a throaty soundtrack. God bless, and long live, the V8.

Less likely to engender compliments is the 2011 Charger's five-speed automatic transmission, derived from a Mercedes-Benz design. It was recalibrated for the 2011 Charger to be more responsive, and the five-speed does its job without complaint.

Yet the five-speed is undoubtedly just a placeholder until the arrival of a new eight-speed automatic trans-mission, which is reportedly being developed in conjunction with ZF. Expect the eight-speed as a running change at some point in the 2012 model year.

And speaking of expected changes, an SRT8 version is rumored to be coming about a year from now. It will feature the same 392-cubic-inch Hemi V8 found in the 2011 Challenger SRT8 392 with a massive 470-horsepower spinning the rear wheels. With an expected starting price near $40,000, it should provide a viable alternative to imported sport sedans costing significantly more.

At Infineon Raceway north of San Francisco, Dodge gave me the chance to flog the Charger R/T on the track. I came away extremely impressed--not so much by the power from the Hemi as with the sharpness of the chassis.

While many think the chassis is a carryover from the previous version's E-Class-derived underpinnings, nothing could be further from the truth.

Improved stick comes courtesy of new front and rear suspension calibrations designed to deliver sharper handling response. This was apparent on both the track and on the twisting roads north of San Francisco.

More aggressive front- and rear-camber geometry settings, -1.0 degrees up front and -1.75 degrees in the rear, contribute to the improved crispness of the handling.

Another contributing factor are all-new premium hydrobushings combined with new monotube shock absorbers, spring rates, and re-designed front and rear multi-link suspension geometries that provide the 2011 Dodge Charger with exceptional performance handling dynamics for such a large car.

Moreover, the new electro-hydraulic power-steering system in the 2011 Charger features 25 percent quicker steering combined