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July 3, 2006

Dodge Challenger is a "Go" Says Chrysler CEO LaSorda

by Trevor Hofmann
The Party is Just Beginning for Mopar Muscle Car Fans

Money isnt everything, but neither is poverty... just ask GM, Ford and any number of rival automakers struggling to make ends meet despite strong overall automotive sales. Amongst the winners, flush with cash and celebrating another record year (despite slower sales and high inventory levels for the first half of this year) is Chrysler Group, pumping out new vehicle after new vehicle with the brash confidence of LeBron James shooting hoops; its latest Dodge Caliber selling so well that dealers cant get enough to keep up with demand. Chryslers 300C is still the value leader among entry-level luxury offerings and one of the coolest cars on the road, while a dozen SRT models, from the soon-to-be-released 300-horsepower Caliber SRT4 to the all-powerful Ram SRT10 and Viper supercar are the envy of every rival brand. And the best part of the story is there are a number of holes in its Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep lineup still needing to be filled.

Next on the horizon, after the Nitro, a new midsize 4x4-capable SUV based on a stretched Jeep Liberty architecture is released to new vehicle buyers later this year, and Jeeps new Compass gets a compact companion dubbed Patriot in alignment with the brands all-American marketing bravado, performance car fans will be able to relive the glory years of the late 60s and early 70s by opting for a two-door sports coupe with decidedly retro appeal. Designed to lure in Mopar muscle car loyalists and newbies alike, a new extremely hot Dodge Challenger is on the way.

Yes, its odd that a major new product initiative is announced on a Saturday, but in the case of Challenger, introducing it at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, home to the Pepsi 400 NASCAR event, made perfect sense. The color of the winning car was picture perfect, a bright orange two-door coupe (or at least it looks like it has two doors), but unfortunately for Chrysler Group President and CEO Tom LaSorda who made the announcement and Chief Operating Officer Eric Ridenour who drove a concept version of the car out for the unveiling, Tony Stewarts winning ride wore a bowtie.

Chryslers execs can be proud of the Dodge brand, mind you, as it has a legacy of top-tier racing cars to pull from, the Challenger being one of its most prominent. A special limited-edition T/A model first competed in 1970, the model year it debuted, in the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Trans-Am series and National Hot Rod events. The car also paced the Indianapolis 500 race, host venue for this weekends F1 carnage, but more noted for that annual 500 lap race that incidentally originally ran Grand Prix (F1) drivers and cars.

The powers that be arent saying whether or not the production Challenger will mirror the concepts styling cues, but its safe to believe the road car will be very close. In a release timed with the announcement, Chrysler stated that the Challenger will "feature the long hood, short deck, wide stance and two-door coupe body style that distinguished the iconic Challengers of the 1970s." Such a description befits the concept as well, as do LaSordas thoughts on the subject.

"We drew on the rich heritage of the Dodge Challenger, but with contemporary forms and technologies," commented LaSorda. "Its not just a re-creation; its a reinterpretation."
If Dodge stays close to the concept cars styling, "unveiled" earlier this year in Detroit after the poorest enforcement of a media embargo ever, fans of traditional Mopar muscle will be lining up in droves to sign on the dotted line and lay out what should be more money than a base Ford Mustang, its pony car rival. Why more money?

The concept Challenger rides on a version of Chrysler Groups LX architecture, the underpinnings for the 300, plus Dodge Charger an