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Dodge Challenger GT Gets Torque When & Where Needed
The AWD version of the Challenger GT has an EPA-estimated 18/27/21 mpg city/highway/combined.
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Tim Kuniskis, Head of Passenger Cars, Dodge, SRT, Chrysler and FIAT, FCA North America, when announcing the 2017 Dodge Challenger GT, which went on sale in the U.S. earlier this year, said, “The Challenger has always been the most wide-ranging and functional muscle coupe, and now, with the new 305-horsepower all-wheel-drive Challenger GT, we are stretching the functional and geographic boundaries even further.”
All-wheel-drive muscle car?
Yep.
The vehicle uses a Torque-On-Demand transfer case with vehicle dynamic control (VDC) technology from Borg-Warner (borgwarner.com). The transfer case uses electromagnetic actuation to automatically transition between front- and rear-wheel drive without any intervention from the driver. The VDC uses sensor inputs including yaw rate, lateral acceleration and steering wheel angle to distribute the torque as required.
Because the Challenger GT is engineered for “spirited” driving, when the car is put in sport mode the VDC uses less-aggressive brake-based stability control settings, yet the AWD capability is still in play.
Because FCA like all OEMs has to be concerned with the fuel efficiency of even cars like the Challenger GT, when AWD capability isn’t needed, the front axle is automatically disconnected.
The AWD version of the Challenger GT has an EPA-estimated 18/27/21 mpg city/highway/combined. Which this transfer case setup undoubtedly contributes to.