All About Japan Autos

Dodge has a secret that neither Chevy nor Ford will want to hear: its 2011 Challenger is getting a serious boost in power.

According to documents leaked by OntarioStreetCar.com, the base Challenger will be equipped with a 3.6-liter V6 engine that’ll produce 305 horsepower and 268 pound-feet of torque. The middle-of-the-pack RT will feature a 5.7-liter HEMI that’ll make 379 horsepower and 410 pound-feet of torque. Meanwhile, the brutish SRT8 will pump 475 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque through a 6.4-liter HEMI.

Autoblog notes: “That’s a 50-hp and 18 lb-ft. rise for the 3.6-liter V6 over the current 3.5-liter, which ought to make Dodge’s muscle car much more competitive with base models of the Camaro and Mustang. Moving up, there is a 50-hp bump in ponies alongside a 40-lb-ft. increase in torque for the top-shelf 6.4-liter that should help the SRT8 compete with Ford’s GT500. The man in the middle, the 5.7-liter, makes do with an increase of seven horsepower and ten pound-feet.”

In regard to the SRT8’s power, AutoGuide comments: “That’s way off the Shelby’s 550-hp number, but there’s a real chance this engine is underrated as Dodge brand CEO Ralph Gilles reportedly told dealers the car would hit 60-mph in under 4 seconds – a reduction of as much as a second compared to the current SRT8.”

According to Edmunds, the 2011 Dodge Challenger will hit dealer lots in November.

If you’re in the market for a new car, check out the U.S. News rankings of this year’s best cars as well as this month’s best car deals.