Freitag,
29. März 2024
HOME   |    KONTAKT   |    IMPRESSUM




Wir über uns
Press Kit
Golden Moments
Das Team
Standorte
Aktionen
Events
Florida Immobilien
Gästebuch
Garantie
AutoGas
Dienstleistungen
Shuttleservice
Finanzierung
Links
Neu- und Gebrauchtwagen
Elektromobilität
Elektromobilität
Motorräder
Fahrräder
SHOP







Florence to Turin
It takes a lot of car to impress the locals in Portofino. This tiny village is one of the jewels of the Italian Riviera. It snuggles around a small cove, hard up against steep hills that tumble straight down into the warm waters of the Mediterranean. A flock of small boats bob gently in the cove; a couple of yachts the size of small battleships slumber at the pier. The Italian Riviera is more rustic than its overbuilt, high-rise-infested French counterpart. But the place still reeks of money.
There's only one narrow road in and out of Portofino. It literally clings to the cliff in places as it winds around the coastline from Santa Margherita Ligure, past gorgeous villas, sparkling water, and clouds of brightly colored bougainvillea. We've seen more exotic cars in the past 10 minutes -- Ferraris, Bentley Continental GTs, and Mercedes SL AMGs -- than we've seen in days, but all eyes are on the Hemi-orange Challenger.
A guy leans out of his Mercedes-Benz wagon as the Challenger squeezes past on the narrow road. "Fantastico!" he yells, with a broad grin. "The best! The best!" You wouldn't get that in Beverly Hills... People on scooters swarming among the cars wave and smile; pedestrians pull out camera-phones at every turn. The Challenger has a big personality. It also takes up a big slice of this narrow road. I'm just hoping we don't meet one of the fast-moving local buses around one of the tight, blind turns.
Why Portofino? Well, apart from the fact it's breathtakingly beautiful, there is a Chrysler connection. Back in 1987 Chrysler showed a stunning four-door concept called the Portofino at the Frankfurt auto show. The Portofino was built on a stretched Lamborghini Jalpa chassis (Chrysler had recently acquired the struggling Italian supercar maker) and had been designed by then Chrysler design chief Tom Gale. As Tom's son Jeff was responsible for honing the exterior of the production Challenger, we figured that was a good enough reason for the stop. Besides, we need lunch...
In addition to a big personality, the Challenger has a big appetite, too. Winding up the hill back to the autostrada, I notice the fuel light is on and the fuel gauge needle is nudging the red zone. We feather-foot it to the nearest gas station and pump just over 18 gallons into the tank, setting a new record for a single fill: $172.80, on today's exchange rate. Our hard and fast running over the glorious switchbacks around the Raticosa and Futa passes yesterday really hammered the gas mileage, lowering it to just 13.4 mpg.
The A12 autostrada that hugs the coast on the run into Genoa is a marvel of road building, plunging through hillsides and soaring over valleys with a spectacular disdain for topography. You dive into a tunnel and emerge onto a bridge, before heading back into a tunnel again, then on to another bridge -- for mile after mile. It's an entertaining drive, not the least because there are corners -- even S-bends -- midway through some of the tunnels.
We stop to adjust the video equipment at a gas station on the A26, which curls impressively up the hillside away from Genoa and spot a gaggle of Fiat 500s. The 500, designed by genius Fiat engineer Dante Giacosa and launched in 1957, is widely regarded as the world's first city car. Just 9 ft, 9 in. long and initially powered by a tiny 479cc air-cooled two-cylinder engine that developed all of 13 hp, it helped put postwar Italy on wheels. We pull the Challenger alongside one of the 500s for a photo. The rear bumper of the Fiat is virtually line ball with the rear cutline of the Challenger's door.
The 500 owners, members of an enthusiast club, love the Challenger. One offers to swap four 500s for the big Dodge. But I tell him as I have 425 hp under the hood, I'll need more than that. After some more laughs and good-natured ribbing, the little 500s saunter out on to the autostrada. We pass them a few minutes later, put-put-puttering along in the slow lane. A masterpiece of packaging, engineering, and design, the little 500 proves even small, slow cars can be utterly cool.
After 1900 miles, I'm fast coming to the surprising view that the Challenger is an accomplished Grand Tourer in the true sense of the term. It reminds me -- in some strangely elemental way -- of a '70s Maserati coupe that's been thoroughly modernized. In fact, its low-speed ride and noise suppression seem better than those of today's Maserati Coupe, and it feels way more planted on the road at speed. Sure, the big Dodge is thirsty -- most fast V-8s are -- but it has wonderfully authoritative road manners, comfortable seats, and a generous trunk.
And, like all great GTs, it makes a lasting impression.
zurück zur Newsübersicht