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The 2009 Dodge Challenger with the biggest 6.1-litre Hemi V-8 is arguably the best muscle car ever built.

And so what?

Some gearheads will go gaga and some nostalgia buffs will, too. I am one of them. This is a big car with a big engine and it drives like a sports car with gobs of torque and 425 horsepower under the hood. That power goes loudly to the rear end where you'll find an independent layout, not the solid axle of a Ford Mustang.

The 15-inch Brembo brakes are bigger than the 14-inch wheels on the original Challenger circa 1970. And somehow the suspension tuners figured out a way to balance ride comfort with responsive handling in a monstrously big coupe.

But this car, excellent as it is, stands out as the answer to the question almost everyone who loves cars is afraid to ask. That's the way it is in this era of costly fuel, choked streets and highways, bad roads and concerns about global warming.

Yes, the '09 Challenger beautifully mimics the look and feel of the original 1970 Challenger, the one popular before the 1973 oil crisis. Yes, it is well-priced. The base six-cylinder, 250-hp SE lists for $24,995. The R/T with a 5.7-litre, 375-hp V-8 is a solid buy at $34,995. The 425-hp SRT8? At $45,995, it is more car for less money than a Ford Shelby GT500 coupe ($54,299).

The timing, though, is awful, despite the hopes of Chrysler marketing types who say there is a budding groundswell of interest and enthusiasm for a modern version of a muscle car driven by Barry Newman in the 1971 cult classic movie Vanishing Point. Barry who?

Unfortunately, Chrysler started building this car of the past before oil prices went nuts and took us back to 1973 again — when muscle cars became dinosaurs almost overnight.

Those of us who were there remember it all too well. So should the bosses at car companies, but apparently not. Coming next year is the launch of GM's revived Chevrolet Camaro. If the Challenger is late to the party, the Camaro is coming long after everyone has gone home.

Fortunately for Chrysler and its employees, the new Challenger is a smart piece of engineering. By watching costs and sharing parts and technology, Chrysler can please the muscle-car nuts and still break even or even turn a profit by selling just a few thousand Chargers.

Chrysler has adapted the hardware that underpins its Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger sedans to create a whole lineup of Challengers. The first of them, the SRT8, went on sale in the spring as a '08 model. Now the '09s are rolling into showrooms.

Unfortunately, gas is selling not for 60 cents a litre, but for more than $1.20. Will baby boomers spend twice as much on gas to feel 18 again? No one knows for certain, though you have to wonder.

What is certain is that you can park this Challenger in the driveway, pop the hood and wait for your buddies to wander by. The V-8 versions, that is. They'll admire the car — and you for having the guts to get it.

Chrysler, by the way, has not made a copy of the old Challenger here, though the similarities are obvious. In fact, the new Challenger looks just like you remembered the old one.

Except the old one was never this good, this big, this bad, this bold. The new Challenger SRT8, the model I fell in love with on a one-day test drive, has fat muscular fenders, huge wheels and a faux cast-aluminum fuel filler cap. Even the round headlights have been fashioned to resemble the decades-old, sealed-beam design of the original. It all works.

Chrysler did save some money on the cabin, as you would expect. It does not look cheap, but aside from the pistol-grip shifter for the six-speed manual transmission, not much is particularly distinctive here.

This car is about the driving, anyway. Bury your right foot and, with a roar of the exhaust, you are hurtling along. The Hemi V-8 churns up tremendous power to the rear wheels where everything is perfect for drag-strip getaways.

We all expected that. What I didn't expect was cornering. The giant, sticky, 20-inch tires and that modern suspension make this an athletic muscle car and something I did not believe possible. We're talking about a big car that drives like a sporty compact.

And the braking is outstanding. It's a comfort and a revelation. Add in multiple airbags, traction control, electronic stability control and we have a very safe muscle car here, folks.

As for being a modern car, a four-speed automatic is sold standard with the V-6 car, while a five-speed autobox is sold at no charge on the two V-8 models. On the SRT8, you'll need to pay an extra $2,000 for the Tremec six-speed manual. I recommend the six-speed.

Purists will criticize the use of front body colour fascia to surround the sunken grille and fog lights. The original Challenger had a glittering chrome bumper which would not work today in a car that has to meet tough crash test standards.

Take your eyes off the fascia and move them to the dual hood scoops and double-wide stripe across the hood. There is power under there. Which is thepoint of this exercise.

And the second row of seating in back is almost comfortable, though baby boomers should limber up before crawling back there. The rest of the cabin is a clean, unpretentious design — no gaudy faux wood, no fake carbon-fibre trim.

Chrysler has done this car properly, with the emphasis on power, braking, ride and handling. Too bad it didn't go on sale two years ago.