Like a wolf in sheep’s clothing, the 2012 Dodge Charger SRT8 fooled me at first drive, coming across unexpectedly tame and docile.

Geez, with its cushioned ride and smooth acceleration, this almost feels like a luxury car. But one look at the bulging hood up front reminded me that this may be a wolf trying to conceal his big teeth.

Underneath that lovely, sloping hood sits a big, bad 470-horsepower, 6.4-liter beast that wants to rocket you to 60 mph in under 5 seconds. And switching to sport mode tightens up the ride as if the wolf had ripped off that lousy sheep garb and tossed it into the river with a snarl.

Therein lies the beauty of this SRT8: It is one of the few outright muscle cars that gives great fun yet can behave well enough to handle the everyday chores of shopping and soccer games. Not a bad trait.

Looking at the SRT8, there’s nothing sheepish about it. It has an aggressive, even nasty front with a tall grille underscored by a blackened bumper. Side panels have carved-out indents. Its stance is enhanced by 20-inch two-tone wheels. Taillights sweep around the entire rear of the car like casino neon.

And a trunk-lid spoiler reminds those behind — and there will be plenty behind on a straightaway — that the SRT8 Charger aims to fly.

The revised 6.4-liter engine beats the predecessor by three-tenths of a second, and it brings a herd of 50 more horses down the trail. The 470 horses kick up 470 foot-pounds of torque, too, which is available in liberal doses across the rpm band.

The Charger is quicker than last year, hitting 60 mph in about 4.6 seconds. Acceleration is swift and fun — and it sounds musical on its way up the dial.

This rear-wheel-drive muscle requires some fuel, of course. Expect 14 mpg around town, 23 on the open road when respecting the law.

Side note to the easier-to-please: The 3.6-liter engine on the base model is amazingly powerful, too, and its 8-speed automatic tranny is a nice companion for improved fuel economy. Still, it’s no SRT8, which is everything a high-performance muscle car should be: lots of power, great sound and acceleration.

Steering is right on, offering precise turns thanks to an improved rack-and-pinion system. Bilstein shocks at all four wheels assure a comfortable ride in the default setting and, in sport mode, a firm ride with decent handling for twisty roads.

That is, it’s rather agile for a full-size sedan. Not ready to take on Porsche among the orange cones, but a real performer. Brembo brakes bring the Charger to rest swiftly and cleanly.

Only the 5-speed transmission is available with the SRT8, and it offers some kick — good for some, not for others seeking an even smoother acceleration.

The sharp, racy look continues inside with two-tone colors — two choices are available — and a new flat-bottomed steering wheel, aluminum paddle-shifters and foot pedals.

Seats are trimmed in perforated leather and suede. The front bucket seats have large bolsters on the sides, which are supportive and comfortable, but the seat cushion is smallish and may be tight for bigger folks. Look behind you, and “SRT” is embroidered into the front seat backs.

The dash and center console are superb to touch and look at, with soft materials and carbon fiber accents. Dials are large and easy to see. Between the tachometer and speedometer, with its top speed of 180 mph, an info window details recent mileage, temperature and race clock for the track.

A large, 8.4-inch touch screen is easy to read and operate for climate data and audio, and it’s one of the easiest navigation systems I’ve ever encountered. A row of push-button icons at the bottom make using the system a cinch.

Overall, the Charger is roomy enough from head to toe except for back-seat headroom, which is compromised some by the slanting roof. That also contributes to less than ideal visibility in the rear.

Trunk space is decent, but not great for a full-size car, at 15.4 cubic feet. I recently drove a subcompact with 14.

Safety is enhanced with optional blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-path detection system, and cruise control with collision-warning feature.

Standard are stability and traction control, antilock braking system, front air bags, driver-side air bags and side-curtain bags.

Fear not the big bad wolf. It can behave when you want it to — under light loads, it even cuts back on four cylinders to improve mileage. But it also knows how to be bad when you feel like howling at the moon.

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2012 DODGE CHARGER SRT8:
—Base price: $46,795 (before destination charge)
—Price as tested: Unknown

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©2011 The Miami Herald
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