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Mercedes-Benz SL-Class

Going to the local drag strip isn’t all about massive horsepower and blowing the doors off of everything in sight. Sure, having access to a serious corral of ponies underneath your right foot is a key part of enjoying the drag strip experience, but above all drag racing should be about having fun.

Fortunately for car shoppers, there are many different ways to have a good time at a drag strip. Sometimes it can be as simple as showing up in a re-imagined muscle car icon and blasting down the track on a wave of nostalgia. Others might enjoy pulling up to the line in a “sleeper,” something that doesn’t look nearly as fast as it really is, and surprising the driver in the next lane over. Finally, arriving in something unusual, like a vehicle not usually seen at a drag strip can also be a ticket to a fun night out at the races.

This article takes a look at 5 brand new vehicles which offer serious amounts of fun at the drag strip, along with their performance credentials.

2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8

It’s an icon when it comes to both styling and muscle car prowess. The 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8 (Challenger SE pictured) is also in many ways an improvement upon the original pony car that came in at the tail end of the muscle car era and set hearts afire with its mix of big block performance and breathtaking good looks. Updated to modern dimensions – it’s bigger than the original – the new Challenger looks every bit the part of drag strip menace, right down to the air inlets on the hood.

It’s wearing the right threads, but can it dance? The answer to this question is provided as soon as the key is turned to ignite the vehicle’s 6.1 liter HEMI V8. A rich, throaty exhaust note fills the dual rear pipes as you pull up to the line in this 2-ton steel beast, and when you grip the 6-speed manual transmission shifter and put the clutch to the floor to prepare for launch you can easily feel all 425 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque. Nail the shift points just right and the Challenger zooms to the end of the quarter mile in 13.8 seconds with a trap speed of 103 miles per hour. True drag fanatics might want to opt for the vehicle’s 5-speed automatic transmission, which drops the ET by 0.6 seconds and increases trap speed to 107.5 miles per hour. With a little practice, however, drivers might be able to modulate the clutch to the degree where they can match the auto’s times with the standard tranny.

The 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8 is the type of car that is going to have people young and old approaching you to talk about it and even share memories of the Challengers they or their parents might have owned back in the day. It’s definitely not a car for shrinking violets, but then again, the roar of the muscle car’s exhaust note is usually enough to make that clear right up front.

2009 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG

A Mercedes-Benz at the drag strip is about as common a sight as a health-food nut at a hot dog eating contest, but that is all part of the fun of bringing one down to the strip. It might look out of place at first, but the 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG (SL-Class pictured) packs a serious wallop when it comes to acceleration off the line. Not only that, but it’s a very attractive car, one which perfects the concept of understated elegance. With a retractable hard top, it also gives you the chance to peel out down the quarter mile underneath a blanket of stars.

The word “ridiculous” isn’t often used to describe an automobile’s drivetrain, but it certainly applies when evaluating the 6.0 liter, 12-cylinder engine found underneath the hood of the SL65 AMG. With the help of twin turbochargers, this unit produces an almost otherworldly 604 horsepower and 738 lb-ft of torque, making it one of the most powerful convertibles every built. Sitting at the line with the climate control keeping things comfortable and the traction control on, it is possible to stab the accelerator and produce a run of just 11.85 seconds and a trap speed of 118 miles per hour. This preternaturally fast time puts the luxury car in the same neighborhood as the Dodge Viper , and makes it seriously scary for anyone who happens to draw the short straw and runs against it. The 5-speed automatic transmission also means that you don’t have to worry about trying to harness the vehicle’s overwhelming power on your own.

In some ways it’s a fish out of water, but in other ways it’s a shark in its element when lined up against the usual strip suspects. The 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG is both stylish and seriously fast, and it will engender a fair share of astonished looks once its track time is posted on the big illuminated board.

2009 Pontiac G8 GXP

Pontiac might be riding into the sunset, but as a company it is doing so with a lineup of cars that offer far more driving thrills than any that have been offered in recent memory. The 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP is a full-sized, four-door sedan – not exactly the kind of car that regularly makes an appearance on the 1320. This sleeper’s reserved bodywork, which is visually almost identical to that of the standard G8 sedan, doesn’t give away what is lurking beneath the skin of the sedate family car. In this case, it’s a V8-powered thrill ride that will have people doing double takes through the tire smoke.

The key to the G8 GXP’s success when it comes to drag race fun is its engine. The GXP is the vehicle that Pontiac fans have wanted to see for years, a rear-wheel drive phenomenon powered by a 6.2 liter V8 engine that is capable of producing 415 horsepower and 415 lb-ft of torque. You can choose either a stout 6-speed manual transmission or a 6-speed automatic, depending upon your level of comfort when handling that many ponies. All of that oomph will get you to the end of the race track in 13 seconds flat with a trap speed of 110 mile per hour – not bad for a vehicle comfortable enough to take on a cross-country road trip with the whole family.

The most enjoyable part of a sleeper is knocking the socks off of the unsuspecting challenger in the next lane, and the 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP is a champion in this respect as well. Taking this car to the track is an exercise in having your opponents never see what is coming, and you will have a lot to talk about with surprised onlookers once you are back in the pits at the end of your run.

2009 BMW 135i

It’s a compact European coupe, a pocket sports car that features unassuming styling and dimensions which make it easy to overlook when out on the road. Inside, it offers the usual assortment of luxury goodies that have made BMW’s into the stereotypical status symbol for newly minted urban professionals over the past two decades. However, the 2009 BMW 135i also hides a secret, one which is almost impossible for the casual observer to detect.

That secret is a twin-turbocharged power plant that enables the 135i to scoot down the drag strip with a shockingly low elapsed time. Most people expect a BMW to be quick – after all, the company has built their reputation on performance – but the image of the cars wearing this badge is of being smooth through the corners and around pylons, not necessarily blasting down a straight line. The 135i throws aside these jaded notions, with its unnaturally-aspirated, 3.0 liter inline 6 engine that grinds out 300 horsepower and 300 lb-ft of torque. There’s no limited slip differential, but there is a 6-speed manual transmission to help you control the car at launch.

The 2009 BMW 135i is unassuming and almost cute tripping the staging lights beside a Corvette, but there’s nothing small-time about its 13.4 second quarter mile or 105 mile per hour trap speed. Nothing helps you get taken seriously like results, and this “little car that could” is the ticket to an evening of raised expectations amongst the local hot rod crowd.

2009 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8

The last car on this list of drag strip wonders isn’t a car at all. The 2009 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 (Grand Cherokee Laredo pictured) is one of the few remaining hot rod sport-utility vehicles after that segment of the market fizzled out in the middle of the 00’s. Chrysler alone kept the faith State-side, putting their Street and Racing Technology team to work on the venerable Grand Cherokee platform, a vehicle known more for its off-road heroics than its tar-top grit.

Driving down to a drag strip in a truck is likely to raise more than a few eyebrows amongst spectators who are more used to seeing souped-up Mustangs and fast imports. Trucks are usually too heavy to produce impressive performance numbers, no matter how much horsepower has been thrown into the mix. This isn’t an issue for the Grand Cherokee SRT8, however. Its 13.2 second run to the end of the quarter mile is enough to dust off performance SUV’s such as the Porsche Cayenne Turbo, and it traps 104 miles per hour. The vehicle’s 425 horsepower, 6.1 liter Hemi V8 – shared with the Challenger, and also producing 420 lb-ft of torque – and 5-speed automatic transmission explain some of this prodigious acceleration, but the real hidden weapon is a specially designed all-wheel drive system that gives the Jeep gobs and gobs of grip.

The 2009 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 is the kind of vehicle you can drive to the drag strip fully loaded with tailgate party goods – like a barbecue, tent and plenty of coolers – and then rip off quick run after consistent quick run. How many other drag-friendly new vehicles can make that kind of claim?

The Sexiest Cars on the Road of 2009

The sexiest cars on the road turn heads wherever they go.  Luxury interiors, exotic body styles, unique add-ons and much more can be found in this category. Those who purchase these types of machines are prepared to spend oodles of cash maintaining and caring for their new rides.  Many people will have their vehicles "tuned," by adding larger wheels, adding tinting or even modifying the engine, suspension and exhaust of the vehicle.

This category is incredibly diverse and inordinately large. Creating a list of the top vehicles within the category was exhausting work, but we did it, gladly. You'll find our list exhaustive, though you will not find any of the Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Lotus offerings available because we wanted our list to be accessible to a wide range of car buyers. Our list combines vehicles with the best of technology, as well as the best of, well, sexiness. In addition, we tried to include options that the average driver could hope to attain, as well as those with astronomical price tags.

Ranking the Sexiest Cars of 2009

We selected only 10 cars from the myriad available. We chose only those we felt offered the ultimate combination of style, design and sex appeal. We also used pure, unadulterated style, uniqueness, drivability, connectivity and luxury features to help make our decision. Low-end vehicles were judged on a combination of possible modifications, originality, uniqueness and more. Technology, connectivity, performance and polish were also thrown into the mix for good measure.

Throughout the categories on our list, you'll find the best of modern innovation, as well as the judicious application of stunning new technology. After all, if your ride is going to be sexy, it should offer the best of technology to ramp up your efforts, shouldn't it?

If the Cadillac XLR-V, Cadillac CTS-V or the BMW M6 are a bit pricey, be sure to check out their standard counterparts, the XLR, CTS and 6 Series.