THAT '70S SHOW; Dodge's 2008 Challenger SRT8 is a fast blast back to the good old days.(News)

Byline: PETE LYONS

If you missed the 1970-74 Challenger the first time around or you miss the one you had, this is a chance to feel reborn. The new retro car that Dodge calls a muscle coupe is resolutely reminiscent of the original-and we mean that both approvingly and otherwise.

In size, shape and style; in dynamics, handling and feel; in its suitability for both daily use and weekend adventure, the 425-hp 2008 Challenger SRT8 we recently drove on both road and racetrack seemed almost uncannily faithful to our admittedly aged memories of the good old days.

But also revived were memories of certain aspects of those days that we're glad have been left to history.

As described in "Muscle Machine'' in AW's Feb. 11 issue (also at autoweek.com), the new Challenger is built on the Chrysler 300C/Dodge Charger platform with its all-independent suspension and Hemi V8. To accommodate the 2+2 body style, four inches are sacrificed from the wheelbase, which is now 116 inches, but the Challenger's axles are still nearly nine inches farther apart than on its retro fellow, the Ford Mustang. Twenty-inch wheels make this Dodge look smaller than it really is.

Curb weight as estimated by the manufacturer is also higher, at 4140 pounds, than the 3920 quoted by Ford for its roughly comparable Shelby GT500.

But in retro cars, specs mean less than sensations, and the SRT8s we drove in mid-April from the Los Angeles basin over the San Gabriel Mountains and around Willow Springs raceway were an interesting blend of past and present.