3 Ways Dodge could Improve the Hellcat Challenger, Charger for 2018

[ncmrer]

We don't have any official information on the 2018 Challenger SRT Hellcat or 2018 Charger SRT Hellcat, but based on a few other 2018 model year vehicles from FCA – there are three seemingly simple ways for Dodge to improve the Hellcat cars for the next model year.

All Details at TorqueNews https://www.torquenews.com/106/3-ways-dodge-could-improve-hellcat-challenger-charger-2018

• A Wide Body Package
  The Torque Reserve System
  Weight Reduction

[JB400]

Wide body: NO
TR System: Yes
Weight Reduction: Yes

I also agree that they could equip them with lesser options, aka Superbee type options, but I wouldn't do anything that would significantly drop the price.  Enough of these cars are getting wrecked as it is.  We don't need lesser experienced drivers getting in these.

[Mike DC]

  
It would be very cool if they removed several hundred pounds.  

But I know that ain't happening.

[sccachallenger]

Sorry they don't think a manual transmission Charger would sell

[Mike DC]

             

Sorry they don't think a manual transmission Charger would sell

IIRC the issue is that there isn't another manual-tranny Charger model to start with.  Changing 1/3rd of the drivetrain in the platform is a bigger expense.  Crash testing might have to be redone, etc. 

[Bad B-rad]

I think its great that they are at least building a car like the Demon.
It would be GREAT if they offered a Roadrunner/SuperBee type package car today.
Some type of big engine low options no B/S car.
Maybe start with the 6.4/392 as standard and the only option would be 6.2/hellcat engine.
But they just won't do it.
5 or so years ago I was in the market for a new truck, a L.D. work truck like a 1500 4x4 quad cab,tow package Hemi engine truck, I wanted bare bones, no carpet, manual window cranks,regular seats,regular radio just bare bones. No dealer wanted to help me get that truck, they could come close but it was a 4.7 v8.
All the trucks that had the Hemi had a crap ton of options on it, and that's fine and good, but I did not want that. I wanted to keep cost low, I wanted to be able to wash the floor out with a hose. I wanted a light duty work truck. They had no interest in building or selling me that truck.

So I just do not think they will ever build a RoadRunner style car again.
I think it would be great, and I think it would sell,but I don't make the calls at Mopar.

They will build the Demon, where the front and rear seat are options!?!?!?! That's kinda the idea, but to offer a lighter weight low options go fast muscle car.
Go look on the dealership lot, at least here in NY every car has a sun/moon roof.
It was so lucky I was able to get our 2016 Charger R/T with out that option.

[tcs69rt]

Remove the 2 extra doors the new Charger does not need. 

Add the 6 speed manual tranny.

Change the body all together to resemble the 2 door 68 thru 70 era Chargers.

And cue the Aerosmith music "Dream on, dream on!" 

[crj1968]

Some type of big engine low options no B/S car.

This ^ 

[70B5Cuda]

Im still amazed that people ask for a 200-300 pound weight reduction. If you want a lighter car, the only way you're going to get it is to
1. Start eating more salads
2. buy a car and start stripping all the extra stuff out of it.
Then you wouldn't like how uncomfortable and noisy it was.
For it to be that much lighter the car would have to be MUCH smaller. and it would have an unusable back seat. Thats a lot of weight to pull out of a daily driver. Dodge (or any other manufacturer) will never do that so people need to stop asking. Theres no way a modern car can have comparable weight to the older mopars.

[wingcar]

Im still amazed that people ask for a 200-300 pound weight reduction. If you want a lighter car, the only way you're going to get it is to
1. Start eating more salads
2. buy a car and start stripping all the extra stuff out of it.
Then you wouldn't like how uncomfortable and noisy it was.
For it to be that much lighter the car would have to be MUCH smaller. and it would have an unusable back seat. Thats a lot of weight to pull out of a daily driver. Dodge (or any other manufacturer) will never do that so people need to stop asking. Theres no way a modern car can have comparable weight to the older mopars.

People seem to forget that the 1970 Challenger was the heaviest of all the muscle cars.....the more things change the more they remain the same.....

[alfaitalia]

My three ways to improve it would be:

1, Import it officially to the UK.
2, Price it the same as it is in the USA....normally any U.S. cars imported here sell for about 1.5 times the amount of pounds that you pay in dollars...so about 1.75 to 2 times what you pay. Add that to that fuel at two to three times the price....and motoring is no longer for the masses over here.
3, Give me one, free of charge, to review and evaluate as suitable for the British public. When I live in the county with the longest country name in the world (today's useless fact)...I feel it's the least I can do for my countrymen!

[Mike DC]

   

Im still amazed that people ask for a 200-300 pound weight reduction. If you want a lighter car, the only way you're going to get it is to
1. Start eating more salads
2. buy a car and start stripping all the extra stuff out of it.
Then you wouldn't like how uncomfortable and noisy it was.
For it to be that much lighter the car would have to be MUCH smaller. and it would have an unusable back seat. Thats a lot of weight to pull out of a daily driver. Dodge (or any other manufacturer) will never do that so people need to stop asking. Theres no way a modern car can have comparable weight to the older mopars.

1.  Swap the iron engine block to aluminum.  That's around 100 lbs right there.   I'm not buying the technical arguments against it when the rest of the industry made the switch decades ago.  Mopar has the alloy block in the catalog and they still don't use it even when you pay $50,000+ for a car or truck. 

2.  Reduce options.  Sunroof, butt heaters, etc.  Modern cars have literally dozens of electric motors because of options.  Dozens.  A car like a Demon should be order-able with reduced sound deadening, dump the back seat, etc. 

3.  My complaint is part of a more generalized gripe that the LX cars are simply too big, period.  People say "the buyers demand all those options" but IMO that's a bit of a chicken & egg argument.  The buyers who actually want lighter weight rather than big/comfort/options already wrote off the idea of an LX car at first glance years ago.