No time was needed for me to warm up to the Magnum's exterior design, but rather I fell for it when I first caught a glimpse last year in concept form. The production car appears every bit as glamorous as the concept, a feat Chrysler Group seems to be able to continually pull off better than any rival automaker. The Magnum's lines are both aggressively bold and elegantly understated, what seems like an oxymoron until you see it firsthand. Its "in-your-face" Ram-tough crosshair grille is about as intimidating in the rearview mirror as anything on four wheels, while the car's stylish rear end design is among the cleanest, most pleasing currently available.

Somehow Chrysler was able to make the Magnum look aggressive and elegant at the same time. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

From profile view, the roofline arcs downward as it approaches the raked D-pillar. In top RT trim, gorgeous 18-inch 10-spoke aluminum rims on low-profile performance rubber consume the wheel wells, framed with muscular fender flares. Even base models feature attractive 17-inch wheels, about the smallest acceptable without the large, muscular car looking awkward. For this reason the Magnum is a prime candidate for an aftermarket wheel and tire upgrade, to 19-inch diameter, 20 or even 22-inch rims. Little doubt, Chrysler will at some point offer larger diameter OEM wheels through its Mopar division.

Boasting 340-hp and an almost unbelievable 390 lb-ft of torque, the V8 HEMI-equipped Magnum RT is by far the most powerful car at its price point. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

But there's no reason to upgrade the car's top engine. The Magnum RT is the most powerful car at its price point, not to mention one of the most powerful cars in the auto business period. Boasting 340-hp and an almost unbelievable 390 lb-ft of gut wrenching torque, it doesn't hesitate off the line. Speed ramps up quickly, surging forward with a relentless immediacy that belies its substantial weight. But it's not only the car's acceleration that's mesmerizing, it's also the engine's echo off surrounding store shop windows, a thunderous 5.7-liter HEMI gurgling gutturally at idle before rumbling with the authority of a big-block Harley at takeoff. It's a sound that gives NASCAR fans goose pimples on race day, that all-American V8 rasp that separates men from mere boys.