Toxic Hellcat Strategy, and the Redemption of Sins
From Blutiful: The Stealership association (evidently made-up primarily of low-ethics and by consequence low-volume dealers ) decide they deserve the HC allocation more than customers on lists to buy at MSRP. They evidently argued successfully to FCA they need and deserve the HC allocation more than the customers on waiting lists to buy from reputable dealers at MSRP. They NEEED to have them have them all on THEIR floor to generate floor traffic to down-sell customers to other vehicles, and so they could place HUGE mark-ups on them and sell them to the highest bidders. So now the theivin` dealerships get our cars to put on their floor at ADM and we get the shaft instead of a Hellcat ordered the way we want it at MSRP.
To Brett DiMichele and Challenger Talk:
I've just been an enthusiastic lurker here on the Challenger Talk Forum, made various comments, usually about colours, and first met Brett and his Toxic Orange 2011 392 on YouTube. His nice introductory video of that car contributed to sparking my interest in the progress of development of the 21st Century Dodge Challenger; demonstrating a very welcome rebirth of an American industry long mired in a dismal mediocrity of engineering that lacked excellence, and design that lacked taste, imagination, inspiration, and careful art.
I think the above quote accurately reveals the improper considerations that Dodge Marketing applied to the distribution of the Challenger Hellcat. The deeply interested buyer, who places such a weight of value on choosing and enjoying this artfully executed and historic piece of Americana should have been Dodge's first and only consideration.
Incentivizing and rewarding dealers, succumbing to the avarice of dealers hoping to take undeserved profits, or the nonsense that a Hellcat in the showroom would generate ancillary purchases are all indicative of a failure critical thought and a lack of decency shown to what is precious, the enthusiastic customer.
Unlike the former era the persons responsible are known to us, and we are willing to make of them objects of respect and admiration for work well done; but a friend or brother who has let us down digs a deeper wound and makes himself a subject of contempt, whose sins are long remembered.
A lesson here for Dodge, meet the passion and quench it when its hot, else you might find grown men getting reflective, rational, and objectively considering other qualities and alternatives.
Now Mr. Tim Kuniskis and his cohorts, who have also let down those imaginative engineers and creative artists who delivered the 2015 Challenger, can indeed and truly set about to make amends, by ending the long ill-conceived allocation paradigm and by fulfilling sold orders of the Hellcat based on renewed efforts to deliver the needed components, and their best estimates as to how many can be built within the strictures of CAFE.
A lesson from Muscle Car History, Autumn 1969, GM launches the LS6 Chevelle SS, demand exploded; did they withhold, collaborate with dealers to produce markup? No, they met customer orders, and wow it outsold the tamer version of the new 454, the LS5, 4,475 to 4,298. Remarkable. Now Dodge needs to show its true success and the admirable boldness of this next legend by selling an astounding number of them, and by deliberately endeavoring to protect their reputation and retain their true friends.
Mr. DiMichele, like a man intent on meeting his tastes, and rightly expecting to for the sacrifice of such a large expenditure; turned his fancy toward an ultimate composition, something that would thoroughly delight him, and be a sure investment: Sublime, and Laguna Sepia -a combination that Dodge's taste police had to reconsider- with the rightly complementing Brass wheels, and, open as it should be, to the glory of the Sky. A more than repeat customer, he used to own a 300 before Toxic 11, first in line, and Dodge snubs him, neglects his years of wallet emptying payments. Deflated and wronged one turns for renewal to new horizons and other satisfactions; the world is rich with colours and delights to the eyes of the righteous; the selfish and the sinner, the inconsiderate, his exultation will fail him, and Grace and Peace will withhold their embrace.
The Alternate General has been diligent, coming to the NY Show this April will be a new Alpha-Platformed Camaro. An aluminum intensive chassis and suspension, lightweight, balanced front to rear, shorter and more nimble; a high compression V8 delivering explosive amounts of power and torque at all increments of speed, yet delivering efficiency; and then a Supercharged ZL1 powerhouse of infinite thrust matched with an infinitely adjustable suspension, and an electronic limited-slip. American muscle becomes ultimate drivers car; Styled right? Coloured right? Sounds Rather Challenging.