It's official, Challenger is going to happen. [Archive]

Steve1968LS2

06-30-2006, 06:21 AM

YES!!!!! Sign me up!!! Two doors and a stick!

I will be shocked it it comes in a stick.. DC like the automatics and the Ze Manual Gearbox is Verbotten... lol

Also, it needs a diet to at least get under 4000 lbs.. still, beautiful concept can and hope it looks just like that when it comes to market. I would want one in orange :)

69Nova

06-30-2006, 06:22 AM

The problem is I bet it will be the most expensive in the pony car war.

Damn True

06-30-2006, 08:52 AM

The problem is I bet it will be the most expensive in the pony car war.

Was it the most expensive the last time around as well?

With the hemi option it may very well have been (excepting "tuner" versions like Yenko/Nickey).

EFI69Cam

06-30-2006, 09:18 AM

The problem is I bet it will be the most expensive in the pony car war.

Even if DC prices it competively, the jacka$$ dealers will crank up the price.

69Nova

06-30-2006, 09:55 AM

Was it the most expensive the last time around as well?

With the hemi option it may very well have been (excepting "tuner" versions like Yenko/Nickey).

Honestly I dont know. I was born in 1985 so give me a break. But I guess your trying to say it was the most expensive.

All I know is the Camaro is my choice if it comes out. I want one in white with a V8 and bare bones on the options.

6'9"Witha69

06-30-2006, 10:46 AM

As long as Chevy Doesn't choke, the pony car war is back on.

Steve68

06-30-2006, 11:02 AM

they'll choke,

TonyL

06-30-2006, 11:22 AM

agreed steve. I have little faith. Little. that GM will do the car justice.
Im hopefull though. But now that Nissan and Renult(sp?) are buying a 9% interest in GM i just dont know.

hdesign

06-30-2006, 11:23 AM

I really don't know if they'll choke. Lately, a lot of things are showing signs of a positive turn around as far as management and marketing decisions. They "seem" to be listening or they wouldn't even attempt this Camaro revival.

They have to hit strong price points to get the 100,000 units they are rumored to predict. The Camaro can't be a $30K + car. The stripped models need to come in under $20K to get kids and women excited to buy them. That's why Mustangs have been so popular in the past decade or so. The majority of sales were from that demographic.

If A-hole dealers mark them up, they will hurt sales since there's 2 other pony cars to choose from, not to mention the other sporty (under $25K) cars from everyone else. That is a huge segment. Most kids couldn't care less about heritage or retro. The car that can appeal to retro-driven buyers and new buyers alike will win. I tend to think the Challenger will only appeal to the retro crowd. We'll just have to wait and see.

DeepBlue68

07-02-2006, 12:30 PM

I will be shocked it it comes in a stick.. DC like the automatics and the Ze Manual Gearbox is Verbotten... lol
I'm curious as to why I've heard this so many times. I just watched 2 different videos about the car on Edmunds.com and the concept it had in there was fitted with a Viper 6-spd. They were interviewing one of the designers, and he was talking about how they wanted this car to be true to the performance heritage, meaning it had to have 2 doors, 6-spd, etc (although, that's probably the exact same thing they said when there were designing the Charger...ugghhh). I don't understand why so many people say it will probably only be offered in automatic...can someone explain this to me? :dunno:

Ralph LoGrasso

07-02-2006, 12:33 PM

I'm curious as to why I've heard this so many times. I just watched 2 different videos about the car on Edmunds.com and the concept it had in there was fitted with a Viper 6-spd. They were interviewing one of the designers, and he was talking about how they wanted this car to be true to the performance heritage, meaning it had to have 2 doors, 6-spd, etc (although, that's probably the exact same thing they said when there were designing the Charger...ugghhh). I don't understand why so many people say it will probably only be offered in automatic...can someone explain this to me? :dunno:

Probably because DC offers VERY few cars with a manual. I'm pretty sure the only (performance) things you can get with a manual are (were) the SRT-4 Neon, SRT-10 Viper/Ram. Charger and most others aren't available with a stick.

PeteRR

07-02-2006, 01:20 PM

I have no need or time to own or drive this car. That being said, I'm buying one if the dealer markup can be held to a minimum and I can get one in a color I like. This will be a car that will appreciate in value as the years go on. And if they can keep it looking like the concept it will age well.

Poltergeist

07-02-2006, 02:24 PM

Dodge official announcement (http://www.dodge.com/dodge_life/news/car_news/challenger_concept.html)

DeepBlue68

07-02-2006, 02:43 PM

Probably because DC offers VERY few cars with a manual. I'm pretty sure the only (performance) things you can get with a manual are (were) the SRT-4 Neon, SRT-10 Viper/Ram. Charger and most others aren't available with a stick.
Yea but even with them actually making it a "performance oriented" 2-door (unlike the Charger) and building a concept with a 6-spd, it's still unlikely that they'll offer the car with a manual?

Mr.VENGEANCE

07-02-2006, 02:57 PM

awwww yea.. bout time.

SS Drifter

07-02-2006, 04:55 PM

I read somewhere where it costs DC about the same $$ to build a V6 as a V8, so can they deliver such an animal for under $30k? I say no mainly because of hype marketing tactics. Plus they will have power-this and power-that as standard. No strippers (read: no profit margin reduction opportunity). Mustang is the same way. When the Miatas first went on sale, the dealers were arogant SOBs.

In all honesty, I hope this car does well.

trapin

07-02-2006, 05:00 PM

If they can get that car under 30K it'll be a miracle. The rumor floating around Auburn Hills (per my buddy at Daimler) is it'll be north of 40.

zbugger

07-02-2006, 05:15 PM

If they can get that car under 30K it'll be a miracle. The rumor floating around Auburn Hills (per my buddy at Daimler) is it'll be north of 40.
I've heard the same thing, and I've also heard it's going to be a limited production run as well. Any truth to that one?

PeteRR

07-02-2006, 05:29 PM

If the idea is to compete with the Mustang, and the maybe-going-to-exist Camaro, it needs to start closer to $20k. The base Charger is $23k. The fully loaded Daytona RT is $32k. This is all MSRP. If they move too far north from this price range they'll be dooming the cars multi-year success. The latest from http://www.allpar.com/cars/dodge/challenger.html

Chrysler announced that the Dodge Challenger will be produced as a coupe, to arrive in dealerships in 2008 (as a 2008 model year car). According to Chrysler and the Wall Street Journal , the 300 cost $1 billion to develop, and each additional variant (e.g. Charger) cost about $330 million. All four vehicles will be built on the same line in Brampton, Ontario. (Thanks, Bob Marks.)

According to several sources, Chrysler is trying to decide on which strategy to follow: a high-price, low-volume run, or a high-volume, lower-price run. Also in flux is the question of engines - restricting to just the Hemi, or allowing both the Hemi and at least one V6. However, a manual transmission will be used. We don't know whether an automatic will also be available. At this point we believe there will be a first-year run of about 50,000 Hemi equipped Challengers, possibly with automatics, followed by a smaller run of Hemi Challenger SRT-8 cars with manual transmissions.

Ralph LoGrasso

07-03-2006, 03:06 PM

Yea but even with them actually making it a "performance oriented" 2-door (unlike the Charger) and building a concept with a 6-spd, it's still unlikely that they'll offer the car with a manual?

Unlikely to some, but not to others. I think you'll see the new challenger with a 6speed pistol grip. At the challenger promo at the new york auto show, the lady talking about the car was very specific to mention that it would come with a 6 speed (and pistol grip shifter) to stay true to it's heritage.

Ralph LoGrasso

07-03-2006, 03:09 PM

This will be a car that will appreciate in value as the years go on. And if they can keep it looking like the concept it will age well.

I'm curious, why do you think this car will appreciate in value? Hardly any cars do, even low production runs. Is it that, the low production numbers? Or the nostalgia of the name, etc? I see dealer markup being immense on these cars, but I'm not so sure about appreciation. I'd buy one as a DD if they were certain to appreciate (I hate losing money, lol!). None of the other new pony cars are appreciating though, LS1 Camaros, '03/04 Cobras, new mustangs, the new Z06s which are limited production, etc. The only "newer" cars I know of that really hold their value and appreciate are Supras. I sure wish more did, though.

PeteRR

07-03-2006, 03:19 PM

It's a car that's been out of production for 32 years.
It is true to it's lineage of being a rwd pony car.
It is going to be fast.
It "looks" good.

trapin

07-03-2006, 05:00 PM

mone

07-03-2006, 08:00 PM

I have never understood the allure of the Toyota Supra. Yes, I understand it does 13's from the factory....so what. I wouldn't be caught dead driving in one of those things. Perhaps the most unimaginative design I've ever seen come out of Toyota. And there's been plenty from them.

On 2nd thought....I WOULD be caught dead driving in one of those things, after I'm rear-ended at 35 mph and the whole back half of the car caves in on me.Pleeezz obviously u never been on RoadAtlanta in one of them...Hows 400-500hp without even removing a valve cover??The car is solid with Toyota reliabilty..it does look funny though...:spank2:

DeepBlue68

07-03-2006, 09:38 PM

Yea although it's totally off topic, I think the Supra is one of the best-looking import cars of the last 10 years. It's clean but not cheesy or overstated. For some reason it seems to me like that car has one of the highest likelihoods of being tastefully modified as far as imports go; it's rare that you see one with the primered body kit falling off and NOS stickers haphazardly placed everywhere. I guess that could just be a product of the fact that they cost significantly more than your average import car.
:offtopic: sorry.... /offtopic

EFI69Cam

07-04-2006, 05:23 AM

Pleeezz obviously u never been on RoadAtlanta in one of them...Hows 400-500hp without even removing a valve cover??The car is solid with Toyota reliabilty..it does look funny though...:spank2:

WTF is Toyota reliabilty?

As see as many dead ones on the side of the road as other makes, and service department at the dealer does alot more than oil and filter changes.

victionone

07-04-2006, 01:55 PM

DeepBlue68, I can't agree with you more. The Supra is a nice looking car and has a very stout engine. IMO, it is now approaching muscle car status, with prices of clean examples only going up. SW needs to post a picture of one of his black Supras.

Back on topic. As nice as the new Challenger is, it will only be another Mustang, but may be not as common. It will be hot for the first year, but will soon fill the streets and be another depreciating car.

Ralph LoGrasso

07-04-2006, 02:59 PM

Back on topic. As nice as the new Challenger is, it will only be another Mustang, but may be not as common. It will be hot for the first year, but will soon fill the streets and be another depreciating car.

I agree, I do not see the challenger appreciating in value. It will be fast, but the 4200lb curb weight is going to be a major inhibitor on everything from straight line performance, to braking and handling to gas mileage. They need to shed lots of weight for the production version.

I have never understood the allure of the Toyota Supra. Yes, I understand it does 13's from the factory....so what. I wouldn't be caught dead driving in one of those things. Perhaps the most unimaginative design I've ever seen come out of Toyota. And there's been plenty from them.

The allure of the Supra is the ease of making big power. 500hp is cheap and easy to do with mostly bolt ons. Start upgrading turbos, etc and 1000hp is common.

E30M30

07-04-2006, 03:10 PM

Does it matter if it's 30 or 40k a new c6 here in Denmark cost 229558 usd and the V8 mustang is a 123200 that's the base price........

Nine Ball

07-05-2006, 08:41 AM

I don't think this car will appreciate in value, it might in 20 yrs though. It's a cool car, I'd consider selling the '06 Mustang to get one.

wantahertzdonut

07-06-2006, 10:14 AM

WTF is Toyota reliabilty?

271000 VERY trouble free miles on my Camry and still counting strong. That's Toyota reliability.

Damn True

07-06-2006, 10:31 AM

I've seen 3 Prius's, Priusi? Priuses?...whatever....broken down along the road in the last week. Their trucks and the Camry are highly reliable. however, many of their compact and subcompact cars are highly suspect.

boodlefoof

07-06-2006, 05:34 PM

Remaining off topic... the Supra is a pretty fun little ride. I personally like the styling (particularly the interior styling) of the 1990-96 Nissan 300ZX much better... but I may be a bit biased since I have one as my daily. ;)

Back on topic... I love the new Challenger! It looks great. I'm very excited to see one in person eventually.

nancejd

07-06-2006, 07:27 PM

You know, the thing I don't understand is how DC can unvail their car at the same time as GM, and they can announce definate plans to produce the Challenger, yet GM still only vaguely says that they are studying the market or some other b.s. Even if GM really does build the Camaro, they are loosing out on years worth of buzz in the meantime. Who steers that ship? Are they trying to repeat the level of success they had with the SSR?

PeteRR

07-06-2006, 07:31 PM

You know, the thing I don't understand is how DC can unvail their car at the same time as GM, and they can announce definate plans to produce the Challenger, yet GM still only vaguely says that they are studying the market or some other b.s.

Because DC has a proven platform in the LX. They can modify it to their heart's content to get a Challenger out of it. GM is starting at square one. They cancelled Zeta two years ago and are now playing catch up.

nancejd

07-06-2006, 07:41 PM

I can understand that, but why can't they say" Yes, we are going to bring back the Camaro", or "No, get bent and stop asking us to"? Think how many customers they are losing who are buying a Mustang (and now the Challenger), but would wait three more years to buy a Camaro instead?

trapin

07-22-2006, 11:47 AM

Well...I got the latest and greatest info about Challenger from a pretty reliable source. I can't mention his name or the company he works for. According to him, Challanger will be built in Brampton, Ontario and the SRT-8 version will be first into production. It will be followed by a 6.4 liter hemi and a 6.7 liter. MSRP will be around $40-$45,000 and then go up from there. They are only slating the car for 50,000 units a year. So it looks like this car will be more of a competitor to Corvette than to Mustang or the supposed Camaro.

Again, don't take this as fact....but my friend is a pretty reliable source who has come through in the past. I can tell you that he doesn't work for Chrysler but is intimately involved with all their production facilities and robotics.