Pony Up (Challenger concept)

[Anthony]

Detroit News Article

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[NickF1011]

Nope. Still not overly impressed. Smooth-looking, but not at all NEW-looking. Of course, it's easy to see by the details that this is not a ready-for-primetime vehicle. I'd say it's about as close as the Mustang concept was to what we got for 2005. Maybe they'll work out some of the details for the production version. I really don't like the grille or headlights. Don't like that "Great Plains" flat hood either.

[JLaudioF150]

I think it's friggin' awesome!!!

[RancorKeeper]

I like the "hunkered down" look, but if this was available today, I'd still buy a Mustang. I love to see GM put a pony car out, too. Competition will only help keep the Mustang at the top of its game.

[bec5150]

This car is different from the mustang in that, because of the size chassis it is build on, it has a larger back seat. I say that Chrysler should exploit this by adding rear suicide doors much like the Mazda MX-8 and some extended cab pickup trucks. That way you would get the look and sportyness of a pony car while still having the usefullness of a sedan.

 

If they did that, I would consider buying it. However, my life style simply does not support putting 20 or 30 large into a car that can only haul two adults.

Edited January 4, 2006 by bec5150

[NickF1011]

I like the "hunkered down" look, but if this was available today, I'd still buy a Mustang. I love to see GM put a pony car out, too. Competition will only help keep the Mustang at the top of its game.

 

This much I'll definitely agree with. More options on the market only leads to BETTER options on the market. We all win when manufacturers have to fight for sales.

[96 Pony]

I really like it and it will be a good competitor to the Mustang. However I think it will meet with a fate like the Thunderbird - too retro, have a huge demand up front, wildly overpriced due to dealer greed, and then will die out.

[NickF1011]

I really like it and it will be a good competitor to the Mustang. However I think it will meet with a fate like the Thunderbird - too retro, have a huge demand up front, wildly overpriced due to dealer greed, and then will die out.

 

Could be, especially if the rumors of no V6 model being available pan out to be true. <_<

[llog215]

I really like it and it will be a good competitor to the Mustang. However I think it will meet with a fate like the Thunderbird - too retro, have a huge demand up front, wildly overpriced due to dealer greed, and then will die out.

 

I completely agree. The exterior is not new at all, just the original updated. At least they put in a new interior.

[96 Pony]

Could be, especially if the rumors of no V6 model being available pan out to be true. <_<

 

No V6=new halo car for Chrysler, expensive and limited production

 

Not that it is a bad thing. The Prowler, Thunderbird, GT, Allante, Reatta, TC3 all did their job in bringing people into the showroom. They just didn't sell in huge numbers and were limited productions.

[NickF1011]

No V6=new halo car for Chrysler, expensive and limited production

 

Not that it is a bad thing. The Prowler, Thunderbird, GT, Allante, Reatta, TC3 all did their job in bringing people into the showroom. They just didn't sell in huge numbers and were limited productions.

 

And they were all cancelled/discontinued way before they recouped development costs. Ooops.

[Anthony]

And they were all cancelled/discontinued way before they recouped development costs. Ooops.

 

It would take long to recoup development costs for the Challenger. Lots 'o parts underneath that are no different from the LX trio. They can sell this as a niche product and get away with it.

[one2gamble]

I see it has to retro, it looks like something that would come out of a high end hot rod shop not a new car

[Bluecon]

It would take long to recoup development costs for the Challenger. Lots 'o parts underneath that are no different from the LX trio. They can sell this as a niche product and get away with it.

It is just a shortened 300 chassis with new sheetmetal. Chrysler is going to modify the St. Louis minivan plant to build this model line. Like you say most of the development for this car is already payed for.

 

And Chrysler will have the new 4.0l v6 available for this car.

[matthewq4b]

Personally I like the car. I would even consider buying one if the LX cars reputation was better than it is.

 

I also like the interior it is simple, functional, good looking & not not loaded up with a bunch of unessesary crap. Some times less is more. No need for car interiors to look like the Flight deck of a 747 this is a problem GMC has. I mean christ who needs a dash- steering wheel with 300 buttons plastered all over the place.

 

Where the Mustang sells primarily to women (V6) this car is going to be primarily purchased by men.

 

I doubt it will have the sales Mustang but it is going to be strong for a few years with out question. What it is going to do is increase show room traffic for Chryco. And since the Charger is essentually the same car, the logical step from the impratical Challenger is to the Charger.

 

Chyco is following Ford's Formula of the 1980's for thier turnaround. Build every thign you can off one platform. In the 80's Ford's LX was the Fox chassis. Ford built no less than 12 models off that platform.

 

From basic Transportation to high end Luxery. I doubt this will be the last Chrysler vehical we see born off this chassis.

 

 

The real piss off is Ford culd have done this exact same thing with the LS Chassis it grew in to the Mustang and that was it. Ford could have had 4 maybe 5 or more models based of it.

 

 

Chysler is going to be able to offer some nice niche vehicals off this platform as the only cost is going to be sheet metal. And interiors.

 

 

Chrysler has found a nice pocket of sales in the mid-full size sedan market a much more profitable area than compacts. Chysler is looking more like the U.S manufactures of old and being sucsessfull while doing it.

 

IF Chysler can solve the quality issues with the LX cars befor they taint the whole works of them and tank the sales they have a real shot of becomming a serious contender. Chyco surpassed Ford in Canada for the Fisrt time ever in sales. Not good news to say the least. So Ford better pay attention Chyco is doing some thing right.

 

 

Ford has some nice product comming out but Ford is gunning for the Japaneese buying crowd and forgetting it's tradtional American Buyers. Chyco has picked up those sales and is flourishing with it. Weather thay can maintain sales with those remains to be seen.

 

Ford has is playing the AWD card. that is fine for the northern areas But those in the south do not need or requier the extra expense of AWD systems. California is as a bigger Market than all of Canada. And even at that the LX cars have proven do fine in winter conditions. The LX cars are proving that FWD is not required for moving vehicals and the buying public will readily move to RWD with little or no hesitation.

 

Plus the cheap ass factor is not tagged to RWD vehicals that still exsists in the minds of many consumers

 

I guess the thing that pisses me off is Ford could have emulated Chryco's line up for less than it cost Chyco. As Ford Already had the RWD chassis in the Line up. With RWD cars and the NEW FWD units Ford would have been one stop shopping for every buyers sedan needs.

 

 

I still think there is room and the sales avalible in the Ford line up for a Modern styled Conventional RWD midsized sedan. Some thing a little more tastfully than the 300 or Charger. The 427 concept fits the bill & Personally I still think it could be built and would sell in enough numbers to justfy doing it. It would round out Fords Sedan line up nicely. The 3.9l V8 would be a good option and would attract buyers that want a V8 but do not want the thirst of the Hemi or that kind of power. Just do some thing with the CV GM and Ford would hve the most complete sedan line up on the market with a price and vehical for every buyer.

 

The addition of the 427 to the line up would help utilize some of the under utilized plants and possible steal some of the LX cars sales. The fact that it is based of a Lincoln platform would not hurt it's reputation either.

 

 

Ford has the product in the stable to do it. They just need to do it.

[one2gamble]

It is just a shortened 300 chassis with new sheetmetal.

 

 

you mean old sheetmetal

[NickF1011]

you mean old sheetmetal

 

 

It almost looks like they ordered it from NOS. :lol:

[Bluecon]

you mean old sheetmetal

:lol:

 

But good sheetmetal.

 

And now once again why doesn't Ford lengthen the Mustang and add 2 doors and some new sheetmetal?Maybe even the 427 look. The answer is--it takes to long or it is too hard. Well thay gotta get their feet out of the wet cement and get going.

[NickF1011]

:lol:

 

But good sheetmetal.

 

And now once again why doesn't Ford lengthen the Mustang and add 2 doors and some new sheetmetal?Maybe even the 427 look. The answer is--it takes to long or it is too hard. Well thay gotta get their feet out of the wet cement and get going.

 

Not too hard. Impossible. D2C isn't a flexible platform at all. It would need to be a new platform from the ground up to accomodate a significantly longer wheelbase.

[F250]

This much I'll definitely agree with. More options on the market only leads to BETTER options on the market. We all win when manufacturers have to fight for sales.

 

Not really. The current Mustang is outstanding and it came to market after all of it's competition had been discontinued. There was no direct pressure of competition for Ford to make the latest Mustang as good as it is, it stands on it's own. Once again the Camaro and Challenger will owe their existance to the Mustang, it's like 1967 all over again.

 

If produced the Camaro and Challenger will take some sales from Mustang but in the end the original and the best will still be standing after the others have been discontinued...again.

[retro-man]

I say that Chrysler should exploit this by adding rear suicide doors much like the Mazda MX-8 and some extended cab pickup trucks. That way you would get the look and sportyness of a pony car while still having the usefullness of a sedan.

 

If they did that, I would consider buying it. However, my life style simply does not support putting 20 or 30 large into a car that can only haul two adults.

Remember "MustangFamilyGuy" who kept hanging around here agitating to stretch the Mustang so he could have a decent back seat for his litter? I'm sorry, but you can just wait until your midlife crisis before you start trashing icons. Maybe they can do a retro Dodge Monaco for you....

 

p.s. They did the back door with the Charger. Use that.

 

I really like it and it will be a good competitor to the Mustang. However I think it will meet with a fate like the Thunderbird - too retro, have a huge demand up front, wildly overpriced due to dealer greed, and then will die out.

That is my gut feeling about it too, except that I don't think the T-Bird's being too retro is what killed it. The Challenger is definitely more retro than the Mustang.

 

:lol:

 

But good sheetmetal.[/guote]

Absolutely. I've always regarded the early 70's Challenger/Barracuda twins as one of the better looking designs to come out of Detroit (from a company that didn't have too many good looking designs).

And now once again why doesn't Ford lengthen the Mustang and add 2 doors and some new sheetmetal?Maybe even the 427 look. The answer is--it takes to long or it is too hard. Well thay gotta get their feet out of the wet cement and get going.

No no no no no. As noted above, the Mustang is fine as it is. Refine it - don't change it, or you'll kill it for sure. You want a 427, make the damned 427. Would've been the perfect, and long-overdue, replacement for the Panther series. ('Course, a day late and a dollar short now.)

 

Sorry, somehow screwed up the quotes when I was editing. Damn computers.

Edited January 8, 2006 by niteflight

[ebritt]

"Wel at least the mustang is all new new and the challengeris just an copy of an old car" .......BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH! They are both cool cars and for anybody to say that the new stang isnt a copy of the 67.......STUPID! Both cars are as much a copy as the other one so get over it and simply enjoy two of the coolest cars to come down the pipe. <_<

[sunroofcuda]

"Wel at least the mustang is all new new and the challengeris just an copy of an old car" .......BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH! They are both cool cars and for anybody to say that the new stang isnt a copy of the 67.......STUPID! Both cars are as much a copy as the other one so get over it and simply enjoy two of the coolest cars to come down the pipe. <_<

 

 

I agree 100%! For those of you complaining about "old" sheetmetal & the need for new - what's up with that? We learn by looking back, & there's a reason why NICE Challenger R/T's are bringing HUGE bucks, as well as nice '69-'70 Mach 1's (& lots of other classic musclecars). There's what's called a styling pinnacle - when everything just comes together RIGHT. To change it is to ruin it. Tom Gale, retired Chrysler designer still maintains today that the 1970 Barracuda hit the "pinnacle" of styling among all the vehicles Chrysler has ever built. This is why the reborn GTO is a joke - it's a disgrace to call it GTO. They should have called it a "Super Cavalier" or something like that. Hell, if GM was smart, they'd get on the bandwagon & re-create the '65 GTO (probably the most popular of all the GTO's). But what some of you are saying, is to re-create something like the '65 GTO, & make it look "modernized" - well that would ruin it for sure. You guys are missing the whole point of hindsight & retro. Just about as much as the Camaro concept looks like a Camaro, they should call it an Audi or something. GM is missing the whole point also. Their Asstec & Avalanche styling teams are not getting the message. No wonder GM is in bad shape. Now as far as making the Mustang or Challenger a 4-door - that's goofy.

[jerzystang]

I like the challenger concept better than the camero concept but both seem to be far off from production versions, can't wait to see what the final product brings.

[96 Pony]

I like the challenger concept better than the camero concept but both seem to be far off from production versions, can't wait to see what the final product brings.

 

Camaro will probably change a lot but Chrysler seems to not mess around too much with taking concept cars to production. So I'd guess the Challenger is right there as far as what the production version will look like.