Hey you new Challenger owners!

[1969chargerrtse]

Hey you new challenger owners!  I was at a great car show this weekend, and there sat a new Orange SRT Challenger with sunroof.  I gotta tell you I was very impressed.  The car just screemed quality.  It truly looked fantastic.  The new owner loved it.  Like most people, I've seen pictures and thought it was O.K , but up close was awesome.  Well done Ma Mopar.    Anyone feel the same way that you were pleasantly surprised after viewing it in carson?

[SchaefMan]

I agree. Here in the Chicago area, we have had a few new Challengers at the Friday Cruise Night. I have seen a few in the orange, too, but it is simply awesome in black.

[WINGR]

I too agree that they are a sweet car. I live in the Metro Detroit area and we are starting to see some of the 09 models now. I have seen a red one with the 71 side stripes cruising and a darkblue at the Dodge display at the "Woodward Dream Cruise". At a local dealership in Plymouth they a white one on there outdoor display rack. I would assume the availability of the white paint color may be somewhat influenced by us V-Point fans. Of course they all  look awesome.There were quite a few of the black and Hemi-Orange SRT's down there as well.

WINGR

[Chatt69chgr]

There is a black SRT8 at the Chattanooga dealership (with a $15K market adjustment added on) and a hemi orange one at the dealership in Ringgold.  They really look good in person.  I sat in the one in Ringgold and is is very impressive.

[G-man]

It will never be a real muscle car. Imitation sure, but thats all it will ever be.

[1969chargerrtse]

It will never be a real muscle car. Imitation sure, but thats all it will ever be.

What on earth would make you think that?   It can out perform many muscles cars of the 60's and 70's. 

[ITSA426]

It will never be a real muscle car. Imitation sure, but thats all it will ever be.

There's someone that needs to try the SRT track experience.

[Troy]

It will never be a real muscle car. Imitation sure, but thats all it will ever be.

Says the guy who is cutting up his "real muscle car" to make something that never existed (for the second time)...

and also rips apart anyone using stock wheels and tires...

and basically wants everything in a classic muscle car to be new...



As for the new Challenger, try backing one up. I like them ok but I'm not willing to overpay for one. Maybe when the price becomes "reasonable". The SRTs certainly perform well - and I could probably get into lots of trouble with one.

Troy

[charger_fan_4ever]

It will never be a real muscle car. Imitation sure, but thats all it will ever be.

I agree with you. I saw one at a car show here last weekend. It was parked beside a 70 AAR cuda. Not in the same league at all. Up here i have seen the new srt's with a $55K sticker price. At this same show was a real black on black 70 challenger RT 440 4 speed on the road for 26k obo. I don't know about you, but i'd be all over the real challenger 4 gear before the revamped one.

Plus in 5 years the new challenger will be worth what 15-20k maybe.

Don't get me wrong i think they are nice, but not in the same league as the originals.

[keepat]

I like it!  and I would buy another. At MSRP it's a great buy!
Pat

[1969chargerrtse]

It will never be a real muscle car. Imitation sure, but thats all it will ever be.

I agree with you. I saw one at a car show here last weekend. It was parked beside a 70 AAR cuda. Not in the same league at all. Up here i have seen the new srt's with a $55K sticker price. At this same show was a real black on black 70 challenger RT 440 4 speed on the road for 26k obo. I don't know about you, but i'd be all over the real challenger 4 gear before the revamped one.

Plus in 5 years the new challenger will be worth what 15-20k maybe.

Don't get me wrong i think they are nice, but not in the same league as the originals.

Hey I love the originals, I have one.  But, that new Challenger with what 425hp+  6 speed would beat the original in all categories, 1/4 time, braking, handling, comfort, top end, stereo, GPS, moon roof, seats, paint, structure, bla bla bla, and this is the first year.  Wait until a conv, scoop and stripes,more aggressive options come in the next few years.  To say it's not really a Muscle car, sorry can't agree. 

[RallyeMike]

The "real" muscle cars handled and braked like crap, had a limited warranty, required constant tuning, and had poor rust protection. It's definitely not one of those !

[charger_fan_4ever]

For sure performance wise the srt is superior, but i don't think many guys buy the 60's-70's musclecars (r/t's, aar's, ss', z /28's) for performance or to thrash.
I have a fox body mustang with a well built 351W that runs bottom 11's all day long n/a that would run circles around my 70 r/t (once the r/t is on the road ) Dollar for dollar pretty hard to beat an 03 cobra with exhaust, smaller pullies, tune.

Point being you can take any newer ponycar and modify it for cheap and they will outrun the older musclecars in all areas with ease, but they just can't replace that classic car style,feel, look and value.

The challenger does look better in person.

We all have our own opinions, it would be boring if everyone agreed

[DougSchellinger]

No doubt it's a nice car, but I just can't get over how BIG it is.  It's like that hot girl in high school who put on 40 lbs.   Look at the thing.  It's as big as the '68 Charger !!!     I don't dislike the car, but I'd take the Mustang hands down as it's a little more true to the original idea.

[G-man]

Some people must of mis-understood what I was saying.

When I refer to a muscle car I dont mean "power and fast". I mean, Steel, looks like its got balls, sounds like its got them, 15" rims with big meats. 425Hp will beat any old car down the quarter? Howmuch does it cost? for 8k into motor id love to see that challenger even come close to an old one.

Old car will always stay real, new car will just be new car. New cars fast for 40 000+ stick 40 000 into an old one and ul see 8 second quarters.

So that argument doesnt work.

Drive down a street with these new "Hemi challengers" drive down the street with a 426 hemi 70 Challenger... I know what everyone would look at NOT the new one. This new one is going to end up like every other new car, whether Jap import or not, its just an every day car while the muscle cars are still the classics that get taken out on weekends that turn heads.

Wait for 5 years then ul see the prices of the new ones and old ones, then remember what I said here.

[keepat]

No question, it's a mid size car like the Charger. And the Shelby is small like a 1967 Shelby, My 6' son can't fit in the back seat of the Shelby but has room in the Challenger.
Pat

[TheGhost]

Drive down a street with these new "Hemi challengers" drive down the street with a 426 hemi 70 Challenger... I know what everyone would look at NOT the new one.

I don't know about anyone else, but I'd snap my neck at both cars.


And remember, back in the 60s and 70s, when Muscle cars were new, they were just "new" cars, too.

[DougSchellinger]

No question, it's a mid size car like the Charger. And the Shelby is small like a 1967 Shelby, My 6' son can't fit in the back seat of the Shelby but has room in the Challenger.
Pat

Well it looks like you have the best of all three worlds then.   

[E5 Charger]

I love the old Challengers and love the new! I've seen a couple in person and think Mopar did an awesome job with the new one. I disagree they will loose their value, I think the SRTs will be very collectable. I saw one in a dealership and they were asking $70,000, (in Canada) way too much if you ask me. That's 20 over sticker.

[4cruzin]

I think they're cool and all but I like the silver one the best!!  Very cool!   

[moparstuart]

You have to also remember that when our old muscle cars where new just a years or two later the market dropped out on them also !
 Gas prices and insurance killed there resale value . It also killed muscle cars .  So these cars may drop in value but they will come back up especially if the bad market kills them and make them rare in the future .  I love the new challenger been paying for a 2dr RWD chrysler for years.   

[Chris G.]

New cars fast for 40 000+ stick 40 000 into an old one and ul see 8 second quarters.

Even Shiloh found your whole statement a little kooky.

Find me an 8 second car that you could drive from Jersey to California with the A/C blasting all the way there. Your comparison is non-existent.

[68RT4ME]

Of course the new Challenger will lose some value initially but just like the classic Muscle cars, they will over time become sought after. You cannot compare a 40 yr old classic car to new one just yet as for collectability but for performance, which is what a classic muscle car was suppose to give you back then, todays version can out do those in every way. That surely makes them "Muscle cars" but with so much more comfort and convenience. Don't you think if they could have done it that way back then they wouldn't have? We can't predict what a car's worth will be in the future but, to simply say it won't amount to much is not smart. No one thought back then that todays classics would be just that. They were just cars to beat on and thrash. Very few saved them for what they may have become. todays cars won't be any different.

[charger_fan_4ever]

Just seems that since that the last cars to be worth something was like 73-74. Chrysler,gm,ford has made some rare cars since then, but simply didn't hold the value.

76-80 Volare rr,apen r/t, kit car for example value?......

79 ford mustang pace cars value ?...... 93 mustang cobra rare less than 2000 built worth 10-12k now if they are original and mint.

early 80 camaro Z/28 camaros with the cross ram intakes value...... 86 monte aero coupe like 1000 built for nascar value now $8k for a nice one.


I just can't see how the challenger will be any different.

[68RT4ME]

Those cars you mention were really nothing more than decal packaged cars with very low HP and overall performance. Decals alone won't ensure a collector every time. The New Challenger however is a preformance car and can back it up. It's currently not all dolled up with decals and such but rest assured, it will have them before long in keeping with it's retro styling but, will also still be able to back up the talk.

[hemigeno]

Wait for 5 years then ul see the prices of the new ones and old ones, then remember what I said here.

Don't forget what the value of our beloved musclecars were when THEY were 5 years old cars.  EPA/Insurance regulations effectively ended the musclecar era, and the gas crisis made sure it wouldn't come back anytime soon.

No political intonations meant here, but two of the same three major factors (you can guess which two I am thinking of) could play a role in eliminating any "modern musclecar" era.  Add 40 years of time, and the value of that SRT Challenger could easily approach Returns On Investment levels of the fairly common Challenger R/Ts of the heyday.

Personally, I'll still prefer the old stuff since I enjoy turning wrenches on stuff more than watching the stealership guys plug in a computer diagnostic machine.  My wife?  She'd trade either of my two cars for an SRT Challenger in a heartbeat.  To each his own.

 

[charger_fan_4ever]

I will say though finally Chrysler is back in the game. While gm and ford were battling and selling 100's of thousands of camaro's and mustangs from mid 80's on up threw chrysler was perfecting the shadow and other 4 cyl tin .

I wonder what the price tag is going to be on the new camaro? As it sits the challenger is a fair chunk more than a Gt mustang.


Only thing i don't like about the challenger is how thick the back end is from the top of the lid to the bottom of the bumper. Sitting beside the aar at the show it looked overweight compared to the early e bodies.

[moparstuart]

Wait for 5 years then ul see the prices of the new ones and old ones, then remember what I said here.

Don't forget what the value of our beloved musclecars were when THEY were 5 years old cars.  EPA/Insurance regulations effectively ended the musclecar era, and the gas crisis made sure it wouldn't come back anytime soon.

No political intonations meant here, but two of the same three major factors (you can guess which two I am thinking of) could play a role in eliminating any "modern musclecar" era.  Add 40 years of time, and the value of that SRT Challenger could easily approach Returns On Investment levels of the fairly common Challenger R/Ts of the heyday.

Personally, I'll still prefer the old stuff since I enjoy turning wrenches on stuff more than watching the stealership guys plug in a computer diagnostic machine.  My wife?  She'd trade either of my two cars for an SRT Challenger in a heartbeat.  To each his own.

 

I was thinking the same thing if these are a limited 4-5 year run like the first challengers they could be rare in 40 years . But dont bet on it just buy it because you like it and keep it if you fall in love .

 

[1969chargerrtse]

Those cars you mention were really nothing more than decal packaged cars with very low HP and overall performance. Decals alone won't ensure a collector every time. The New Challenger however is a performance car and can back it up. It's currently not all dolled up with decals and such but rest assured, it will have them before long in keeping with it's retro styling but, will also still be able to back up the talk.

Ba Da Bing!  I agree with all your points.  Here's one not mentioned though.  I've said it many times.  GM's volt is short of 2 years away, and behind the volt will be other plug in cars.  The future is going electric then Hydrogen SOON!  GM's big issue was battery life and strength.  Well I just read a great article how it has been resolved with an awesome new type of battery that will do the job.  Electric cars are coming and that Challenger will be known as a Muscle car for sure, one of the last.   There is no question at all the next gen cars coming by 2010 will be plug in electric, but Hydrogen is going to be powering not only your cars, but your homes.  Hydrogen is already powering some new high tech factories at a great savings, and doing it clean.

[moparstuart]

Those cars you mention were really nothing more than decal packaged cars with very low HP and overall performance. Decals alone won't ensure a collector every time. The New Challenger however is a performance car and can back it up. It's currently not all dolled up with decals and such but rest assured, it will have them before long in keeping with it's retro styling but, will also still be able to back up the talk.

Ba Da Bing!  I agree with all your points.  Here's one not mentioned though.  I've said it many times.  GM's volt is short of 2 years away, and behind the volt will be other plug in cars.  The future is going electric then Hydrogen SOON!  GM's big issue was battery life and strength.  Well I just read a great article how it has been resolved with an awesome new type of battery that will do the job.  Electric cars are coming and that Challenger will be known as a Muscle car for sure, one of the last.   There is no question at all the next gen cars coming by 2010 will be plug in electric, but Hydrogen is going to be powering not only your cars, but your homes.  Hydrogen is already powering some new high tech factories at a great savings, and doing it clean.

  thats why i'm thinking 4-5 years max for this new challenger just like the first challenger ( Energy crisis )  chicken little the sky is falling