posted 01-04-2006 01:48 PM         

January 4, 2006 - Dodge Challenger concept: 1970 all over
Classic muscle car look, with lines smoothed and gaps filled, is brought back with two-door concept.

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - With an appearance that draws heavily from the classic muscle cars of the late 1960s and early '70s, the Dodge Challenger, premiering in concept car form at next week's Detroit Auto Show, should satisfy those who thought the 4-door Dodge Charger just didn't have the right stuff.

This time around, the number of doors stays true to the original spirit. Just two.

"The people who were complaining about the Charger, if they complain about the Challenger there's something wrong with them," said David Zatz who runs the Web site Allpar.com, a site about Chrysler Group products.

The Dodge Charger was ripped by some because it was a four-door sedan, a nod to practicality seen as out-of-place in a car that carried the name of one of the most famous muscle car lines. As soon as images of the Charger were released to the public, letters of complaint started coming into DaimlerChrysler's Chrysler Group headquarters in Detroit.

In June 2005, a report in the industry newspaper Automotive News said that Chrysler was working on a two-door car, to be called the Challenger, based on the same engineering underpinnings, called the LX platform, as the Dodge Charger, Dodge Magnum and Chrysler 300.

The Challenger concept is based, specifically, on the 1970 Dodge Challenger.

"During development of the concept car we brought an actual 1970 Challenger into the studio," exterior designer Michael Castiglione said in a company announcement. "For me, that car symbolizes the most passionate era of automotive design."

Designers wanted to evoke a mind's-eye image of the car without the visual imperfections required by manufacturing technology of the time, said Tom Trement, Chrysler Group's vice president for advanced vehicle design.

posted 01-04-2006 02:20 PM         

1. When.

2. What power plants will be available ( including rear axle ratios ).

3. Colors.

4. Options.

5. What's the price.

Anymore questions?

posted 01-04-2006 06:20 PM         

quote:

---

Originally posted by Al's Prowler:
For anyone that's going to the show ask these questions.

1. When.
probably 18 to 24 months

2. What power plants will be available ( including rear axle ratios ).
Hemi 370 Cubic Inch, 425 HP 420 LB FT of torgue
Rumor has it it might get the 500 HP, 392 Cubic Inch Motor shown at SEMA.

3. Colors.

4. Options.

5. What's the price.
Estimated @ $35,000

Anymore questions?

Al

---

posted 01-05-2006 08:18 AM         

North American International Auto Show
January 14 - 22, 2006
Cobo Conference and Exhibition Center, Detroit, MI
Saturday, Jan. 14 - 21: 9 a.m. - 10 p.m.; Sunday: 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Adults $12; Senior Citizen (65 and older) $6; Children (7-12) $5;
Children (6 & under) FREE with their parent

posted 01-05-2006 08:57 AM         

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - It's starting to look like the muscle car wars of the late 1960s are coming back for real. Following this year's introduction of the Dodge Charger, the next muscle car name to be resurrected will be the Dodge Challenger, according to a report in the industry weekly Automotive News.

The Challenger will be based on the same platform as the Charger, which shares its mechanical underpinnings with the Chrysler 300 and the Dodge Magnum wagon, according to the report. The newspaper cites industry sources including outside analysts familiar with the development program.

No-one with Chrysler Group, the division of DaimlerChrysler responsible for Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep vehicles. would talk about the program, Automotive News said.

Unlike the Charger, the Challenger will be a two-door car, according to the report. That would put it in direct competition with the recently redesigned Ford Mustang and the Pontiac GTO. The current Charger has four doors.

Like the Charger, 300 and Magnum, the Challenger will be available with an optional V8 "Hemi" engine, Automotive News said.

When it was originally introduced for the 1970 model year, the Challenger was a small "Pony Car" competitor to the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro.

The car is scheduled to be introduced in 2009, Automotive News said. The report said the company expects to sell 60,000 to 70,000 Challengers a year.

posted 01-05-2006 09:58 AM         

I think that the industry Days for Suppliers is the following week - the 11th and 12th. I work for a supplier so I think I can get the Supplier tickets. Do you have to be invited ? Is it worth going up then instead of the following week ? I usually go like on Saturday and Sunday - the last weekend. And it is usually PACKED . And I mean PACKED.

Regards,

John

------------------

posted 01-05-2006 06:05 PM         

John

------------------