In its sporty-looking but mild-mannered versions – namely the SE and SXT with the standard V6 – the Dodge Charger is a likeable car with a decent power, above-average ride and handling, and one of the most spacious back seats in the business. Step up to the Hemi-powered R/T and Daytona R/T models and you have a car with all the chutzpah any ordinary driver could ever want or need.

With this new version, however, the full SRT treatment takes the Charger into a whole new category, making it a true high-performance automobile capable of turning in acceleration and braking numbers on par with some pretty pricey European nameplates. Which, when combined with a relatively modest $36,000 price tag, makes it look like a deal. Just remember to add the $2,100 gas guzzler tax, because 6.1-liters of displacement is simply not going to use fuel efficiently.

The 2006 Dodge Charger SRT-8’s upgrades are mainly under the sheetmetal. Outside, there’s a giant hood scoop and huge 20-inch wheels to announce the Charger SRT-8’s additional firepower. Inside, special seats and trim accompany a fully-decked out cabin. Even when optioned up with side airbags, automatic climate control, a power sunroof, navigation radio, Sirius satellite radio, Bluetooth wireless communications hardware, and SRT Kicker speakers, the Charger SRT-8 comes in around $45,000 – including the gas guzzler tax. Compared to, say, a Cadillac CTS V-Series, that’s a screaming bargain.