ASSOCIATE EDITOR JAKE LINGEMAN: I was really hoping this 2013 Dodge Challenger SRT8 392 would be a little wilder than it turned out to be.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a fun pony car. I still think it’s the best of the three if just deciding on looks. The dark chrome wheels are a slick new trend that I hope continues, and the black with white stripes is a classic motif. Performance, however, is another story.

It has 470 hp to the Ford Mustang GT’s 420. Of course, the Challenger weighs in about 550 pounds more than the Ford. The power-to-weight difference isn’t that much off, but the SRT8 feels way slower than the Mustang GT. The Challenger is still very fun, even with an automatic transmission — a five-speed, by the way. Turn the traction control off, stomp it in drive and the tires will spin until it slips into second gear, maybe longer. But getting on the gas when the car is already rolling? Eh, it’s just OK. The SRT8 is fun to throw around, the extra weight makes powerslides gentle and predictable, and you can’t seem to get too much angle. You can also just shift gears, with the paddles, when the wheels start to spin.

I’m also a little bummed that it’s not super loud. The Mustang has that unique note to it, but the Challenger’s is just kind of bland. Even through the usual expressway tunnels, at wide open throttle, the SRT8 just didn’t seem loud enough. This is the company’s fastest, most-expensive muscle car, besides the SRT Viper, it should act like it!

The interior is cool with the blood-red seats and trim. At first I was having a hard time getting comfortable, but after I found the lumbar adjustment, it was all good. I’m not a huge fan of Chrysler’s UConnect, it still won’t play from my iPhone, but I’m sure there’s a way to sort it out.

All in all, the Challenger SRT8 392 is a fun car, and like I said, the best looking out of the three pony cars. But if buyers are going for pure performance, this is not the car. Instead if they are looking for a fast boulevard cruiser that’ll lay some 11s in the ground, the SRT can do that.

ASSOCIATE EDITOR GRAHAM KOZAK: I’ve never been too sure on the distinction between pony cars and muscle cars, but I have to imagine that if the 2013 Dodge Challenger SRT8 392 — with its top-of-the-line engine and at times intimidating performance — isn’t the latter, than nothing built today really is.

Is it the best looking of the three current retro pony/muscle cars? Not sure, but it’s certainly the more true to its E-body roots, style-wise, than the Ford Mustang and Chevy Camaro are to their predecessors. In some ways, the look works really well. In others, well, from some angles, the car looks like it’s a scaled-up Hot Wheels model of an old-school Challenger rather than a modern interpretation of a classic design. Chopping the height of the body (I’m not talking about ride height here) a few inches would probably help, but it might create some headroom issues.

Anyway, the heft of the car isn’t visible from the driver’s seat, but you definitely feel it while behind the wheel. You wield the Challenger, using its bulk and presence to shoulder cars out of your flight path. The car is a brick, but a fast one thanks to the immediacy of its naturally aspirated 6.4-liter V8.

Switching between normal, sport and track modes does impact shift points and you can assert some control over shifting with the steering wheel-mounted paddles, but it’s no manual. I know there’s some drag-racing heritage backing up the use of an automatic, and this five-speed has no real trouble getting the car up to dangerous speeds, but for money I’d probably opt for the Core package with a more basic interior and a six-speed manual — all starting at around $40K.

Then, I’d ditch the 20-inch rims for some slightly smaller black police wheels with dog dishes in the center, put on a louder exhaust…

Who am I kidding? What I really want is a first-gen Challenger. I don’t even need the need the 426 Hemi R/T, or factory air, or anything. The SRT 392 is far more practical, and far more powerful, I’m sure, but it’s always going to seem like a tribute.

2013 Dodge Challenger SRT8 392

Base Price: $46,190

As-Tested Price: $51,665

Drivetrain: 6.4-liter V8; RWD, five-speed automatic

Output: 470 hp @ 6,000 rpm, 470 lb-ft @ 4,200 rpm

Curb Weight: 4,203 lb

Fuel Economy (EPA City/Highway/Combined): 14/23/17 mpg

AW Observed Fuel Economy: 15.1 mpg

Options: Harmon Kardon audio package including 18 premium speakers including subwoofers, Logic 7 amplifier ($1,995); five-speed automatic gearbox, steering wheel mounted shift paddles, AutoStick transmission, Tip Start, 3.06 rear axle ratio, remote start system ($1,200); Uconnect 730N Satellite/HD/CD/DVD/MP3/HDD/NAV, integrated voice command with Bluetooth, 40gb hard drive including 20gb available, GPS navigation, Sirius XM traffic including 1 year service, SiriusXM travel link including 1 year service ($790); 20-inch by 9-inch black chrome aluminum wheels ($695); Phantom black tri-coat exterior paint ($500); 245/45ZR20, 255/45ZR20 three-season Goodyear tires ($150); gray and red interior accents ($145)