Justinec101

Yeah exactly. If the 09s start production and are going out to dealers by July, the leftover orders from 08 will be only be finally getting filled by august. But another 2500 in august means less than 1 challenger per dealer. And we all know there are a lot of us waiting for these 09s who didn't even bother getting on a waiting list for an 08 for whatever reason. I can't imagine we'll see Challengers sitting on dealer lots for more than a day until at least december or jan 09 >_<

Personally I think dodge should produce as many challengers as quickly as they can while it's hot. Everyone knows the appeal for sports cars like this lasts a very short while in the mainstream. Not to mention in 09 the camaro comes out.

mopar2ya

Not to mention CAFE requirements, fuel prices, general state of the economy, the drive for alternative fuels, etc.. In reality the Challenger may not have a very long life expectancy...

1 Bad Mirada

i really dont think that CAFE will do anything except for tack more guzzler tax onto the sticker price...

mopar2ya

May be right in some respects... however, Chrysler and any other manufacturers out of compliance will be fined, which will in turn be passd on to the consumer along with GG tax. This will become progressively more expensive as time goes until consumers become unable or unwilling to pay. I also feel like there is a drive in people concerning the "Green Initiatives" that is likely to generate a stigma in certain circles that will grow larger and larger as time goes on. As for alternative fuels, it seems like the industry and consumers are getting ripe for fuel solutions other than our traditional petro products. As the industry takes off it will leave internal cumbustion gasoline engines in the dust. My guess is there will be a dramatic change in the traditional fuel delivery systems (gas stations) as we know them, which in turn will make fueling cars with gasoline few and far between, and more specialized and expensive. Sure, all these things may take some time to come about, but eventually, they will come about. Question is... how eventually??

kramtrah

I believe this has been thoroughly researched and written. While I would continue to wish I could think otherwise, this is absolutely right on. Thanks for the nice write up.

1 Bad Mirada

i just dont agree. money talks, and there arent many industries in the entire world that harvest more cash than the oil industry. the idea of an alternatively powered vehicle is not a new concept, as companies have been working on it for years, but where are they?

"too expensive to produce"..or they talk about production, like the chevrolet volt, and a friend of mine who is REALLY into the idea of electric vehicles told me that the volt will cost 40+.

there is simply no "good" replacement right now for the internal combustion engine. alternative fuels for the conbustion engine, perhaps, but these electric cars that cost a fortune, will only got a short distance, and are terribly slow arent going to be flooding the market any time soon. i mean, look at the cars that were shown at the auto show. these cars are all tiny death traps...like slower, smaller versions of the smart car. its safer to walk on the highway. these super-euro designed vehicles are ridiculous...maybe they are fine on the streets of europe, where there are very few fast cars and the roads are 12 feet wide, but that junk doesnt float here.

i expect for my kids to be driving before there is any flood of alternative powered combustion engines or electric vehicles in the american market, as big business dictates what happens and when, and the auto industry combined with the oil industry is going to make sure that they are comfortable before consumers are comfortable. btw, my kids dont exist yet...

everyone quotes "gas prices" as the reason for the muscle cars to go away...there arent many countries in the world who pay less than americans do for gasoline.'

right now, it doesnt matter how much GG tax the companies tack on, as there is no viable option. they can charge 10,000 on every car, and people are still going to buy them, or not buy new cars because there is no other choice, and the junk that debuted at the autoshow will only sit in my driveway when every one of my other vehicles has been confiscated by the government.

im not trying to argue with you, as im interested in your point of view here. i feel that the current offerings of alternative powered vehicles is a complete joke, which is why i dont forsee anything other than what we have in the next 20 years.

DSkippy

As far as the 30K seeming low; might be, but this could be classic expectation management. Perceptually, it's better to be wrong on a low number than a high number. So if they say 30 and in some odd happenstance only sell 30, "Wow, the management at Chrysler obviously knows what it's talking about and is capable of inventory and production management", if they double that in sales/orders then they come off with "We knew this product was going to be hot, but we had no idea", if they sell slightly less "Then they blame the gas prices" if they come out radically less, the American auto consumer is spineless, weak minded and completely with out pinache. OK, I might be a little biased on the last observation....

Chris

30,000 for 2009 feels about right to me. The Challenger isn't going to be as popular in general because it's a 2-door, so for many or most buyers it'll probably be a second car or a weekend car. For some reason, people still buy the Mustang in droves (really though, what part of the sales are to rental car agencies??) but most sports cars seem to sell around 30k a year. Plus by 2009, people will be tightening their belts if we have a recession and oil prices should still be very high. And you'll have the new Camaro with which the Challenger will have to share sales. So 30,000 should be enough to find one at MSRP, but not so many as to see a Challenger 5-6 times a day. I hope.

DSkippy

I'm on the other end of the spectrum. I wouldn't mind seeing a parking lot filled with them. I'm not about exclusivity; I'm about enjoying the aesthetics of a nicely designed form. Kind of like going through the world filled with 36-24-36, am I going to find issue with it? Doubt it! :-)

1971Chall

LOL, I like your thinking.