$30k for ~400hp is a great deal. Only other deal like that was the GTO., but this should sell a lot more. Selling it at a manual tranmission only car might alienate some customers, but I guess if you want true retro, manual is the only way to go.

If you can’t drive a manual you have no business piloting a 400hp rearwheel drive muscle car. People who can handle a stick car about driving more in my opinion.

If you cant drive a stick (so you needed an auto) do you really deserve a car like this?

That’s right about what a loaded Mustang GT sells for.

Agreed. Auto-peeps stay away, because you’ve ruined enough cars as it is.

All this news about the friggin Camaro, Challenger, Musting GT500…really speaks volumes about what the US manufacturers are focusing on. Their overseas competition, however, has their head on straight and can see the future quite clearly. Gas prices skyrocketing, global warming, etc. Pretty sad. The US manufacturers deserve their own fate for focusing so much on these reborn muscle cars that suck down fuel like the SUV’s of yester-year. The should be announcing plans to have a fuel-cell car on sale by 2008, or more diesels, or a crazy-fast electric sports car.

“or a crazy-fast electric sports car”

Oh Oh, Mr. Lutz, pluuueeeeeze build the FIERO II Electric Wagon!!!

Screw the environment, give me a white Challenger, a glove box full of speed, and a bunch of flashbacks of me being on a beach with my woman…

Thats 100 more h.p. than the mustang shelby gt for FIVE GRAND LESS!

Ah Mr. 6ix, that is Three cars out of around 100 combined that the domestics produce that are “muscle cars”. Your statement is not valid.

6ix: Right, all the American companies are doing are building gas guzzlers. Meanwhile, Toyota’s creating an even bigger full size truck, as is Nissan. Nissan is accelerating their sporty car programs. The big three out here are trying to create cars that people desire to bring in foot traffic to the rest of their brand. Get a clue, and pull your head out of your ass.

The interior needs major upgrading for 30K

I’m all for earning a profit from your product. The US manufacturers could earn a good profit off a more eco-friendly car. Maybe they should sink more funding into the development of exciting, but economical, cars. Perhaps they should be RESPONSIBLE.

Just compare Ford’s product line to Toyota’s. Trucks, big SUV’s, muscle-cars and some pittly-ass Focus. That’s all they really offer that’s even close to being environmentally friendly, and it’s nothing special.

Why can’t we learn from europe and the rest of the world? We seem to equate size and power with prestige. Overseas, an Audi A3 or A2 is a darn-fine automobile. it is here, but doesn’t get the same response from people. But boy, show up in a redneck, 500-horsepower mullet-mobile, and people gawk.

for everyone ragging on 6ix, one statement is completely overlooked:
global warming.

don’t want to get into this again, but research rather than politics is your friend.

fifteen years ago, scientists were convinced we were entering another period of global cooling and quickly heading for another ice age. Now, we are all gonna drown when the polar caps melt.

it is called natural heating and cooling of teh planet. These changes have been taking place for billions upon billions of years. If you think your neighbor’s suburban or the 30,000 challengers roaming the streets are the death of the planet, you are truly ignorant.

facts must make your head hurt.

Yeah like you KNOW for sure Mike, You love facts when they fit your arguement Mike

Bush and Rice are the worst things to happen to AMerica EVER they are so dumb, their war on terror has becoame a war on America, they are the best PR the terrorists could ever want. The world and the coasts hate you because of them. AMerica will be better when this administration is over.

Thank You 1952 MG TD. Fact is in short supply here.

Yeah, we’ve all seen The Day After Tomorrow. I know it’s the normal ebb and flow of things, but we’ve DEFINATELY helped out the process.

And no, 30K Challengers aren’t going to kill us all, but why can’t we just be responsible with our resources? What a waste!!!

Derek, fact is in short supply here and 1952 MG TD (AKA Mike) knows as little as anybody else

A. Im surprised a Mercedes brand would go manual only, when Benz is so god damn slap happy about automatics only, even in the AMGs, and with the only exception being that pile of **** C-class. Bravo. and
B. Shut up hippies

A4…seriously, that was funny.

So it is going to be aimed at a slightly different market… but that’s a EXCELLENT bargain for 400 hp! I’ll take one, forget the Mustang and that thing Chevy calls Camaro, I’ll take this anyday!

Seriously, enough of the global warming BS. It use to be you hippies only ragged on the Hummer. Now every time a V8 engine is mentioned, a gaggle of you greenie weenies start crying about mother earth. Start thinking with your brain and not so much your emotions. Considering the industrial revolution didn’t happen until the late 1800’s, how do you explain the mini ice age that occurred for nearly a decade during the 1200’s? How do you explain that the North Pole was once a tropical forest? T-Rex’s driving around in Challenger SRTs?? I am quite confident that this whole discussion will blow over like acid rain did in the 80’s once you get your panties out of a bunch.

Anyway, I for one am looking forward to this Challenger more so than the Camaro. As with most vehicles, I will have to reserve final judgement until I can get my hands on one, but the Challenger at this point looks beautiful. If any of the big three got a “muscle car” right so far, it’s Dodge. Big, heavy, straight line beheamoth with a ****load of style. This would probably end up being the only Chrysler I would ever think of buying. Thats saying something for me.

Piablo… you are dead on except for one thing….handeling. The LX, and its successor LY, is a great handeling platform, just look at the numbers for the SRT 300 and charger.

It’s no s2000…

425hp for 30geez.. this means every single horsepower costs you $70.58, the best bang of the bucks ever..
the question now can Ford or GM do the same??

Why are we talking about global warming?

400+ hp for $30k? Would Chrysler be taking a big loss on every unit? They would sell so, so fast.

Cole, no DCX is not going to be loosing any $$$ on this car. If they were, the production would not have been approved as they would not be able to sustain the loss.

The platform sharing and the fact the LX is already on a flexible manufacturing line allows minimal cost to bring a vehicle to market.

“Yeah, we’ve all seen The Day After Tomorrow. I know it’s the normal ebb and flow of things, but we’ve DEFINATELY helped out the process.”

The natural heating and cooling cyce that happens throughout a course of 30,000 years takes place due to ur position in the galaxy. The closer to the center the hotter moreon the outside colder. How did we help speed up the process of getting to the center again?

on another note assumign the gt500 makes 9k per year and they will probably runt he current one for 3 years that would be 27k units made close to this 30k units made. So a challenger being sold at msrp following the shelby is very unlikely. I see it being 10k dealer markups. ill buy one though

BWAHAAAAAAAAAA!!!!
ZING! thanks PJ.

God bless America this thing is cool….

It’s pretty damn socially irresponsible in lot’s of ways but I’m glad its coming even if I’m not in the target market.

I don’t think it’ll affect global warming, or the price of gas, or DCX’s bottom line much though.

It’s a shame this kind of passion isn’t apparent in the rest of the car line. (If the Chrysler Sebring is supposed to be passionate, they need to seriously rethink the design process )

Handling prowess is not just about generating high numbers you moron 1952 MG TD. It is about feel and finesse. Anyone can put a solid suspension in a corvette and generate 1g.
Thanks for the laugh you have given us with the Sebring and Caliber DCX, it’s now time to get serious

Merkin, have you taken any LX vehicle for a spin, let alone the higher performance versions?

“spin” being the operative word. Yes I have Mr MG and I still argue that a 5 series is the best handling car available

To expensive. They should make a cheep as **** stripped out model. Yay for nice cars and all, but the mass of the people who like cars cant afford a $30000 car. Most of the US cant afford expensive cars. I want a fast car for dirt cheep. I dont need bells and whistles. Its hard to find performance without all the other luxury BS tacked on nowadays. At least sportbikes still dont have maplights and a heated seat.

1952, you’re right, they aren’t bad at all in the handling department. I had a Charger rental a couple months ago, it was prettyy decent. But comparatively speaking to other vehicles that have 400hp under the hood…with the exception of trucks, their handling is as mediocre as it was back in the day. So in essence, these cars are still true to their nature in being a muscle car.

Cole, I would imagine they will be getting a modest profit from the Challenger. Sounds like a very limited option group will be available. You’ll have a color, an engine, and most likely some dealer options. Cutting out optional transmissions as well as trim levels reduces manufacturing and engineering costs big time. Chrysler will be able to accomplish with the Challenger what Ford wanted to do with the Thunderbird but couldn’t.

f**k this global warming bs it is our own country that is causing depleation of the ozone layer
back iin the 40,s with the splitting of the atom.,now give me my new dodge challenger with
a 6.6 hemi engine and 6 speed manual transmission.

The thunderbird looked like **** and captured none of the spirit of earlier models especially the 63 through 67 model years.

Merkin, take a chill pill buddy, chief, pal! Before you go flaming anyone, why don’t you take a look and see if a dodge Magnum is really in the same class as a BMW 5 series. I don’t think anyone who would be interested in a 300C would be interested in a BMW. Same as Porsche versus Vette customers.

And BTW, if the Chargers handled like hell, Law Enforcement across the country would not be buying in droves to replace their Crown Vics.

We have all seen how “well” all these cop cars handle on Worlds Wildest Police Videos, that or the cops are just ****. The police probably have great incentives on American badged RWD technology. Why can’t they use Volvos, they are owned by Ford and the UK police use them

AHAHAHAHAA! As I wrote my last comment, LLN added a story about how the NYPD made the Charger.

Piablo you are a tit of the first order, congratulations

the only difference between the 5 series and 300c is more body roll and lighter steering, a VERY small price to pay for a pillow soft ride( very good in Pittsburgh) and one finger parking lot maneuver.

Ride is not = to handling and there are way more differences betwwen a 300c and a five series which is why people will spend double on a five series

I’ll take mine in lime green/black stripes…or maybe Purple metallic/white stripes…tough choice..

1952 MG TD,

If you think that the pollution produced by automobiles is the significant problem, pull your head out of your ass and look at the private sector of factories. Coupled with the usage of private jets which cater 1 or 2 people for countless gallons of waste.

It is so easy to criticize peopole for driving big cars, while ignoring the fact that your electricity comes from oil. Get a clue before you start telling others to. Automobiles add to the problem, but not like the private sector and their pollution. Ever heard of ‘pollution points’?

Damn Amurricans with their gas guzzling SUVs! Why can’t they be more like the Europeans? Like, that dang fangled BMW M6, Mercedes Benz SL65, Audi RS6 and Porsche Cayenne? They’re all pretty damn good on gas, right? Not like the gas guzzling Amurrican cars at all, right?

At least the Japanese know. How much gas does a Nissan Titan use? How about an Infiniti QX56? Have you seen the gas mileage on a full size Toyota SUV? I guarantee these puppies sell in higher volumes than 30,000 a year and yet, they’re wonderful in the eyes of tree hugging hippies.

Suck it!

Or the Caddillac XLR, STS, or SRX? How about the

TWELVE !!!

GMT-900 SUV’s in GM’s stable at the moment? ANd that doesn’t even include the Pickup line.

Or Hummer? Jeeze, there’s a brand DEVOTED to guzzling gas. Thank you GM for single handedly building a brand around consuming as much petrol as possible. As if 12 gas guzzlers aren’t enough

GLOBAL Warming B.S…. I have a 1967 SS Camaro with a 502 big block in it.. When its just idling the fall out drops birds out of trees at three blocks… so Give me the 6.6 liter Hemi with the six speed… feelin the need for speed…

The STS gets 17/27 IF you get the V8. A BMW 550 gets 15/21. Most of those GM SUVS and pickups get 16/21 while weighing 1600lbs more than the BMW. The Armada and Sequoia get 13/17 to 14/18 BTW. I’m not defending the concept of suburbanite SUV’s but GM is not a villain in the current oil fascination. Ford however has done nearly nothing except make that stupid escape and the Europeans make diesels which while fuel efficient, spew toxins and are unpleasant to drive. Companies exist to make profit, not social/enviromental policy.

The challenger will be a huge success. Worldwide demand
for oil is what causes the price to increase, and demand
is not solely for refining into gasoline. We should be
drilling in the ANWAR now, less than 1% of the ANWAR would yield another large domestic supply. Remember,
the original Prudhoe Bay field has produced twice as
much oil per day than was predicted in 1975. Alaskans
want to drill. It’s only people who’ve never been to Alaska and never will go to Alaska, who are opposed.

Sean, you must have misinterpreted my statements… I am on YOUR side of this one… I think global warming is a farce and a political ploy, and I never criticize anyone for a well done automobille of ANY kind.

If this is true, can you imagine how much they would have been able to sell a 2 door RT charger for, it would have been under 30 grand, I just wished they didn’t mess that up, becasue then we wouldn’t even need this car. They now have 4 really simular cars going after the same customers (they are watering down their own market).

Who cares if the Hummer lineup gets bad gas mileage? Really who cares?

I don’t. The folks who can afford a Hummer in the first place don’t care either. Their rich so live for today, you anti-SUV folks just need to get a better job so you can enjoy the high-life too.

Don’t be jealous A-holes because you can’t afford a Hummer

I doubt the R/T will be the 6.1L. The 6.1L was an obvious fit for the challenger concept, and as it is the SRT-8 engine it’d naturally go into an SRT8 challenger, but given the challenger is a car of independent development from the rest of the LX/LY cars, it wouldn’t make sense to have a 6.1L challenger at semilar price-point to 5.7L chargers and 300c’s.

The challenger is the MOST attractive (product, drivetrain-for-drivetrain, of the various LXs, and makes sense to be priced on a higher scale, customers choosing to spend more money for style rather than spend more money for doors or a hatch. I’m guessing that given the expense of any given LX, it wouldn’t make sense for a 5.7L challenger to be priced closer than 5k below a 6.1L, and we already know that DCX has said they cannot sell the challenger for mustang money, model-for-model. So if a 5.7L hemi HAS to be significantly more (read: $5k. any less than that could almost be called competitive pricing) than a mustang GT(at 25-6k), but at least 5k less than a 6.1L, there’s no way that the 30k r/t will be the 6.1L. And by the way, what would you call a 5.7L challenger then? just a challenger? the 5.7L is considered good enough for an R/T badge on a magnum or charger, so why not a challenger?

you may want to argue, but are you prepared for the likely disappointment of the 6.1L being a 40k car (which would be in line with all the other DCX 6.1L’s), and the 6.6L being a limited-run 50k+?

Given the argument of an environmentally friendly car vs. a gas guzzling monster hyped on steriods. I’ll take the chance of carrying a big stick with a few peanuts in my pocket (no pun intended to all you steriod users ). I agree that we all want our cake and eat it too. So why not have both? I don’t think that most of us will actually use the Challenger as a day/day commuter vehical if you can afford one. I think that most people will prize their possession as a “weekend warrior” instead of de-valuing our car like the 20-40 mustang sightings per day. I know that if I sink my hard earned money into a relic of this nature, I will prize every minute of it. I wouldn’t mind spending more money on a beautiful vehical that will keep it’s value while running my commuter into the ground. This is why I refuse to sell or trade in my Toyota Tacoma because they A. run forever B. have great mpg C. carpool/grocery get R ready (i.e. I won’t cry if I rack up a billion miles or get a scratch or ding).

I haven’t been this excited for a vehical in years. I’ve always been a muscle car fan and am happy that one is being created for my generation. I have already been saving, and can only hope that they introduce the lime green/black racing stripes as a viable color option. Wether or not they include the 6.6 hemi is not really a selling point for me. I just hope they avoid the V-6 and make this a true American ICON once again. So I’ll take this time now to groom my mullet and dust off my Van Halen collection. Yeeeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaw!!!!! Has never sounded so good to me.

(Sp) Vehicle. Wow, I just noticed how I instantly grew a drawl while talking about this car! haha I’m expecting and Uncle Jessie and Cooter sighting in my near future.

BLUUET MAG FLA ORANK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! god damn it never mind…

Hey rich, u there?

yo dude
can u see it?

Pleeease? Hey! You did it! Thanks, mom! just kidding

come on.

hi henry

HELLO? RICH? WEALTHY MAN? are you an echo of a once forgotton craving? (pasta) o no never ferget thart OH CRAP LOOK WHOS COMING TO MY HOUSE mrs. flowercrap never mind

YO!!! YOU GOOD PERSON!

Pag, which is a bag with a little hole. Ranting about childless lifetime grants. don’t/ just. Hag. Hagmeyer Photo-tater. Tater-splotches. Taste like bad mustard.
the,

WHY is nobody follwer-ing the follower? That’s just not concerting? Bach did not expect niine billion fans? silly. person. equals, silly person. Just flop the blob on the PLAGEORISM! DOWNRIGHT PLAGEORISM! or for those of you who lack fine looking-and telling-what it means-abilities, plajerizm. No. NO! I CAN”T TAKE IT! MIND AND BODY TEARING AT EACH OTHER! SPINNING OUT OF CONTROL! little girls playing with plasticene dolls. Inhaling the FINE FUMES! like toy donkey playing with ammonia chlorate. makes me think of pancakes. BEING RIPPED! IN HALF! THE LITTLE tiny strands of thread that are so cute MAKE NO SENSE! MAKE UP THINE MUDDLED MIND, BOY! GOD DAMN IT, MORE PLAGEORISM! I won’t. sudden peace! what the hell? I feel better! momma, I don’t need no more medicine. it’s okay… unless its ammonia. that i will take. YYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAARGH! I’M FEELING IT AGAIN

I’M FEELING IT AGAIN! MR. YELLOW IS BACK!!!!!!! NOT FREEZ MAGNUM, NOT CEMENT, THE ONE AND ONLY UNBEATABLE (except on the bottom with a large paddle) MR> YELLOW THE ORIGINAL!! (Henry, scrape that off of the desk right now!) oh god, it’s not me, alright? It’s NOT ME! It’s Johnnyboy! He HASN’T left the building for good.

getting tired. um,

i would like to say a word for OH GOD SHE’S COMING momma. I really didn’t need that medicine. I am the pupil NO SHE’S COMING mom, where? is she coming from the hairy part of town? yes i really should stretch that out a bit more, mom. NO! not mom! I mean, uh…

getting tired. um,

i

King of all cars

I think the suggestion that wanting an automatic in this car indicates people who are not capable of handling this car are presumptous and assuming.

I had owned a 428 CJ powered Mach 1 for several years (recently sold it) and i can certainly pilot any street car and i do have a CDL also.

Personally i want one of these Challengers but i prefer automatic and it has zero to do with my driving skill nor should it suggest i or others dont appreciate driving. Yes i want to have those days where i lean into it but its an everyday car for me (except winter) so there will be those times i want to just get in and do the point A to B relaxed driving.

No available automatic will alienate some potential owners but not for lack of driving ability.

p.s. Forgot to note that my Mach 1 was a 4 speed complete with legbreaker clutch and NO power steering.(not for stick figured frame drivers lol) Yes i loved that type of driving and i loved that car but real world daily driving says an auto is just fine as long as the muscle is under the hood!

The Frankenstein is back ALIVE and it was because of his testosterone has waken!

Hey you the hippies, SO is my testosterone has awaken too! Get the life and I suggest you to drive these cars once before if you died from the Global warming disasters.

Drive it like there is no tomorrow! Enjoy.

P.S. The creator of the Challenger is Al Gore’s enemy.