robertlane Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 Click here for the article Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinb120 Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 Gotta love how well a company can do with just one good platform and one good engine. I like it, good for Dodge having balls in management. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
630land Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 Umm, great that the Challenger is coming. But answer this: Why the 'employee discounts'? Why all the unsold product? Some think that Mopar offers new RWD V8 cars, they 'must be doing good'. Well, look at the balance sheets 1st. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
96 Pony Posted July 1, 2006 Share Posted July 1, 2006 Well, since Chrysler is the only one of the Big Three that is showing any gains in market share I'd say that's an indicator that they are doing something right. I likey this car! B) It won't outsell Mustang (and Chrysler knows that) but it is a great halo car for the division. Now if they offer it as a 'vert I'm there! Unless Ford finally wakes up and starts selling a RWD Cougar again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebritt Posted July 1, 2006 Share Posted July 1, 2006 Umm, great that the Challenger is coming. But answer this: Why the 'employee discounts'? Why all the unsold product? Some think that Mopar offers new RWD V8 cars, they 'must be doing good'. Well, look at the balance sheets 1st. Exactly! Why the crap does everybody have to have a different motor and different tranny every frickin weak? Be like The old GM, almost every motor bolted to almost every tranny. Use the same motor with a few tweaks and improvements for more than on damn model year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordtion Posted July 2, 2006 Share Posted July 2, 2006 Making this car with 425 hp is going to keep a lot of people from buying it, due to insurance costs. Plus with that motor, pricing will be too high for the average joe to purchase one. Why not make one with the 5.7L hemi and make this 425HP the Challenger R/T. Any guestaments as to what the sticker price will be on this car? Front end looks different than the first one I saw, it's taking on that Dodge Ram look, and something has to be added to the rear end, just palin looking..IMO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2005Explorer Posted July 2, 2006 Share Posted July 2, 2006 Are they going to make a V6 version? Seems to me that Ford sells a lot more V6 Mustangs then V8's. Not everyone wants to spend that much money and most people do not need that kind of horsepower. Ford is smart with their Mustang offering. 210HP V6, 300HP V8 and for the few that need to feel the speed and have deep pockets they offer the 500HP Shelby GT500. If Dodge does not offer these different power options and different price levels this car will never sell like the Mustang does. Also, if this car is based on the LX platform...isn't it going to be a heavy big beast? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebritt Posted July 2, 2006 Share Posted July 2, 2006 Are they going to make a V6 version? Seems to me that Ford sells a lot more V6 Mustangs then V8's. Not everyone wants to spend that much money and most people do not need that kind of horsepower. Ford is smart with their Mustang offering. 210HP V6, 300HP V8 and for the few that need to feel the speed and have deep pockets they offer the 500HP Shelby GT500. If Dodge does not offer these different power options and different price levels this car will never sell like the Mustang does. Also, if this car is based on the LX platform...isn't it going to be a heavy big beast? Yeah, are they? I dont need 750 hp and 1200 lbft torque....just a peppy V6 with decent mileage.Let the stupid 18yr olds blow their college funds on the HEMI RT/SS LT's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted July 3, 2006 Share Posted July 3, 2006 DCX is only looking at 30-50K Challeger sales and I think thats a streach, esp with the higher number. I see this car going the same way as the GTO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted July 3, 2006 Share Posted July 3, 2006 (edited) Well, since Chrysler is the only one of the Big Three that is showing any gains in market share I'd say that's an indicator that they are doing something right. They sure haven't gained any market share over the past couple of months -- since April their sales have been down more than Ford's. If they show any signs of recovery in July, I wouldn't put much weight in them since they are damn near giving away vehicles again with "Employee Pricing Plus". Edited July 3, 2006 by NickF1011 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Traveler Posted July 3, 2006 Share Posted July 3, 2006 Dodge does not indicate any set numbers or engine options on their website for Challenger, except to refer to it as a pony car. My assumption would be that with the Charger, Magnum and 300 already receiving a V6 model, a 5.7L Hemi model and a 6.1 SRT model apiece, then there would be reasonably no problems in producing the Challenger in a variety of configurations. They will likely be only hindered by the immense popularity of the car. Think about it. Out of the gate, this car will have buyers showing up with deposit checks in hand ready to sign on the line. Very seldom do you have diehard Ford and GM guys ready to stand on their head for a competitor's car. Yet with Challenger, I've probably only seen a a tiny amount of naysayers to many who have heaped large helpings of prais on Dodge for even considering production. Now that has been given the green-light. The vast majority of the initial buyers will want the most power available, so Dodge will not (or shouldn't) delay production on the 6.1 model that most will covet early on. As more people see them on the streets and inquire and as the initial rush to buy calms down somewhat, I can't help but feel that Dodge would begin producing slightly more sedate Challengers for those who don't want a premium gasoline-burning 6.1L Hemi, but instead want the look and decent levels of performance. Dodge has not been in the RWD pony car market for over two decades. They can not ramp up Challenger production on two or three different tiers when the 300, Magnum and Charger must continue down that same line as well. Challenger's potential success is helped greatly by sharing with the LX sedans and is hardly comparable to GTO where styling was constantly ridiculed, pricing was fixed rather high and its engine choices were non-existent. Challenger will be much more flexible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebritt Posted July 4, 2006 Share Posted July 4, 2006 Dodge does not indicate any set numbers or engine options on their website for Challenger, except to refer to it as a pony car. My assumption would be that with the Charger, Magnum and 300 already receiving a V6 model, a 5.7L Hemi model and a 6.1 SRT model apiece, then there would be reasonably no problems in producing the Challenger in a variety of configurations. They will likely be only hindered by the immense popularity of the car. Think about it. Out of the gate, this car will have buyers showing up with deposit checks in hand ready to sign on the line. Very seldom do you have diehard Ford and GM guys ready to stand on their head for a competitor's car. Yet with Challenger, I've probably only seen a a tiny amount of naysayers to many who have heaped large helpings of prais on Dodge for even considering production. Now that has been given the green-light. The vast majority of the initial buyers will want the most power available, so Dodge will not (or shouldn't) delay production on the 6.1 model that most will covet early on. As more people see them on the streets and inquire and as the initial rush to buy calms down somewhat, I can't help but feel that Dodge would begin producing slightly more sedate Challengers for those who don't want a premium gasoline-burning 6.1L Hemi, but instead want the look and decent levels of performance. Dodge has not been in the RWD pony car market for over two decades. They can not ramp up Challenger production on two or three different tiers when the 300, Magnum and Charger must continue down that same line as well. Challenger's potential success is helped greatly by sharing with the LX sedans and is hardly comparable to GTO where styling was constantly ridiculed, pricing was fixed rather high and its engine choices were non-existent. Challenger will be much more flexible. I think this will be a 35 to 40k car. Even with a V6, probably close to 50 with a hemi. Not in my price range at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted July 4, 2006 Share Posted July 4, 2006 What's wrong with Chrysler product development? The Mustang comes out in 2004, and Chrysler won't have a competitor until 2008??? On an extant platform, with extant engines and transmissions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluecon Posted July 4, 2006 Share Posted July 4, 2006 What's wrong with Chrysler product development? The Mustang comes out in 2004, and Chrysler won't have a competitor until 2008??? On an extant platform, with extant engines and transmissions? I thought the Mustang came out in 1964. You ever get the facts right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Traveler Posted July 4, 2006 Share Posted July 4, 2006 Its been my understanding that the Challenger will be built on a revised LX platform that all four cars will share and that the Challenger will be the first to use the new "LY" platform. At least that's what I've read. As for the delay to answer the Mustang...I'd say there would be good reason to wait. Since the new body was intro'd as a 2005 and the Challenger won't be ready until 2008 MY, that really isn't that great a span of time. Both the Magnum and 300 were brand-new as well for 05 and the Charger was added a few months later. Three model years after Mustang has grown on folks, they produce the Challenger which generates the same type of excitement for the Dodge brand that Viper did in the late 80s. Its perfect timing IMO, because it will likely beat the Camaro to market, of which it will most likely compete with for sales. I think the Challenger is a guaranteed hit. One guy on another board claims to know a guy that works at the plant that will be the Challenger (you know how that stuff goes) and he indicated that there will be a base Hemi model that starts in the high 20s. Accurate??? Who knows? But as long as RWD and V8 stays somewhat popular and gas prices managable, the 300, Magnum, Charger and Challenger will be around for awhile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark B. Morrow Posted July 5, 2006 Share Posted July 5, 2006 I thought the Challenger came out in the 70's. Took awhile for the redesign, eh? Its not even that much of a redesign. I like the Challenger, but its even more retro than the Mustang. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted July 5, 2006 Share Posted July 5, 2006 (edited) I think the Challenger is a guaranteed hit. I disagree. Its styling is more polarizing than the Mustang, it arrives at a point in time when demand for retro pony cars should be more or less sated, and it has no where near the heritage of the Mustang. The Challenger should be a reasonable success for DCX, given that it will share its platform with the 300 and the Charger (don't expect the Magnum to appear on the next iteration of the LX platform--DCX is far more likely to cannibalize the slow-selling Magnum for the more appealing Challenger). So, yeah, the Challenger should be a success for DCX in that it will have higher transaction prices than the Magnum and probably also the Charger, and it will probably haul in its share of comparo victories. However, it will--like the last Challenger--appeal to a far narrower section of the populace and will be far less sought after--at least as a new car. Perhaps, if the quality of this new Challenger is as abysmal as the past Challenger, it will eventually be as rare and as collectible. Edited July 5, 2006 by RichardJensen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
630land Posted July 7, 2006 Share Posted July 7, 2006 "Well, since Chrysler is the only one of the Big Three that is showing any gains in market share..." Ahem, they are on downward trend. Only the Caliber is hot, they have thousands of unsold vans, SUV's, and Pickups. And a lot of Sebrings/Statuses to unload. Also, the 300 was below 10,000 last month, it is cooling off. Magnum is nowhere and Charger is no 300C. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Posted July 7, 2006 Share Posted July 7, 2006 ...and Charger is no 300C. Charger actually outsold the 300 last month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunner Posted July 11, 2006 Share Posted July 11, 2006 There are rumblings on Jayski.com that Dodge may have the Challenger be its NASCAR competitor. Currently they run the Dodge Charger. Incidentally, good show for the Charger to outsell the 300. We all knew the 300 had the problem of being a fad vehicle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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