The 2009 Dodge Challenger is testosterone in a car - a retro-styled car, that is.

From its bold, 1970s muscle car styling to its throaty, loud Hemi V-8, the Challenger in top SRT8 dress is an awesome display of brawn and power.

Push the accelerator pedal, and passengers' heads instantly get sucked back into the head restraints as the hefty Challenger lurches forward. Rear tires can squeal and smoke at aggressive startup, and the big steering wheel requires some dialing to direct the car, just like the Challenger of old.

Never mind that the four-passenger, 2009 version of Challenger is a gasoline hog in these days of fuel savings and environmentalism.

It's so politically incorrect in today's world, it's nearly cool.

And men — young and old — materialize around it like magic. Young guys took pictures of the test car with their cell phones, while baby boomers recounted stories of what they drove in the 1960s and '70s when muscle cars were the rage.

Too bad the new Challenger doesn't come with the price tag of the original 1970-74 Challenger.

Starting manufacturer's suggested retail price, including destination charge, is $21,995 for a base, 2009 Challenger SE with 250-horsepower V-6. The most powerful and iconic Challenger is the top-of-the-line SRT8 with 425-horsepower Hemi V-8 and a starting retail price of $39,995.

This compares with the 2009 Ford Mustang that starts at $20,790 with V-6 and rockets to $44,780 in top-of-the-line, V-8-powered Shelby GT500 Cobra form.

Next year, Chevrolet officials plan to revive their Camaro muscle car for what is shaping up as a celebratory comeback of '60s and '70s power machines from Detroit automakers.

But this year's oil price hikes, jittery stock market and consumers worried about the economy have taken some air out of the sales prospects for the devil-may-care retro cars.

Still, shoppers with the money and a certain "so-what" attitude about greenhouse gases and oil revenues or a bursting need to relive the boomer heydays can enjoy the Challenger as a remarkably well-designed muscle car with the best attributes of yesterday and today.

Based generally on the underpinnings of the Dodge Charger sedan, the Challenger is a bit shorter in length and lower in height.

But the body is instantly recognizable as a Challenger, with a long hood, short rear deck and a lowbrowed look to the headlamps. On the test car painted bright TorRed with big black stripe on the hood, everything was nicely in proportion with the 20-inch tires.

Inside, the black front seats had substantial support and suede-like fabric inserts and side bolsters to keep everyone in place during spirited driving. In back, only two seats are provided, with a smallish amount of legroom — 32.6 inches. Trunk space is a decent 16.2 cubic feet.

There was no driving quietly in the Challenger SRT8.

The engine rumbled as soon as it started up, and its decibels rose from there as I pressed the gas pedal and moved forward. The first gear was short with the six-speed manual transmission, so if I didn't shift quickly, I'd be hearing screaming engine revs before I knew it.

Power delivery was direct and strong in first through fifth gears. I had to remember to use sixth, because it served more like overdrive, helping to conserve fuel and get that 22 mpg rating from the feds. I never tired of the engine sound, but the clutch pedal required a lot of left leg effort and grew tedious in congested traffic.

Torque in the Challenger SRT8 peaks at 420 foot-pound at 4,800 rpm and is at the ready instantly.

The tranny felt notchy, but in an appropriately retro way.

The ride wasn't harsh. Sure, I felt road bumps all the time, but the feeling was the big tires rolling over the road bumps, not shaking or severely transmitting the bumps to passengers.

And the car was neither scary-twitchy nor floaty in its handling on mountain twisties. The Challenger's manners were way better than the original, but not so up-to-date as those in a taut, stiff-riding BMW.

Of course, the ride was noisy. Between the engine roar, road noise from the performance tires and the deep clinking of the rear differential, I couldn't tell if there was any wind noise.

The Challenger's fuel cap is a large, silver-colored accent on the rear fender. But don't expect great fuel mileage.

The best rating — 17 miles per gallon in city driving and 25 mpg on the highway — comes with a 2009 Challenger with base, 3.5-liter V-6 and four-speed automatic transmission.

The rocket version of the Challenger, the SRT8, is rated by the federal government at just 14/22 mpg, which is about the rating of many big pickup trucks.

For the record, the test Challenger SRT8 got just 15.3 mpg during a mix of city and highway driving. And yes, premium fuel is required, resulting in a $75 gas bill at fill-up.

Frontal and curtain air bags are standard. So are antilock brakes, traction control and electronic stability control.

In a September safety recall, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported dealers needed to reprogram the keyless ignition of 6,636 Challengers so the engine can be turned off only when the automatic transmission is in "Park."

The cars, equipped with the Keyless Go option feature, were out of compliance with the Theft Prevention federal motor vehicle safety standard because the electronic key code could be removed if the car was left in gear and the push-button start was activated and held until the engine turned off.