2005 Dodge Magnum RT Wagon "Hauls"

[Ming]

Properly Equipped, It Hauls
Warren Brown
Washington Post
Sunday, July 25, 2004

It was cool vanilla clear-coat paint over the long, low-slung body of the 2005 Dodge Magnum RT wagon, this week's automobile.

The wagon had a Hemi -- Dodge's 5.7-liter, 340-horsepower V-8 engine with the hemispherical combustion chambers.

Air and fuel are mixed, compressed and burned in those dome-top cylinders, which are more often found in racing cars than in family wagons.

The dome design allows for a more complete mix and burn, which yields lots of torque, or twisting power, to turn the shaft that drives the standard Magnum RT's rear wheels. Thus, the Magnum RT, with its bulldog face and sassily tapered rear end, runs faster than any station wagon has a right to run.

For that matter, it runs faster than some sports cars.

But not all of the Magnum RT's eight cylinders fire up at the same time. The Hemi in it is what Dodge calls a "multi-displacement V-8" and what the people at General Motors Corp. call a "displacement-on-demand," or DOD, engine. It means that four of the engine's eight cylinders are working at low speeds and during gentle, gradual acceleration.

Operating in the four-cylinder mode improves fuel economy by 5 to 20 percent, depending on driving habits and conditions, according to engineers at DaimlerChrysler AG, owner of the Chrysler Group and its Dodge division.

But when you want to kick it, yeah! When you want to stomp that pedal to race that metal, whoa! When you want to raise a little hell, that's when you know that thing's got a Hemi in it!

All of the engine's eight cylinders go to work, hauling the Magnum RT's 4,125 pounds from 0 to 60 miles per hour in about seven seconds. It is a performance of muted drama. Instead of a roar, a low, steady groan arises from the engine bay, reminiscent of an awakening beast. The Magnum RT plows forward minus any lurching or other displays of hesitation.

The real action comes at full gallop, when the wagon squats down on its 18-inch-diameter tires, presses them to the road for maximum grip and tears ahead with such passion it appears that its only mission in life is to go fast.

But it would be a mistake to believe that, because the Magnum RT, also available with all-wheel drive, is very much a wagon. That's also true for its lower-powered versions, the Magnum SE and SXT.

What we have here is a motorized counterrevolution, an assault on the nonsense that station wagons are old hat, or otherwise frump-mobiles. The Magnum RT is neither.

FULL Article Here

[atomicshark]

The more I see it, the more I like it. I know Chevy could build something like this with the Vette motor. For $30,000 people will be lining up for 'em.

[amark329]

By far the sharpest looking Wagon out there. :woot2:

[montess2k]

Drop this tehcnology in a coupe make it look similar to the '99 Charger concept get it ta 60 in the low 5's (with the less weight) and sign me up for 1


Joe

[GM_Guy81]

I actually really like the 300C, but I dont like the magnum at all.

I hope GM executes Zeta vehicles really really well.

[zaxxis]

I wonder how many Magnum owners will be pulled over for having "illegal tint", for those states that think dark tint on cars (but not SUVS) is "dangerous" to the police?

Here in ohio we cannot have more than 50% on any of the windows. Some of the local towns see $$$$ when they see a car with dark tint. My brother got a $160 fine for his tint, even though the local dealer sold it that way.

For those who don't know, due to the length of the flat floor the Magnum has (with the seats down) it actually qualifies as a TRUCK and thus can follow Federal tint guidlines for SUV/Trucks.

I wonder if it qualifies for truck on fuel mileage too?

-Z

[ibechip]

Originally posted by atomicshark@Jul 25 2004, 02:52 PM
The more I see it, the more I like it. I know Chevy could build something like this with the Vette motor. For $30,000 people will be lining up for 'em.

Or how about they make a slightly smaller and faster one that makes better use of the space inside of it and price it somewhere 20K to 25K. Maybe even stick a 250 HP Ecotec in it. O wait! That was the Nomad that they decided not to make. My bad.

[ibechip]

Originally posted by zaxxis@Jul 25 2004, 06:25 PM
I wonder how many Magnum owners will be pulled over for having "illegal tint", for those states that think dark tint on cars (but not SUVS) is "dangerous" to the police?

Here in ohio we cannot have more than 50% on any of the windows. Some of the local towns see $$$$ when they see a car with dark tint. My brother got a $160 fine for his tint, even though the local dealer sold it that way.

For those who don't know, due to the length of the flat floor the Magnum has (with the seats down) it actually qualifies as a TRUCK and thus can follow Federal tint guidlines for SUV/Trucks.

I wonder if it qualifies for truck on fuel mileage too?

-Z

Yeah I actually had a friend that got fined for the tint. Good thing he had a brain that went to court to get out of it. Actually, it's a very big positive for Dodge that they managed to get it classified as a truck.

[Dark knight]

I like the the Idea but it looks to muck like a hurst to me,but that couls be me because I dont like wagon's all together

[zaxxis]

Originally posted by ibechip@Jul 25 2004, 06:28 PM

Yeah I actually had a friend that got fined for the tint.  Good thing he had a brain that went to court to get out of it.  Actually, it's a very big positive for Dodge that they managed to get it classified as a truck.

He went to court to try to get out of it, but it didn't work. 19 year olds have no rights in some counts here....

He did get his money back though. We took the dealer to small claims court because while the tint rule sucks, it's also illegal in Ohio for a dealer to selll a car with illegal tint.

-Z

[New_Mexico_Sunset_on_Rt66]

How about a "performance" Nomad. *****, that would be f*cking cool! I can't wait to be able to go into a GM showroom soon a pick out the baddest ride on the road. *****, imagine picking out a performance Buick. A "performance Buick"? C'mon you gotta be kidding.

I can't wait to see what they have lined up but haven't shown us yet.

:angry: :lol:

[Rex Raider]

Originally posted by Dark knight@Jul 25 2004, 02:46 PM
I like the the Idea but it looks to muck like a hurst to me,but that couls be me because I dont like wagon's all together

Do you mean HEARSE? Like for carrying dead bodies?

[Ming]

Originally posted by Rex Raider+Jul 25 2004, 04:46 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Rex Raider @ Jul 25 2004, 04:46 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-Dark knight@Jul 25 2004, 02:46 PM
I like the the Idea but it looks to muck like a hurst to me,but that couls be me because I dont like wagon's all together

Do you mean HEARSE? Like for carrying dead bodies? [/b][/quote]
Maybe he meant the Hurst Hauler! :P

[GMCamaroSS]

The wagon had a Hemi -- Dodge's 5.7-liter, 340-horsepower V-8 engine with the hemispherical combustion chambers.

Air and fuel are mixed, compressed and burned in those dome-top cylinders, which are more often found in racing cars than in family wagons.

The dome design allows for a more complete mix and burn, which yields lots of torque, or twisting power, to turn the shaft that drives the standard Magnum RT's rear wheels. Thus, the Magnum RT, with its bulldog face and sassily tapered rear end, runs faster than any station wagon has a right to run.

For that matter, it runs faster than some sports cars.

i thought it wasnt a real hemi http://www.automobilemag.com/news/0407_hemi/

[chadbarb99]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, a STATION WAGON IS A ********* STATION WAGON, by any other name it's still a wagon