http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll...607270374/1148
Challenger stays true to roots
Model is close match to flashy concept car
Scott Burgess / The Detroit News
ROYAL OAK -- The Dodge Challenger that hits the road in 2008 will be nearly identical to the concept pony car that wowed crowds this year at the Detroit auto show, Chrysler officials said Wednesday.
"You're not going to be able to tell the difference," said Tom Tremont, Chrysler's vice president and top designer. "We're going to keep the Challenger as close as we can to the concept."
Creating a production version of the Challenger will be easier for the automaker than casting some more elaborate concept vehicle into a production mold.
The concept Challenger was designed off of the LX platform -- the basis for the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger -- and the automaker included many real-world engineering specifications that make the Challenger easier to move from concept to production model, Tremont said.
Chrysler brought the iconic Challenger that debuted at Detroit's auto show in January -- as well as a handful of other concept vehicles -- to Royal Oak to demonstrate how the vehicles looked on the road and let a few reporters get behind the wheel.
"At an auto show, all of the vehicles are perfect, but out here, you can really see how these cars stand out," said Scott Krugger, the exterior designer of the Dodge Rampage, another concept vehicle cruising down Royal Oak's Main Street.
The bright orange Challenger, with its six-speed manual transmission and powerful 6.1-liter Hemi engine, continues to steal the show. Heads turned every time it rumbled down Main Street, and many people walked up to it, immediately recognizing the pony car.
"There's so much passion surrounding this car," said Alan Barrington, the concept Challenger's interior designer. "We knew if we screwed this up, we would lose a lot of fans."
When first introduced, the reborn muscle car created such a buzz that on July 1, Chrysler's CEO Tom LaSorda announced the automaker would build a 2008 production model.
There are no current production plans for any of the other concept vehicles displayed in Royal Oak, including the Chrysler Imperial and Firepower and Dodge Rampage and Hornet.
Concept vehicles serve many purposes for an automaker.
They allow designers and engineers to test new ideas, materials and powertrain combinations.
"It's a dream position," said Irina Zavatski, the interior designer for the Rampage. Zavatski created an interior with active suburban families in mind. The seats are covered in material similar to that found on a backpack and has the feel of athletic wear. The instruments on the Rampage's center console can move to face the driver or the passenger.
However, none of the items on the center stack worked, one of the drawbacks to a concept vehicle.
The vehicles may look great, but none of them offered many working parts. The drives around Royal Oak for all of the vehicles rarely got over 25 mph, though it was impossible to know how fast you were going. The radios, speedometers and other gadgets were for display only.