I can still remember the launch of the 2008 Dodge Challenger while covering the Chicago Auto Show. Many of us journalists had seen the original Challenger concept car, but we all wondered if Chrysler would get the production car right. We needn’t have worried as the car Dodge showed us at the event was more than we could have hoped for. To my mind, it was the best execution of a modern muscle car when compared to both the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro. Every element, from the exterior styling to the interior, just seemed perfect. The new Challenger also featured a fun ad campaign with a great series of commercials, such as this one.
Over the years, I have driven several of these cars and I still feel that in the modern pony car world, the Dodge is the best homage to the 1960s and 1970s. It is an extremely well-built and fun-to-drive fast car that handles well. As a result, I see the first-year model of the new Challenger as a future collector car.
One of these first-year cars, 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 500, is now on AutoHunter.
Before all you MOPAR people go crazy about the car’s name, just know that it is correct. The Challenger SRT8 500 was unique to the Canadian market and named in honor of the original Charger and Coronet 500s, all of which were shipped to Canadian Dodge dealers. The 500 is a limited-production model; a total of only 670 examples of the Challenger SRT8 wore the 500 badging.
The seller describes this 2008 Challenger as being powered by its original 6.1-liter Hemi V8, which is mated to a five-speed automatic transmission. It is painted in Hemi Orange over a Dark Slate Gray leather interior and has covered a total of only 9,220 miles from new.
The exterior is just how you would expect it to look on a car with 9,220 total miles: just like new. This Challenger SRT8 500 features factory black hood decals, hood vents, a factory black rear spoiler, and its original 20-inch SRT forged aluminum wheels with staggered-width 245/45 front and 255/45 rear Goodyear Eagle F1 radial tires.
The interior looks to be just as good as the exterior. The perfect Dark Slate Gray leather bucket seats do not have any visible bolster wear. Cabin features include air conditioning, a tilt and telescopic steering column, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, and a Uconnect infotainment system with an AM/FM radio, a six-CD/DVD changer, navigation, USB connectivity, SiriusXM, and Bluetooth compatibility. Being in a Canadian-market car, the instrumentation includes a 300-km/h speedometer (which also shows the mph), an 8,000-rpm tachometer, and temperature and fuel gauges. The odometer shows 14,839 kilometers, which converts to 9,220 miles. The most recent CARFAX odometer reading is 13,778 kilometers (8,561 miles) as of August 2022.
Under the hood is the factory SRT Hemi 6.1-liter V8, which looks as good as it did when it came off the assembly line. It is stock with no modifications whatsoever – what you want in a collector car.
The car includes its original window sticker, Dodge certificate of authenticity, Canadian registration, and a clean CARFAX report. I am betting that there are also some service records included with the sale as the car is just too nice for those to be missing. If not, I am pretty sure that if you take it to the dealer, they will have them on their computer as this car has been well loved since new.
If you are looking for a true collector-grade example of the first model year of the new Dodge Challenger, I would take a serious look at this one. They really don’t come much better than this. Act fast, though. The auction for this 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 500 ends on Monday, February 3, 2025 at 11:30 a.m. (MST).
Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and a photo gallery
