after mentioning that I had written a review in another thread, it was recommended that I repost it in a new thread (with new title so people could see that a review existed within the thread - so without further ado, here it is:
Set-Up:
supercharged my '09 in 2012 while I was still stationed in Germany. procharger 8 psi boost on stock 6.1 with canned vortech tune. (only other mod is a catch can). ive put a little over 20k miles since then (including a couple nurburgring laps, and 100+ mi road trip at speeds hitting 150+ mph to get there with some coworkers) and have never regretted it.
Surge:
never dyno'd it, but should be getting just over 500 BHP to the wheels (compared to others with similar setup in the past), but drivability never changed from stock. low rpm driving is still a pleasure. note: there is a power band, but it's at/near 80mph steady-state driving where you get a small, but noticeable, "surge" effect.
Fuel Economy:
not much (if any at all) difference with my setup. I still get 19-21 MPG at TX interstate speeds (80-85) note: I don't grossly speed (nor would I ever promote doing so), but it's not unheard of for me to go 3-5mph over (except when passing - yes, it's extremely easy to hit 100 mph before my rear bumper reaches their front bumper). in town, she still hates residential speeds at 30 mph (SC or not!!) due to the way the tranny is geared, but with consistent moderate to heavy starts from dead stop I get about 14-16 MPG. again, about what you'd expect from stock 6.1
Reliability:
zero engine or SC related problems. as mentioned in another post there has been the rare occasion when my CEL comes on in moderately cold weather. but, as stated in the other post, the light has gone off (on both occurrences) after some spirited driving at or near WOT. I don't think this has anything to with the engine (regardless that the CEL is lit) or the fact that my car is SC'ed. as stated above I've got about 20k mi with the SC and 40k on the odometer. others with similar setup have had over 50k with no issues at all, or minor (easily fixable) issues with the SC itself in one case.
But, What does it feel/drive like?!?!:
note: all experiences given below are with General G-Max AS-03 275/40/20 tires on all 4 corners:
handling is smooth and predictable. at speeds near or above 150 mph the car is well balanced and solid with a bit more power in reserve. note: at these speeds with 275 tires there is a small, but noticeable "lag/sway" feel when changing lanes due to the ever so slightly wider rubber. it was felt initially when starting the lane change, but never was cause for concern. I only mention it here to be thorough. I never felt it on corners, only when changing lanes. nurburgring racetrack was a BLAST!!
Over 60: when mashing the "go-pedal" at speeds above 60mph the tranny drops gears appropriately, the tires grip, and the car accelerates (very quickly). possible to get slight chirp depending on incline/decline. as mentioned briefly above it takes only 2-3 seconds to go from 60-100. dropping the hammer at 100mph will STILL put you back in your seat very noticeably. acceleration from 100-150 (while never actually timed) is quick and noticeable. hard acceleration starts dropping noticeably above 140 (due to drag coefficient)
50-60: possible to get wheel spin (depending on incline/decline) for short period when mashing gas from speeds of 50-60mph, but not enough for traction control to kick in. light feathering or "controlled" stomp will get best results.
40 and below: moderate to severe heart palpitations (due to burst of adrenaline) may occur as the rear end attempts to pass the front end. nuff said
dead stop: stomping the "go-pedal" from a dead stop is not recommended for this (my) vehicle unless you like the smell of roasting tires in the morning (not to mention cleaning tar off the rear quarter panel)....or any other time of day really. for best effect, controlled feathering is highly recommended - at least until you've gotten to "know" her. on the better runs I've had (open highway stretches, pulling out from side street) it's not unheard of to get a "long" chirp (as opposed to "short" chirp, or wheel spin) when shifting gears around 60-65 mph, especially on the "harder" shifts. note: tranny can be a little finicky. if too cold she can/has hit the rev limiter and fluttered until I (while moderately panicking) manually attempt to "make" her shift. but, once she warms up she veritably SLAMS into gear....hard and fast. this could be due to the extra power I'm pushing, but only happens when the engine/trans is cold. I've never pushed her so hard that she got heat soaked (engine or trans), so I am regrettably unable to speak to that point.
the only other thing of note is the infamous super charger "whine/whistle." my car really doesn't have any noticeable whistle **from the SC itself**. the blow-off valve, however, is another matter entirely. it does whistle (when not boosting). loudly. annoyingly so, and it WILL be fixed (one of these days
I hope this little mini-review of my supercharged (but otherwise stock) 2009 Charger SRT helps (anyone looking to do the same) make an informed decision. all-in-all I highly recommend it. for those who are interested, it cost under $11k total with installer being paid in Euros and having to be shipped to Germany via USPS.
Set-Up:
supercharged my '09 in 2012 while I was still stationed in Germany. procharger 8 psi boost on stock 6.1 with canned vortech tune. (only other mod is a catch can). ive put a little over 20k miles since then (including a couple nurburgring laps, and 100+ mi road trip at speeds hitting 150+ mph to get there with some coworkers) and have never regretted it.
Surge:
never dyno'd it, but should be getting just over 500 BHP to the wheels (compared to others with similar setup in the past), but drivability never changed from stock. low rpm driving is still a pleasure. note: there is a power band, but it's at/near 80mph steady-state driving where you get a small, but noticeable, "surge" effect.
Fuel Economy:
not much (if any at all) difference with my setup. I still get 19-21 MPG at TX interstate speeds (80-85) note: I don't grossly speed (nor would I ever promote doing so), but it's not unheard of for me to go 3-5mph over (except when passing - yes, it's extremely easy to hit 100 mph before my rear bumper reaches their front bumper). in town, she still hates residential speeds at 30 mph (SC or not!!) due to the way the tranny is geared, but with consistent moderate to heavy starts from dead stop I get about 14-16 MPG. again, about what you'd expect from stock 6.1
Reliability:
zero engine or SC related problems. as mentioned in another post there has been the rare occasion when my CEL comes on in moderately cold weather. but, as stated in the other post, the light has gone off (on both occurrences) after some spirited driving at or near WOT. I don't think this has anything to with the engine (regardless that the CEL is lit) or the fact that my car is SC'ed. as stated above I've got about 20k mi with the SC and 40k on the odometer. others with similar setup have had over 50k with no issues at all, or minor (easily fixable) issues with the SC itself in one case.
But, What does it feel/drive like?!?!:
note: all experiences given below are with General G-Max AS-03 275/40/20 tires on all 4 corners:
handling is smooth and predictable. at speeds near or above 150 mph the car is well balanced and solid with a bit more power in reserve. note: at these speeds with 275 tires there is a small, but noticeable "lag/sway" feel when changing lanes due to the ever so slightly wider rubber. it was felt initially when starting the lane change, but never was cause for concern. I only mention it here to be thorough. I never felt it on corners, only when changing lanes. nurburgring racetrack was a BLAST!!
Over 60: when mashing the "go-pedal" at speeds above 60mph the tranny drops gears appropriately, the tires grip, and the car accelerates (very quickly). possible to get slight chirp depending on incline/decline. as mentioned briefly above it takes only 2-3 seconds to go from 60-100. dropping the hammer at 100mph will STILL put you back in your seat very noticeably. acceleration from 100-150 (while never actually timed) is quick and noticeable. hard acceleration starts dropping noticeably above 140 (due to drag coefficient)
50-60: possible to get wheel spin (depending on incline/decline) for short period when mashing gas from speeds of 50-60mph, but not enough for traction control to kick in. light feathering or "controlled" stomp will get best results.
40 and below: moderate to severe heart palpitations (due to burst of adrenaline) may occur as the rear end attempts to pass the front end. nuff said
dead stop: stomping the "go-pedal" from a dead stop is not recommended for this (my) vehicle unless you like the smell of roasting tires in the morning (not to mention cleaning tar off the rear quarter panel)....or any other time of day really. for best effect, controlled feathering is highly recommended - at least until you've gotten to "know" her. on the better runs I've had (open highway stretches, pulling out from side street) it's not unheard of to get a "long" chirp (as opposed to "short" chirp, or wheel spin) when shifting gears around 60-65 mph, especially on the "harder" shifts. note: tranny can be a little finicky. if too cold she can/has hit the rev limiter and fluttered until I (while moderately panicking) manually attempt to "make" her shift. but, once she warms up she veritably SLAMS into gear....hard and fast. this could be due to the extra power I'm pushing, but only happens when the engine/trans is cold. I've never pushed her so hard that she got heat soaked (engine or trans), so I am regrettably unable to speak to that point.
the only other thing of note is the infamous super charger "whine/whistle." my car really doesn't have any noticeable whistle **from the SC itself**. the blow-off valve, however, is another matter entirely. it does whistle (when not boosting). loudly. annoyingly so, and it WILL be fixed (one of these days
I hope this little mini-review of my supercharged (but otherwise stock) 2009 Charger SRT helps (anyone looking to do the same) make an informed decision. all-in-all I highly recommend it. for those who are interested, it cost under $11k total with installer being paid in Euros and having to be shipped to Germany via USPS.
