Dodge Challenger to be Low Production V8

[oksrt]

i will just wait about 6 months after it comes out, by then the price will be back to normal

[426Hemi]

Originally Posted by Ragamuffin

Gas Guzzler , $3.18,$ 3.83 , $3.92 & ok .. $4.26 is where the price of gas seems to be headed !!! I just had a feeling fuel was going to go up ASA the Dubai Ports deal got snuffed by our Congress Bigwhigs ; even though most of you are thinking how is that connected : maybe it's not and/or just a Strange coincidence ? My main point for bringing this up is that I'm wondering if anyone knows , unless I'm one of a handful , of this person [who I will not name at this stage } that currently has documented technology in which a vehicle can and does attain MPG way in excess of 256 MPG ??? Yes, I can & will believe if most of your eyes are doing this > ; but if need be or when the time comes, can and will provide Proof. No, I don't have the exact details and if the Hemi 's can be tweaked or reworked without hindering their horsepower; but would like to delve into this with DCX as well as our Government Honchos : without any suppression from the obvious >> Big Oil and the others who would not like to see this become a reality for the masses !!!

Cookoo, cookoo, cookoo.

[Abood Alwan]

guyz I think that DCX doesnt care on what we say for them they want to keep everything secret from others if they dont want it to be a secret they will say its in production now like they said for the new dodge calliber . other companies didnt say that their cars r in production so think carefully what will happen in the coming 2 years

[Big Country]

I don't like the idea of it being a "niche" vehicle either. I think DCX is really dropping the ball here. As was stated before by somebody, the Challenger is one of the hottest prototypes around right now, so DCX isn't even going to take advantage of that and build a large volume and enjoy some higher market share? Big mistake. You can always adjust production volume lower after the first year or two.

The other thing I don't like is them already trying to get us use to the idea of paying more money than for the Mustang. I figured it would be a little more, but I have a feeling DCX's version of a little more is a lot higher than mine is! This is a HUGE mistake.

The diehard Mopar guys who already have a classic Challenger sitting in the garage and tons of extra money just waiting to be spent will not make this car successful. The people who would make it successful (and help to expand a loyal following of Dodge customers) are people such as myself, who heard their fathers talking about their Cudas or Challengers, and have dreamed of owning their own ever since. It's the late 20 somethings and early 30 somethings that this car could really be a hit with, but making it a niche vehicle and slapping a high price tag on it will doom it to a very short production life.

Go ahead DCX...screw this up....watch everybody flock to the Camaro. Maybe that's your plan, screw up the Challenger so most of it's fans will go buy the Camaro and help bail GM out of their financial woes????

[sniper226]

Originally Posted by Big Country

Go ahead DCX...screw this up....watch everybody flock to the Camaro. Maybe that's your plan, screw up the Challenger so most of it's fans will go buy the Camaro and help bail GM out of their financial woes????

Or we can wait for the announcement that the GTO is going to be redesigned in a retro fashion and all begin drooling over it.

In reading back over recent press, it sound like DCX really wants to build it but the logistics have not come together to do it to where they can make it profitable. Maybe we need to get everyone to stop buying Chargers so the Brampton plant then has the capacity to build the Challenger!!

Anyone game for bashing the Charger?

[Ragamuffin]

Well,I'm thinking of several viewpoints ! One is just how much $$ is "appropriate " for a car like the Challenger ? It's the best of the lot for power and looks ; so it has to be priced higher than a Camaro or a Mustang...I mean yeah price it way lower and yeah then more would be sold ; but at what price in Lost Stature ?? Then a lot more young and reckless types will be trolling around. Sure,I guess Gm could have put the Corvette at around $15,000 and then sell more and have one about every other house.

[Rallye72]

Originally Posted by sniper226

Or we can wait for the announcement that the GTO is going to be redesigned in a retro fashion and all begin drooling over it.

In reading back over recent press, it sound like DCX really wants to build it but the logistics have not come together to do it to where they can make it profitable. Maybe we need to get everyone to stop buying Chargers so the Brampton plant then has the capacity to build the Challenger!!

Anyone game for bashing the Charger?

I think you are correct. DCX management isn't convinced this is a good business bet. To be honest, from a strict business standpoint I'm not sure I'd build it either. At the end of the day it's a toy. I really don't think (but I could be big time wrong I admit) that they have any real intention of making this a mass market kind of car, especially if they are having the kinds of logistics issues you indicate. Any time you build fewer of something it has to be more expensive in order to make a profit. At any rate, I think we are many months away from any announcement, good or bad.

As far as Charger bashing - money talks and mine walked when they hung 4 doors on "it". If they come out with a 2 door version vice the Challenger I'll reconsider. I also like the Firepower but no idea what $$ range it would be in.

[wirewilly]

I agree with Everret. The 4 door wagon has run its course. Bring on the Challenger!! One note on limited prod. If DCX tools up for a 50,000 run and for some reason it's a flop, they lose mucho $$$$$$. Limited prod., oh well we'll move on. IMO!!!!!!!!!

[Big Country]

In the first two years DCX could sell whatever # they produced if they had a decent price on it. You guys are missing my point completely if you think I'm expecting it to be priced the same as the Camaro or Mustang. Perhaps you missed the part in my post where I said I expected it to be higher. However, pricing it too high will secure it's fate just like the Camaro/Firebird. They were awesome performing vehicles, but GM eventually priced them right out of the market. Notice that the Mustang has never went away, consistently has solid sales #'s, and has a great bang for the buck value along with a very large and loyal fan base.

Having the Charger fail would be a huge blow to DCX, considering it's a very good selling vehicle for them right now, and if they lost it's sales, DCX would start losing valuable market share along with profit.

As far as having room for production, that is one of their biggest hurdles. Hemidakota has posted on his blog they are considering moving the overflow production of the 300 to the plants here in St. Louis, so they could have a limited production build of Challengers at Brampton. Why you wouldn't just build the Challenger here in St. Louis, so you can say it's made in the USA, is another thing that has me scratching my head. The Magnum might possibly be cancelled within a couple years due to it's slow sales. Once the Charger came out, sales of the Magnum sank.

They will build it. I have no doubts about that, and DCX has all but given the "official" word that it will happen. It's basically a logistics issue at this point with regards to where they will build it more than anything. As I said, I don't mind it being a little higher than the Mustang and Camaro, but to make it say around $4000-$5000 more? I just think DCX would be missing a huge opportunity to bring in new customers (current Mustang owners and other performance enthusiasts who may have never considered owning a Dodge) and developing a new group of loyal fanatics that could stay within the DCX family.

[Rallye72]

I priced Mustang GT's again last night. I'm in SE AZ. The dealer has about 10 of them. They range from $29800 to 31K. The base price is listed at just under 27K. My bet is that you won't be able to touch a Challenger R/T for less than 33K and probably closer to 35K.

I differ from you in that I do have doubts about them building it. They just need to tell us it's coming on/about "some time" even if the date slips. But saying nothing tells me they still have doubts. I'm also curious: what's the typical time lag between "official announcement" and cars actually hitting the dealer? Seems to me the Caliber came out of nowhere (not that I was paying any attention to it) but what's the typical DCX timeline look like historically?

I'd also point out that as you indicated Mustangs are and have always been popular, outselling the Dodge's by a huge margin. There's no reason to expect that to change with the introduction of the new gen "E" body.