http://www.ontariostreetcar.com/2009...lly-a-reality/

 

And they wonder why they had to file a bankruptcy ...

 

While I love the Challenger's looks, the thought of putting in an even larger (and more heavier) motor into a car that is already tipping the scales at well over 4,100 lbs is kinda anti-productive. At least the GT500 is getting an aluminum block to lighten the car (something Ford knew they needed to do). I'll believe it when I see the actual car with the new motor in it.

 

x2!! Ill believe it when i see it!

 

id bet money the new engine will make the car heavier. but its nice to see dodge is stepping up their game like ford. the challenger doesnt need any HP boost whatsoever. all it needs is a good taebo workout (aka diet).

 

Probably based on the current Hemi -- bored and stroked from the current 6.1 -- so I doubt it would be any heavier. Unfortunately, probably no lighter either unless they go to an AL block, which has not been mentioned anywhere.

Anyway, something approaching 500hp should keep the pretty but portly Challenger in the Pony car race.

 

this makes me happy!
To heck with the nay sayers..I love this car and will happily take it anyday of the week.

 

whoopty-doo, it's still a mediocre car

 

But a sexy looking one. I love its looks though I don't think it'll ever be serious competition to the Camaro and 5.0 Mustang.

 

that's the thing. the looks don't really do much for me

The car is just too big and oversized for my liking

 

I would like to have one. I think it would be nicer for longer trips

 

Yeah it is pretty big and porky, which is unfortunate and especially noticeable when compared to a '70 Challenger, but that's not enough to ruin it for me. I guess beauty really is in the eye of the beholder.

 

thats right

 

That makes zero sense. Making improvements to a successful model to stay competitive is exactly the right business decision.

On point, I would say that's going to a very impressive upgrade for the Mopar camp. The 6.4 is a stroked 6.1, so therefore, it should not add weight by virtue of adding displacement. I would hope the block is aluminum to shed some weight.

Love it or hate it, Chrysler has been successful with the Challenger, and despite the fact that like the Camaro and GT500 it suffers a bit for being heavy, it performs relatively well. Nice chassis with some noticeable refinement, and although it's a bit too large and heavy for my dollar, it's just drop dead gorgeous.

A 6.4 Challenger with an aluminum block, 500hp and a modern rendition of the Tuff wheel might prove hard to resist for me.

 

Successful model? They sold less than 18,000 of them so far this year. If you ask me, Challenger is barely more successful than GTO was and we all know how GTO ended.

Instead of wasting money on even bigger engines, why don't they spend money on Caliber and Avenger? Both of them are a joke and potential sales in that class are much larger than muscle cars sales.

 

I see. A larger 5.0 Mustang with an additional 50-80 hp is worth waiting for, but doing the same in the Challenger is "mediocre".

I suppose that's where the qualifier of "in my opinion" comes in handy.

 

They have invested money for improvement in both the models you mentioned. A new interior for the Caliber and a new Avenger is due out. To what end and result those investments pay off we'll have to wait and see. Suffice to say, improvements to the Challenger are not coming at the expense of other models.

I am a little surprised at those sales figures. Intuitively, it seems like the car has been successful. I do know they are not built in large numbers based on production limitations, and I do hear stories of buyers having to wait months for orders to be filled. Dealers in my area seem to only have 2-3 on their lot at a time if any.

The 6.4 has been available for some time through Mopar Performance. Refining it and getting certified through EPA for street use to keep the car competitive with upcoming higher hp offerings from Ford or GM is almost implied if the expect to continue selling Challengers.

I'm not privy to the profitability of this car, but off the cuff it seems like it has been good for Chrysler.

Gear head that I am, I tend to be more enthusiastic about more hp in the Challenger than I would be for a new Avenger, but I see your point.

 

I think your dodge fan boy flag is waving. If I'm not mistaken you said in one of your posts chrysler has been successful with this car? Are you serious ??! See Red Star's post for why that is not true.

Anyway, I called the car mediorce because it is. Dodge improving the engine is no big deal to me because the engine is not the problem. It's the humongous gerth this car has.

And yes the 5.0 is a worth waiting for while the 6.4 for the challenger isn't because the 5.0 addresses the mustang's weakness (its motor). I'd be more excited for chrysler if there was a rumor this car was on a diet, or that it was getting a new interior that wasn't in 40 of it's other vehicles

 

What would be your plan for improving performance considering the car isn't getting a weight reduction without a complete redesign? (the chassis has dictated the weight). So the next option is bigger motor and/or power adders.

Just wondering.

 

Why do they need to improve performance? More impressive would be if they got few more mpgs from the same engine.
Performance doesn't sell anymore, this ain't 1960s. Boring cars with high quality and fuel economy (a.k.a. Toyota) sell.