[First300COwner]

I think the new Charger doesn't compliment what the old Charger stood for. Tell me if I'm wrong but the old Charger was only in coupe form right?

If it was, than how can you make it a Intrepid stand in. That's like a Corvette comming out with a 4 door model.

I'm starting to feel this was a creative marketing idea from Dodge to start moving their 4 door full size sedan line (Intrepid) That thing was wayyyyyy to average in every way.

In short it looks like someone at Dodge said this:

Hey the Intrepid is making us look bad, so lets replace it with sportier looking car and put a good motor in it. Lets also call it a Charger, this will bring back a lot of old feelings and make people between 30-50 years old think of the old days and they will wan't to buy on that reason alone!

Sounds like a plan, lets do it!

 

[BabyVpr]

Re: Who feels the Charger is a step in the right or wrong direction for the Charger name?

I dont think a new version can match up to the old one. Its just a classic.

 

[First300COwner]

True, true babyvpr. I know they are going to sell like hotcakes though. Dodge knows how to make money...........

 

[kevin in okinawa]

Re: Who feels the Charger is a step in the right or wrong direction for the Charger name?

get over it already, crybaby...

if you are that incensed about it, hunt down the guy that gave birth to the 80's chargers!

 

[lethal429]

Re: Who feels the Charger is a step in the right or wrong direction for the Charger name?

Some perspective...I have a twin brother and we are both in our mid 30's and we are both Pharmacist's....he is married with two young children, I am not married and have no children...we have a Musclecar collection with some very nice iron in it, one being the Hemi Charger in my sig....The new Charger is geared towards guys like my brother...he just loves the car and will probably buy one...it is not geared towards guys like me...not married and no children. There are more prospective buyers like my brother and DC knows this....and I don't believe they purposely meant to tread on the lineage of the Charger...their marketers simply didn't understand the fierce loyality to the name...so to sum it up...he is happy that it is a 4-door where I have accepted the fact that it is a 4-door ...Im just very glad that we have our other Musclecars to tear up the roads with

 

[First300COwner]

get over it already, crybaby...

if you are that incensed about it, hunt down the guy that gave birth to the 80's chargers!

You talking to me or babyvpr? If that was aimed at me, I wanted to wake up the forum a bit.

But anyway, nobodys crying here friend. We are just expressing our opinions.

 

[SlickerSRT]

Re: Who feels the Charger is a step in the right or wrong direction for the Charger name?

I think that a coupe and sedan would be a good idea. Hell, they have two door and four door Stratus's.

 

[hemiz rule]

Re: Who feels the Charger is a step in the right or wrong direction for the Charger name?

yeah i like the look of the daytono rt/charger it would sell well down here in australia,hopefully one day they will bring it ,but with the 6.1 litre hemi and 6 speed and 19's,it also needs hood scoops,real muscle car look.

 

[GLHS837]

Re: Who feels the Charger is a step in the right or wrong direction for the Charger name?

Hey slicker, wanna bet the 2 door Strats sold like lead ballons?

 

[chargershed]

Re: Who feels the Charger is a step in the right or wrong direction for the Charger name?

I think it was risky for DCx to name it Charger, it is obvious that there would be some upset individuals. just like there were after the Omni 024 was renamed. What I think it boils down to is what YOUR definition of a muscle car is. Because that's the market they are trying to reach with this car, and what says Dodge muscle car like Charger. As far as the 2 vs. 4 door stuff, just look at the GTO... fabulous car... great power... handles great... best interior of any car in its price class... doesn't sell. The camaro/firebird twins didn't sell... the Monte Carlo only sells in nascar country... Pontiac killed the 2 door Grand Prix because the 4 door outsold it 5 to 1. Most(not all) young drivers equate sporty cars with Civics, Integras and the like...Is there a market for a FULL SIZE 2 door muscle coupe? Perhaps in small volumes like the GTO. But even the GTO is more of a pony car now. Look at the mid-nineties Impala SS... These are almost as sought after as the old school Impalas and have kept their value high, even after being off the market for 10 years... they only had 4 doors. Todays modern performance car comes in many shapes and sizes and there is a lot of competition for your hard earned money. Did Dodge make the right decision? Only time will tell....

 

[SlickerSRT]

Re: Who feels the Charger is a step in the right or wrong direction for the Charger name?

Hey slicker, wanna bet the 2 door Strats sold like lead ballons?

No doubt, but I'd go for it instead of a four door model.

 

[Immo]

300 History Lesson

I think the new Charger doesn't compliment what the old Charger stood for. Tell me if I'm wrong but the old Charger was only in coupe form right?

I'll admit I'm coming to this a bit late, BUT if you’re a TRUE Mopar fan, where is this out cry for the 300?!?

The 300 from the 50's, 60's, and 1970 were not sedans, they were coupes.

http://www.chrysler300club.com/photos/photos.html

You own a 2005 300C; would you trade it in for a coupe?

Why didn't they call it an Imperial? The Imperial was the Flagship 4 door for many years.

I'm from Detroit. My Grandfather worked at the Chrysler Hamtramck Plant on the line building various cars including the Charger. My Dad worked at several Chrysler Dealerships in various roles for almost 35 years, he owned / restored a 1969 Charger R/T SE. I am an Old School Car guy, and love the new Charger!

If people feel so strong, write DCX. How many posts are going up to reiterate the same feelings?

Times change, and you have too, since you bought a 4 door (not 2 door) 300.

 

[DubleDex]

Re: Who feels the Charger is a step in the right or wrong direction for the Charger name?

Interesting: The question is whether the Charger is a step in the right or wrong direction for the Charger name. Well, CLEARLY, it's a step in the RIGHT direction if we look at the overall Charger timeline.

Everyone makes the jump from the late 60s / early 70s Chargers to this one (thanks mostly to the 99 concept). But - in terms of real, produced cars with the Charger name, this is a MAJOR step in the right direction.

The 80s "Chargers" were not good cars. It was best to kill that before it got out of hand.

In terms of evoking the "Muscle Car" mystique of the early Chargers? This one probably doesn't do it. In terms of it being a good move for Dodge - no doubt. It shows that they're still making cars that look DIFFERENT. Stand out in a crowd. And they're packing a lot of horsepower into them.

I want to see where they take this design. I want to see what happens to it once it gets redesigned. I already like what they did with the Daytona version, and think this car - and all of the thinking behind it - shows real potential.

If you don't like the styling - that's cool. It's your opinion. The good thing is that Dodge and Chrysler are making a lot of cool cars with a lot of power, and that's good for all gearheads and auto enthusiasts.

 

[Dustin]

Re: Who feels the Charger is a step in the right or wrong direction for the Charger name?

DC should look at a current movement that works, retro-new. This doesn't mean just slapping a badge that says "Charger" on a fender. Look how Ford did the new fastback, this wasn't a lame attempt at making poeple feel like they did in the late sixties/early seventies, this was legit. To say DC screwed up by even hinting at a 4 door charger is an understatement, Charger, 2 doors, nascar fillcap on drivers rear 1/4, side and hood treatment like on the 68', also how about a grill reminis of the 68 charger, or round taillights like the 68, maybe a bumble bee stripe, give it a hemi option, no 4-banger or v-6 crap, keep it real and I'll by one, do what i think you'll do and it's a Ford in my future! I am a die hard mopar man and this idea really upsets me, what's a fan to do?

Dustin

 

[GLHS837]

Re: Who feels the Charger is a step in the right or wrong direction for the Charger name?

Buy a Ford. it's too late for you......

 

[Dutch]

Re: Who feels the Charger is a step in the right or wrong direction for the Charger name?

I think the new Charger doesn't compliment what the old Charger stood for. Tell me if I'm wrong but the old Charger was only in coupe form right?

The old Charger was overwhelmingly either a front-drive hatchback or a bloated personal luxury car; a minority of Charger models were true muscle cars. So, from that perspective, it's a great thing that the new Charger is different.

 

[lethal429]

Re: Who feels the Charger is a step in the right or wrong direction for the Charger name?

Interesting: The question is whether the Charger is a step in the right or wrong direction for the Charger name. Well, CLEARLY, it's a step in the RIGHT direction if we look at the overall Charger timeline.

This is true to a point...BUT the 300C SRT-8 is a 4-door and will be sporty AND the Charger R/T is a 4-door and is sporty...both share the same chassis and will have the same engine and drivlines....SO is DCx not just trying to duplicate the same success, just wrapped in a different package?...when you go to a dealer lot will you not look at BOTH models and compare...so will one not potentially pull a sale from the other ....just a thought

 

[GLHS837]

Re: Who feels the Charger is a step in the right or wrong direction for the Charger name?

I'm allergic to tortoise shell

 

[CHARGERMARC]

Re: Who feels the Charger is a step in the right or wrong direction for the Charger name?

I don't think THIS charger in 2 door form would quiet the naysayers.
think about it, if you took the 2 doors off this car and it still had the same style that it has would this be enough for the 2 door crowd?

i think the problem is really that we all wanted a modern 69, I know i did, since that was my all time favorite car. taking off 2 doors on THIS CAR would make it worse for me.

But that being said, i think they are on the right path, they just gotta keep up the neat colors and the flat black hood.

I wonder if they could put a modern nose cap etc. on the daytona and get it to look cool, unfortunatley i doubt it.

 

[Murfman]

Re: 300 History Lesson

I'll admit I'm coming to this a bit late, BUT if you’re a TRUE Mopar fan, where is this out cry for the 300?!?

The 300 from the 50's, 60's, and 1970 were not sedans, they were coupes.

http://www.chrysler300club.com/photos/photos.html

You own a 2005 300C; would you trade it in for a coupe?

Why didn't they call it an Imperial? The Imperial was the Flagship 4 door for many years.

I'm from Detroit. My Grandfather worked at the Chrysler Hamtramck Plant on the line building various cars including the Charger. My Dad worked at several Chrysler Dealerships in various roles for almost 35 years, he owned / restored a 1969 Charger R/T SE. I am an Old School Car guy, and love the new Charger!

If people feel so strong, write DCX. How many posts are going up to reiterate the same feelings?

Times change, and you have too, since you bought a 4 door (not 2 door) 300.

From 1962 until 1971, over half of the original 300's life it was offered as a 4 door sedan. The letter series cars from 55-65 were 2 doors, but it is a different world with a different audience now. Besides the fact that a current 3.5 powered 300 would run with ANY of the original Letter series 300's in the quarter mile. From old road tests the fastest was actually the 1970 300 Hurst in the low 15's. A new 300 with the Hemi is no contest with the old Iron. I have owned 4 old 300's (63 Pacesetter Convertable, 63 J, 64 K, 79 Cordoba 300) and my New 300 C Would stomp any one of them in every catagory, Performance, Luxury, Economy, etc..., even with popularity. I get more comments about my 300C than any of my old rides. Just wait till the SRT comes out.


Furthermore, regarding the Charger. I was Born in 67, and my first Charger experience was when my dad bought a 1973 Petty Blue Charger SE with a 440, and I have been an avid mopar man all my life. But I recall Dodge getting "Bad Press" about the Charger being a Mid-size sedan competeing with the likes of the Mustang, Camaro, AMX et. al. not much difference than today with the crap about it being a 4 door. I think a 4 door performance car is like having your cake and eating it too.

My thought is DC should drop the Stratus Coupe and Sebring Coupe/ Convert and Bring out LX derived replacements. The 300 name would work for Chrysler, and how about bringing back the Challenger name for Dodge?
Now THAT would be cool! Peace Murf