I still like it! But can't afford it!

 

I hate this car almost as much as the Shelby GT, mostly for the same reason: it's price per performance is just terrible. God, it makes me embarrassed to be an American car fan.

It costs fourty f-ing thousand dollars and it'll have a hard time shaking off a bone stock Mustang GT.

The aerodynamics are bad. An engineer was quoted in C&D saying, "With a retro-themed vehicle, you wind up with retro aerodynamics."

The fuel economy is absolutely atrocious, which is just salt in the wounds for how bad it's straight line performance is.

It has IRS, but seriously, who is going to take this 4200 lb pig to a road course?

I understand that looks are subjective, but I think it looks like a Tonka toy carved out of a bar of soap. Not my cup of tea.

Really though, it's the price point and (lack of) performance that really gets me. If anyone is considering buying this thing, please, I beg you, consider spending $5000 more and getting much more car for your money.

 

To quote the Challenger engineer from this month's C&D: "Our aero target was to be the same as the Charger SRT8, but we wound up with a touch more lift in the front and a touch less downforce in the rear."

Again quoting C&D: "Heuschele says the front suspension tuning is similar to the Chrysler 300 SRT8, but closer to the Charger SRT8 at the rear, and that the goal was to blend the Charger's handling with the 300's smoother ride."

I'm sorry, this car is the opposite of impressive and with that price tag, I hope this thing gets buried to teach Dodge a lesson.

American car companies need to start offering more for our money (like Nissan did with the GT-R), not subpar performance for price premiums.

 

Well, when you're building a "retro" car, you're not exactly starting with the most efficient and contemporary engineering blueprint anyway.

I personally think the Challenger looks terrific. But it is too big, too heavy, has poor aerodynamics and will thus only ever offer middle of the pack performance.

Of course, today's middle of the pack is light years ahead of yesterday's most advanced performance vehicles.

 

I agree. Better off buying a Corvette.

 

yeah holycrap clockwork..have some perspective.
You make it sound like it's the only car on the planet and you are being forced to drive it.
I love the car ..plan on owning one and doing serious modding to it.

and surge I'd get a vette if it looked like the one i designed.

 

This is one thick hood... It even looks heavy.

 

im sorry guys but that has to be the ugliest car.....all that time and hype for that pffft come on its a hopped up 300c......camaro is a better car compared to the challenger 10 fold..... not to the mustang of course no comparison, i love my mustang

 

Ok yeah, my previous posts were kinda harsh, but as an American performance car fan, I want them to do well against the competition, whether it be in "price per performance" or just all out performance.

I guess also I just always thought of American cars giving you more for your money. I would much rather take the (cheaper and faster and probably MUCH more nimble) BMW 135i over the Challenger... of course, I'm not a fan of the Challenger's looks, so maybe it's not a fair fight.

Hey, can you link to pics of the Corvette you designed? I'd love to check it out.

 

I got The Challenger VS Gt-500 Scenario Covered! Same Basic Color and Stripe Combo and Similar Horsepower Level. No Funds Left for a New one! I could Probably Just about Swap the Old Challenger for a New one But No Thanks! Old School Ride has a Whole Different Driving Experience. Raw and Unsophisticated. Acceleration is Just Brutal and Unforgiving Although in a Drag Race the 500 Would Probably win. But Now that I am Thinking about the New Challenger I do have a Friend who's Family Owns a Dodge Dealership. May See if I can Wrangle a Test Drive just for the Heck of it!

KC

 

It may be heavy and it may not be the quickest...

...but it looks **** near greatness

 

Well, now we know why they didn't hesitate to throw gas struts on that thing to lift the bonnet.

 

Fair enough everyone is entitled to thier opinions
http://www.automotivestylings.com/gm...y_3-4front.jpg
I'm linking so I don';t clutter the thread
http://www.automotivestylings.com/gm...ngray_rear.jpg
http://www.automotivestylings.com/gm...ngray_side.jpg

 

The only thing i do not like about the challenger is that the front is not long enough from the front edge of the windshield to the nose.

its not proportioned like the old car.

 

Very cool! You're quite talented. I like em!

 

wow wow we wa......looks good like everything about it the more i look at the little things the more it looks like the old one good work man your talented for sure

 

I'll say this much - some of the performance assumptions being made here about the Challenger SRT8 are so far off of reality it's funny.

Go take a look on the web and see what current SRT8's are running. These are basement 13 second cars in general, and you guys honestly think the slightly lighter Challenger SRT8 and Mustang GT are comperable performers? Any SRT8 is quicker down the 1/4 mile than a stock GT. No question - the Challenger SRT8 is the faster car. Moreover, this is the initial run of Challengers with 5-speed autos only and no 3.91 option. The 6-speed manuals with the 3.91's will no doubt be faster.

As for the weight - it's on the heavy side, but it is relative to other cars. The GT500, GTO, etc. are not lightweight cars either, so being heavy is not nessecarily an indictment against the Challenger. All the this really means is that the weight has to be compensated for. In the scope of a musclecar, it's not a difficult task, and I believe Chrysler has done a good job of engineering the suspension, power train, and brakes.

I too am mildly dissapointed with the interior and would have liked to see a production version closer to the concept, but overal Chrysler has done a great job with this car and deserves credit.

When ADM's cool down and the 6.4 is offered I will be buying one.

 

At least they got rid of the truck grill that's in the front of the 300C.

 

 

40,000 is way too much money for this car and secondly the dealer marku game will be like the vipers were at first, 2 people bought one at 110,000 for a car that was suppose to be 59,000. Then the rest sat until the price went down some. The thing that amazes me is here is a car that would sell alot but market it at a price affordable for what it is and produce them and sell them. Selling 6 dont solve bankruptcy, selling 350,000 units a year keeps the plant going.