The Challenger sits on Chrysler's LX platform, best known as the basis of the 300C, and it is fitted with a 6.1-liter Hemi engine, which delivers 425 hp at 6200 rpm and 420 lb-ft of torque at 4800 rpm. The Hemi badge is worth its weight in gold. It evokes fond memories and produces goose bumps even before you turn the key, thereby giving the Dodge brand a real advantage over its competition. Okay, Ford is entitled to use the legendary Shelby moniker, but we'll have to wait at least two more years before Ford's new aluminum-block Hurricane V-8 is ready for production. General Motors installs an excellent engine in the Chevrolet Corvette Z06, but they have nothing as exciting for the reborn Camaro.
The Challenger will become the fourth LX derivative and the third Dodge version, following the Magnum and the Charger. Although it bears an almost too-close resemblance to the 1970 original, our time-warp coupe hit the Dodge crowd right in the heart, which is about where the checkbook sits. Even those aficionados who normally would side with Ford or GM were overwhelmed by the sex appeal of the newcomer from Auburn Hills.
Of the three new-generation pony cars promoted by Detroit--the Ford Mustang and the Camaro are the others--the Challenger follows the tire marks of its predecessor with particular discipline and accuracy. Quips design chief Trevor Creed: "A Challenger must look like one! We're proud to draw from our rich design heritage. And this car is spot on--its silhouette does make a statement, its cabin is big enough to seat four, and its engine bay packs all the horsepower one could ask for. To me, this is a very saleable item." Adds DaimlerChrysler head honcho Dieter Zetsche: "The Challenger [will] help to consolidate our strong presence in the rear-wheel-drive segment, a mission we are also going to pursue with the next-generation LX cars." So this shape isn't too retro, too predictable, too short-lived? "We don't think so," replies Michael Castiglione, who was in charge of the exterior. "It incorporates the essence of the 1970 model, but at the same time we carefully modernized the proportions by extending the wheelbase, widening the track, and mounting very contemporary twenty- and twenty-one-inch wheels and tires."
At 78.6 inches, the show car is certainly wide enough to fill the mirror of the car in front of it. At 197.8 inches, the Challenger is ten inches longer than the Mustang, and it has a 57.0-inch roof that is tall enough to accommodate towering period hairdos. All the design must-haves are there in force: sweet Coke-bottle hips, a meaty rear, a wasp tail, a cool flank-defining crease, and such signature details as a no-glare hood, frameless windows, and full-width taillights. Present-day details incorporated into the overall look include modern headlamps, fat five-spoke wheels, and a twenty-first-century interpretation of the Dodge grille. The Challenger concept is an eye-catching machine, no doubt, and in the wake of the production version, it should be easy to keep the fire burning with a convertible and even-higher-performance variants.
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