This morning in Dallas,TX 2009 Challenger on channel 4

[z16z06]

Hey guys, long time corvette owner lurking on here daily reading and just checking in for the new Challenger to come out to see if it makes me add my first Dodge to the stable. ha!

I have a question for you?

We have this guy in Dallas (Ed Wallace) and he's a car guy that has a AM radio show every Saturday called "Wheels". For about 10 years i have heard him BS about all sorts of cars and the last few years he has hooked up with a TV station here and reviews new cars every Friday.

My question is how could he have this brand new 2009 Dodge Challenger this morning in downtown Dallas and be reviewing it? He is lucky because he keeps the car a whole week and then reviews it on Channel 4 Kdfw news cast at 7:30AM.

I actually missed the show this morning but i had a friend call me and try to wake me up..haha but my friend said the Challenger was even Hemi Orange. I thought they weren't making a Hemi Orange in 09.

You can find his review on insideautomotive.com and then you can select from a menu bar. Click on review new cars and you will find the Challenger and his review on all three versions to come out in 2009.

BUT HOW DID HE HAVE AN 09 Challenger this soon? and in Dallas???

Nice to see a bunch of people going crazy about this car coming out, its got me excited because i love the older body style cars. This one is going to be a winner!

[money2burn]

Hey, welcome to the forum.

The short answer is the manufacturers make a ton of extra cars, some of them a year earlier than production, for testing and media reviewing purposes. There are a few '09's running around in various colors, some might even have been test colors they decided not to use.

The sad thing is that these test "mules" almost always go to the crusher and are never sold.

[NOTSURE]

That is a test mule or a promo car doing the rounds,it has to be.
Welcome to the club!

[z16z06]

Okay thanks for the quick answer; i was just wondering and that is TERRIBLE about going to the crusher.

That car guy will answer all emails so i think i will write him and ask him where he got the car and if he knows about its future.

Thanks for the warm welcomes, i look forward to the reviews from the new owners of the 08's. NO WAY i would pay over sticker. I have only paid sticker for one new car and that was my very first. A 1977 Pontiac Can Am in 77 of course. That was a fun car with lots of memories from those years of ownership.

Originally Posted by money2burn

Hey, welcome to the forum.

The short answer is the manufacturers make a ton of extra cars, some of them a year earlier than production, for testing and media reviewing purposes. There are a few '09's running around in various colors, some might even have been test colors they decided not to use.

The sad thing is that these test "mules" almost always go to the crusher and are never sold.

[BlackRT]

I saw that spot on Fox 4 News this morning. Ed Wallace clearly stated the car he was showing was a "pre-production" model. I thought it was funny when he said when he first got it he got so many people hassling him about it when out on the street he decided to garage it to cool off the multitude of onlookers... (not an exact quote but best I can remember) lol Overall he gave it a glowing review but said to pass on the Nav system because it was the cheesiest one he had ever seen!!

[z16z06]

[SIZE=4]I wrote Ed Wallace and asked him about this car and here is my letter to him and his response.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=4]Ed is showing off this car in Ft. Worth today at some dealerships so everyone can come take pictures of it. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=4]A dealership called Meaders (if i spelt that right) at 4:00PM today for an hour or so and then he's going to another location in Ft. Worth. Too far for me to travel just for photos.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=4]JUST SICK about crushing this car! DARN!!![/SIZE]

[SIZE=4]Hey Ed, me being the car nut i am and owning a bunch of Corvettes over the years i am interested in the 2009 Challenger when it comes out later this year or even next year. I wouldn't pay over sticker for the 08's coming out so i will wait on the 09's to be produced in mass production. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=4][/SIZE]

[SIZE=4]My question was on the review you did this morning on channel 4. Was that a mule car? I ask because the 09's haven't been produced yet; heck even the 08's are stumbling down the assembly line. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=4][/SIZE]

[SIZE=4]I hang out on the Dodge Challenger forum and i posted about you reviewing the Challenger this morning and they are telling me this has to be a "test mule car" and it will be crushed when all the hype and reviewing of this car is done.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=4][/SIZE]

[SIZE=4]Is this possible? Will they crush this car? How many miles were on this car? was it Hemi Orange? Dodge claims they are not making an 09 Challenger in Orange, just the 08 will be a limited production car only in Hemi Orange and around 6,000 08's to be produced.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=4][/SIZE]

[SIZE=4]Thanks, Tony in Mesquite, TX[/SIZE]

[SIZE=4][/SIZE]

[SIZE=4]Tony,[/SIZE]
[SIZE=4]It’s too nice to be a mule. I believe it is the hand built one from the assembly line. (They find a open hour or two and build one or two models to test the worker’s abilities.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=4]That being said, all high performance test cars that are used by the journalist fleets are crushed and never resold.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=4]Ed[/SIZE]

[sniper226]

Yep, saw the review as well. I had to hang around to watch it and ended up being late for work.

I wonder how well the stereo is going to be and how bad the nav really is. We have a NAV in our 07 Jeep Commander and if it is the same, it is not that bad. Of course I don't have alot of experience to compare it to.

Was glad to hear how solid he thought the car was. His only downfalls he listed was it was not a true retro muscle car design.

IE no AM only radio option, 8 track or the ability to lock up the brakes and do 360's in a panic stop.

[carcrazyguy]

Saw this posted on a Dallas area forum.....

Saw this sitting outside the Mall in Arlington.

[z16z06]

Originally Posted by carcrazyguy

Saw this posted on a Dallas area forum.....

Saw this sitting outside the Mall in Arlington.

Wonder if it was the same car Ed Wallace was driving last week and WHY would he park it that close to other cars.

OH I forgot it wasn't his car and most likely they wouldn't care if it wasn't their on pride and joy.

DARN that car needs a driver like me.... HAHA!

I'm getting one too!!!!

[carcrazyguy]

When I first saw the pics of the car sitting at the mall. I was thinking, what is at the mall that is so important that you would want to get out of the SRT in the first place?? Throw me the keys, and that thing is not going to be parked unless it is next to the gas pump.