| Dodge Division
Chrysler Corporation Detroit, Michigan |
| Engine |
375-hp, 440
cu. in. V-8 |
| Transmission |
3-speed automatic |
| Steering |
Power assistend |
| Suspension |
Heavy-duty |
| Brakes |
Disk F, Drum R |
Check
list |
| Engine |
| Throttle Response |
Very
Good |
| Noise Insulation |
Good |
| Drive
train |
| Shift Linkage |
Very
Good |
| Shift Smoothness |
Good |
| Steering |
| Effort |
Excellent |
| Response |
Very
Good |
| Handling |
| Predictability |
Very
Good |
| Evasive Maneuverability |
Very
Good |
| Brakes |
| Directional Stability |
Very
Good |
| Fade Resistance |
Very
Good |
| Interior |
| Ease of Entry/Exit |
Good |
| Driving Position |
Good |
| Front Seating Comfort |
Very
Good |
| Rear Seating Comfort |
Good |
| General |
| Vision |
Good |
| Heater/ Defroster |
Excellent |
| Weather Sealing |
Very
Good |
| Trunk Space |
Very
Good |
|
We might as well get
it over with; R/T stands for Road -and Track, and all of us
dim-bulb sporty car types know what that means, don't we? Well,
the Dodge R/T is not a dim-bulb sporty car in any sense of the
word, but rather a well-balanced intermediate designed to make
the same scene with cars like the GTO, 396 Chevelle, Road Runner,
et cetera (and we know what that is, too, don't we?).
The Dodge R/T is a jazzed-up
Coronet carrying some trim options, stiffer suspension and,
if the buyer is wise, the gargantuan 440 Magnum engine. This
monster is rated at 375 horsepower and will go around acting
like a Hemi until some rather exotic speed ranges are obtained.
Like all of the Dodge/Plymouth
intermediates built on this common Chrysler body, the R/T
has a rather high, padded instrument panel lip that hampers
forward visibility and detracts somewhat from an otherwise
workmanlike, if somewhat pedestrian, interior design job.
The Chrysler Corporation has
produced some really hot intermediates in 1968, and because
of a wide overlap in engine, transmission and suspension applications,
it is very difficult to state that one is better or worse
than another. It can be said that they are collectively a
good, solid bunch of performance machines.
|
