I can't think of a soul that was more excited about the new Challenger than I was. Every January or February we have a new car show in Houston and over the past 3 years I have attended and expected to see a new Challenger. I can't believe the 4th largest city in the USA couldn't get a Challenger at the new car show.

Finally I got to see one, ran 2 red lights and made 20 miles in Houston traffic in 15 minutes.

I absolutely loved the car, except for the hood decals.

I had every intention of buying a new SRT8. I also started a thread about if the SRT8 is worth 11K more than the R/T.

I had Challenger in my blood.

Things change. Even though I was going for a 2009 (unnumbered) the salesmen at two different dealerships were still talking MSRP. No way!

Recently GM had the Employee pricing and it occured to me that I could get a Vette for almost the same money as a Challenger. Since we don't have any kids, and have another family car, the lack of a back seat is a non item.

I loved my GTO. Raced at the track over 200 runs and when I sold it, she was still a very solid car. The LS series engine is a work of art, so I am comfortable with the GM high performance products. I know the 6.1 hemi is also a work of art, but I have never owned one.

I went to the Chevy dealership and we searched for a Vette.........had to be a LT2, automatic (wife has diabetes and sometimes has trouble with her feet, so a manual is out), and had to be a Cherry Red, Blue, or Black. A search didn't find any or if they did, the dealership with the car would not trade for another car. I felt bummed.

The manager told me he would sell me a 2009 at 500 over invoice. So if you take the car I ordered it is a 2009 automatic with package LT2, about candy apple red color, special exhaust, and a 2.73 gear. The price was about 4K more expensive than a SRT8 at MSRP.

Before anybody thinks I am one of 'those' Vette guys, think again. I am a blue color type of guy, but I just want the Vette as I figure I am getting more bang for the buck with the Vette. Had I been able to get a SRT8 for a couple thousand less than MSRP, I probably would have done that, but I wasn't ever offered that option.

 

Vettes are great cars. Please join their forum. Bye.

 

hey colorancher show some respect. I am sorry to hear that you chose a vette but the pricing is great and performance wise and you have no use for the backseats I think it is a great choice. Hope you stick around and still join us in discussions. Good luck post some pics up when you get it!

 

Best of luck Old_Goat!

I think just the simple fact that the muscle car crowd is back, and competition is growing is a great thing. If you are in Chevys best, I trust us SRT8's and the Viper will remind you what might have been every now and then.

After 20+ years in Alaska I learned one thing about certain cars in the winter...
On a cold and quite night in Alaska you can hear those Fords and Chevys rust :-Þ

MOPAR or NO Car!

 

I think a certain few of us have mopar running through our blood. Others have a GM thing going on... dont ask me... to me they are just another car. Mopar is art and engineering at its finest in my ever so humble opinion...

I am personally firmly planted in the Mopar camp. Wouldnt even consider a Vette over a Challenger... just cant even get there in my mind.

You sound as though you have had a good relationship with the GM products and that is your passion. Go with it. Sounds like it is probably a good decision for you.

Wouldnt work for me though... for me it is also... MOPAR or NO CAR...

Although... I am fine with Harleys too...

 

Hey I got respect. I like the Camarao and the Vette. What I dont't like is someone claiming an advantage with no no data or informtion. If they want to rant, please go to another forum....

 

Colorancher, I think you are missing the point of what Old_Goat was shaing. It is a difficult decision and Old_Goat was sharing that with this forum - thinking perhaps falsely that there would be people here that cared and understood the visceral feeling of losing a (car) family. Your comments prove the point we still have a long way to go to appreciate all people's decisions.

Old_Goat, I know it had to be a tough decision. I have been hanging on by a thread with Chrysler too. They are repeatedly demonstrating they either do not want to, or can't work with their loyal customers. When they build allocation cars before sold (customer) units, they are slapping those loyalists in the face. The smack wakes us up to the fact there are other great cars out there.

Hey, if I could afford a new high end Vette, I would get one too. I love the color choices as well as the new engines.

Stick around, enjoy the commisserating here.

09_Challenger_6.1_6spd

 

Very well put, Cuda.

 

I was going to buy a zo6, but the challenger was the best choice i have made in life up to this point!

 

I've had vette's and they are great cars, but I couldn't resist getting a MOPAR muscle car when the opportunity came along. Bottom line is you need to get what you like, and a new vette is a good choice. Enjoy and congrats.