/unlock touch surface outside, so you still have to use the key remote to lock or unlock the doors, essentially defeating any convenience aspect.

Below the center vents is the audio/navigation system with typical features and real-time traffic, although the 522-watt Kicker audio upgrade with the trunk-mounted subwoofer fed by its exclusive 200-watt amp clearly outdoes any 1970 quadraphonic 8-track: Led Zeppelin didn't sound this good live in 1970. Standard three-ring single-zone climate control is lower on the panel, with switches for stability control (more later), hazard lights, seat heaters and such along the bottom. All of the controls except for the door lock and window switches are illuminated.

The center console has a mild lateral slope to the driver, with a small bin ahead of the shifter, two upholders behind it, and space under the sliding-top center armrest. The glove box is typical but the door pockets are split with a larger pocket at the front edge and a smaller pocket near the rear edge. The passenger door armrest has a small bin that might hold an MP3 player or pack of smokes, at least until a hard right turn.

Although the pillars are on the wide side you sit far enough away from the windshield to avoid forward blind spots, and the view to the rear is fairly good too because the side glass goes well back and the rear window's as big as the mirror view. With the seat position low to the glass line the edges aren't perfectly defined, but the rear view mirrors are the widest part and you can see most of the hood.

Trunk space won't be an issue. At more than 16 cubic feet it matches the Dodge Charger and Audi's big A5 coupe and clearly betters the Mustang. Underfloor is the standard tire-inflator kit (compact spare optional only on SE, R/T), battery, and a vinyl-album-sized bin sure to be filled with a nitrous bottle sooner or later by someone. The rear seat folds wide side on the driver side, and the left-side-mounted subwoofer is out of the way and has a metal grille to protect it, a good thing because there are no tie-downs here so the contents will shift. And like an old Challenger you have to pick up the cargo nearly three feet off the ground and over a foot of bodywork before dropping it in the trunk.