Features

It's surprising how different both are to drive, but I wouldn't recommend either as a case study to an aspiring engineer. Drive down the road in the Challenger, and it's staggering how little precision there is in the steering - you've got at least a quarter of a turn before anything happens at the front wheels. And no wonder the speed limits in the US are so low, if this car's brakes are anything to go by. You've just got to bury your foot and hope that something bites at some point.

We follow a Toyota Camry, and I have to work hardto keep up - it's seriously quick in a straight line, this thing, but show it a corner, and you've got to guess how much lock you need on the turn in. Driving in general is all about anticipation, but this car takes that to a completely different level. Then, because it's got such bad bump steer, you're constantly adjusting it all the way through a bend. You're driving by intuition here.

But for all this, I loved it, because it made me feel so cool. And trust me, I'm not cool. Not at all. Yet sat in here, listening to every cylinder firing individually, I was The Man. It's even got a gearlever shaped liked a pistol, for God's sake. Honestly, this is such a feelgoodcar,the only drawback being that it only really works in America. Unless you're someone like Saxondale, you're going to feel way too self-conscious driving this up Bognor High Street. And that's before you even try to park the damn thing.

The XV Challenger, the version with the completely modern overhaul, is a different thing entirely. Thereare plenty of cliches you can use with this car, but,to be honest, I don't think any of them come close.The experience of driving it, around New York, in the bright sunshine, without having to pay for the fuel, is one of those defining moments that I sincerely hope I remember for the rest of the my life.

People emigrate for various reasons; the girlfriend/wife wants a change of scene, the job demands it, the weather's better, it's got cheaper houses... But I've found a new reason - I would move to the US to be able to drive this car in its natural environment on a daily basis. Granted, the $180,000 price tag (including the donor car) might cause a few initial problems, but I'm being deadly serious. I would move there.