No matter how you feel about car manufacturers recycling their icons of the past, there’s no denying that the interest shown in the Challenger has been phenomenal. While there has been a lot of information forthcoming about the new flagship SRT8 muscle car, today Dodge unveiled the specs of its base and mid-range Challenger models ahead of their official unveiling at this week’s New York Auto Show.

The Challenger will come in a total of three variants: The mid-range Dodge Challenger R/T , the flagship Challenger SRT8 (which thankfully gets a manual box for 2009) and the entry-level Challenger SE. The cars are differed by their engines and equipment levels but all feature premium sound, Bluetooth connectivity, remote start and digital satellite radio as standard.

The R/T features a 5.7L HEMI V8 engine with a five-speed automatic transmission that puts out 370hp and 540Nm of torque. The HEMI has been upgraded for 2009 to return a 5% increase in fuel economy and an almost 10% increase in horsepower, and the 0-60mph sprint is done in less than six seconds. The R/T also has the option of a six-speed manual box which has slightly higher power figures than the auto R/T, and will have to be sufficient for performance fans until Dodge releases the manual SRT8 next year.

The base SE model doesn't get the iconic HEMI engine, but is instead powered by a 3.5L V6 with a standard four speed-auto. The lack of a manual transmission is disappointing, and the engine’s peak output is only 250hp and 339Nm of torque, making it significantly slower than its bigger brothers.

2009 Dodge Challenger R/T and SE