By: Jeffrey Ross
Autotropolis.com
While the highly anticipated Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger are still at least a year away from production, Chevrolet and Dodge performance enthusiasts can take solace in the latest pocket rockets that will hit showrooms later this year.
Dodge and Chevrolet will both release turbocharged versions of their compact hatchbacks, the Caliber and HHR, respectively. With high horsepower, low weight and sport-tuned suspensions, the 2008 Dodge Caliber SRT-4 and 2008 Chevrolet HHR SS should provide phenomenal bang for the buck.
Side by side, both cars feature designs that substantially different routes. While the Caliber uses sharp edges to match Dodge’s identity, the HHR uses a retro-inspired design that borrows heavily from the 1949 model Chevrolet Suburban.
Underneath the hood, is where the true comparison will take place.
The Caliber SRT-4 features a turbocharged 2.4-liter 16-valve four cylinder that produces 285 horsepower and 265 lb-ft of torque and is mated to a six-speed manual transmission. The HHR SS is equipped with a turbocharged and intercooled 2.0-liter four cylinder that pumps out 260 horsepower when equipped with the five-speed manual transmission (235 horsepower with the four-speed automatic transmission).
The Caliber SRT-4 carries on the name of the powerful Dodge Neon-based variant, except with the Caliber’s roots tracing not too distantly to the Mitsubishi Lancer the latest compact tuner from Dodge promises to be a vast improvement over its already-stellar predecessor.
Despite giving up displacement and power to the SRT-4, the HHR SS features a sport-tuned suspension that was tested on legendary Nürburgring track in Germany where other GM cars such as the Corvette and the Cadillac CTS-V, not to mention some of the best Italian, German and Japanese sports cars, were tested.
Inside, both cars feature unique bucket seats for the driver and front passenger that offer increased lateral support. The HHR SS instrument cluster is not much different from the base model cars except for a 140-mph speedometer. The SRT-4 completely revises the cluster inserting an 8,000-RPM tachometer dead and center with the SRT-specific 180 mph speedometer to its right. 
Both feature turbo boost gauges with the HHR’s mounted on the A-pillar trim and the Caliber’s mounted in a small and not-too-useful cubby hole.
The high performance variants of both cars should help fuel increased sales which are already tight for the two. Through July, the Caliber has sold 64,684 units (up 27 percent from last year) and the HHR has sold 59,267 units (down 11 percent from last year).
So far, only the Caliber SRT-4 has been given a starting MSRP ($22,995), but both vehicles will go on sale this fall.