Is the Magnum done.

[chargerboy69]

This week I heard from a very credible source that this was probably the last year for the Magnum. Has anyone else heard that as well? I was told Chrysler will announce it later in the year. They are not a bad looking car. I guess sales are not what they hoped they would be.

[greenpigs]

I doubt they will kill the car so soon.

[andy74]

ill let ya know what i hear when i get back to work on monday

[Crazy Larry]

If you drive by any of the Dodge dealers up here, they are jammed full of Fagnums, oh, excuse me, Magnums.

Dodge is feeling the cold shoulder of the muscle car enthusiasts for their mistakes on the new Charger.

I wouldn't doubt it if they decided to wipe the slate clean and start again.

[Headrope]

Crazy Larry, you're new yet most every post seems to crap on the new Charger. In this thread you refer to the "mistakes" Dodge made with Charger. I'm not trying to call you out or anything, but would like to know what mistakes exactly Dodge made. Despite the rants on this site (and a few others) the cars are selling.

[472 R/T SE]

He is a n00bEE afterall.   

[bull]

Crazy Larry, you're new yet most every post seems to crap on the new Charger. In this thread you refer to the "mistakes" Dodge made with Charger. I'm not trying to call you out or anything, but would like to know what mistakes exactly Dodge made. Despite the rants on this site (and a few others) the cars are selling.

Headrope, is this a rhetorical question? I have a difficult time believing you are really clueless as to why many people are quite comfortable crapping on the new "Charger" since (as you said) there have been countless threads about it on this site alone. The car sucks. Not because it targets a four door market, not because it's allegedly faster than our old worn out Chargers, not because it's real wheel drive, not because you think it's cool. It's because the entire concept of the thing is a slap in the face to the heritage of the Charger name and yet the name whores at Chrysler tried to use that heritage to sell us idiot Americans a homely four door sedan. I've said this time and time again, and it's just as true now as it ever was: if the marketing geniuses had given the car a four door name like Coronet we all would have been happy as pigs in mud. The car is NOT a Charger just because Chrysler calls it one any more than me calling my toaster a paper shredder will make it shred paper. Are they selling well? Who knows? We went round and round about that a few months ago trying to understand the "Charger" numbers vs. the LX numbers and what Chrysler was trying to portray. Even then, are sales any indication that muscle car enthusiasts have accepted the car? Subaru managed to sell some Bajas, I see probably two or three of those friggin' Scion shoebox cars every day and back in the '80s I used to see Pacers, Gremlins and Pintos everywhere. I've seen exactly eight '06 "Chargers" on the streets of the Portland metro area since they were introduced. Are there really some people who worship Chrysler to the point they think they can do no wrong? The '06 "Charger" is a joke, plain and simple. It's the brainchild of a bunch of patronizing and arrogant Germans who honestly believe we Americans are dumb enough to buy a stylistically-challenged four door sedan and think we're reliving our youth. Instead they received a bunch of fiery backlash and have apparently realized their mistake because now they are asking us what we think of the concept Challenger. http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,8989.0.html If the Chrysler execs do somehow manage to pull their noggins completely out of their keesters and produce the concept Challenger as-is and you can bet there won't be any of this type of debate happening on the Challenger boards.

[Crazy Larry]

Bull, that is a brilliant reply.

I'll take it a step further.

Bull's reply is based on the arrogance of the Chrysler mindset that just because a vehicle is issued with a "Charger" name plate, that we will all fall over and bow before them. You can look at their Charger advertising campaigns and see just how right he is.
They have commercials, backed by rap music, with a normal guy driving a "Charger" and all the kids on bikes drooling over it. Really, have you seen a kid drool over this vehicle? Really, have you seen a 50 year-old Charger fanatic, who owned one in his youth, listen to rap music?

I always look at the Ford muscle car enthusiasts with envy, at least Ford understands what it takes to give their fans what they want. First, they redesign the Mustang into a retro-modern day work of art - then they advertise by having Steve McQueen digitally walk out of a corn field and get into one, then peel away.

I was hooked, if I didn't hate Ford so much, I would have bought one.

So here is Dodge, not having any creative inginuity in their design or advertising, trying to convince us that if it says "Charger" than it is.
Hey, the car could be fanatastic - I'm not knocking the car. Like Bull said, we are disappointed at the slap in the face that the car stands for.
Call it an "Intrepid" and I'll stick up for the car - call it a "Charger" and I shake my head with a "what the hell were they thinking" whisper.

Still the fact of the matter is, when I parked my '68 Charger next to the 2006 "show Charger" from the local Dodge dealership at this last summer' mopar show - EVERYONE who walked by, looked at the "Charger" then looked at the real Charger, shook their heads, and kept on walking.
The Dodge dealer didn't talk to me the entire day and they acted like it was my fault. Maybe they should be selling Fords.

[ITSA426]

I see lots of '06 Chargers on the street here.  I get lots of compliments on mine and my son even does on his '06 SXT.  We've got 10 roadworthy first generation Chargers and two '06's in the family and they are all nice rides.  Different strokes....

[Brock Samson]

I see lots of '06 Chargers on the street here. I get lots of compliments on mine and my son even does on his '06 SXT. We've got 10 roadworthy first generation Chargers and two '06's in the family and they are all nice rides. Different strokes....

IA426, your argument for the new one is the only one i've heard that makes sense, Put your $ where your Mouth is... then we'll talk,..

[Highbanked Hauler]

Take the  "Charger"  nameplate off of the 06 and  most people wouldn't have a problem with the car. My son in-law has one and its not a bad car, its just not a Charger It would be like Ford putting the name Torino "Talladega" on something that resembles a Taurus.

[Dodge-Charger]

if the marketing geniuses had given the car a four door name like Coronet we all would have been happy as pigs in mud. The car is NOT a Charger just because Chrysler calls it one any more than me calling my toaster a paper shredder will make it shred paper.

The Magnum is a much better car than the 06. If they do stop making the Magnum I will be getting one after I make the deal on the house. I have drove both cars and the Magnum feels better in the turns, 0-60 and over all around the city and back roads. Yes the 06 is a flop and now I guess they think people don't need much cargo room either. Friggin Morons

[Big Lebowski]

The Charger should have been a good looking 2 door to compete with the 175,000 Mustangs that Ford is selling this year.

  And, since the '06 lovers point out over and over again and again that the Magnum & the Charger count as ONE car in there sales #'s, this can't be good news.

[Headrope]

Crazy Larry, you're new yet most every post seems to crap on the new Charger. In this thread you refer to the "mistakes" Dodge made with Charger. I'm not trying to call you out or anything, but would like to know what mistakes exactly Dodge made. Despite the rants on this site (and a few others) the cars are selling.

Headrope, is this a rhetorical question? I have a difficult time believing you are really clueless as to why many people are quite comfortable crapping on the new "Charger" since (as you said) there have been countless threads about it on this site alone. The car sucks. Not because it targets a four door market, not because it's allegedly faster than our old worn out Chargers, not because it's real wheel drive, not because you think it's cool. It's because the entire concept of the thing is a slap in the face to the heritage of the Charger name and yet the name whores at Chrysler tried to use that heritage to sell us idiot Americans a homely four door sedan. I've said this time and time again, and it's just as true now as it ever was: if the marketing geniuses had given the car a four door name like Coronet we all would have been happy as pigs in mud. The car is NOT a Charger just because Chrysler calls it one any more than me calling my toaster a paper shredder will make it shred paper. Are they selling well? Who knows? We went round and round about that a few months ago trying to understand the "Charger" numbers vs. the LX numbers and what Chrysler was trying to portray. Even then, are sales any indication that muscle car enthusiasts have accepted the car? Subaru managed to sell some Bajas, I see probably two or three of those friggin' Scion shoebox cars every day and back in the '80s I used to see Pacers, Gremlins and Pintos everywhere. I've seen exactly eight '06 "Chargers" on the streets of the Portland metro area since they were introduced. Are there really some people who worship Chrysler to the point they think they can do no wrong? The '06 "Charger" is a joke, plain and simple. It's the brainchild of a bunch of patronizing and arrogant Germans who honestly believe we Americans are dumb enough to buy a stylistically-challenged four door sedan and think we're reliving our youth. Instead they received a bunch of fiery backlash and have apparently realized their mistake because now they are asking us what we think of the concept Challenger. http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,8989.0.html If the Chrysler execs do somehow manage to pull their noggins completely out of their keesters and produce the concept Challenger as-is and you can bet there won't be any of this type of debate happening on the Challenger boards.

I see Charger this way ...

It is the brainchild of a bunch of Germans who honestly believe we Americans are dumb enough to buy a four door sedan so we can relive our youth while hauling the youths (the kids).

As for Chrysler receiving backlash and realizing their mistake - I think they knew what they were doing and intended to use the backlash to their advantage. For too long Dodge branded itself as being primarily a pickup manufacturer. Chrysler needed something to redirect folks towards Dodge's car division but still maintain utility. The Magnum was born. Then they needed something for their sedan market because the decision to base multiple models on a limited number of platforms made it necessary for Intrepid to go bye bye. So they slapped the Charger nameplate on a four-door that is still too new to tell completely, but seems in all aspects so far to be a terrific car.

The significance of the Charger nameplate is that it generates emotion: both good and bad. Those who like the car will purchase and defend it while those who feel slapped in the face will complain about what should have been. Compile all the should have been information (think: free reasearch), release a few concept pics and set to simmer; a car almost guaranteed to be a sales success - and one intended to compete directly with Mustang - is born. Hence the Challenger.

The Charger was never intended to compete directly with the Mustang. So those arguments don't hold much water with me. Besides, I think Ford has played its final ace with the retro Mustang. By going backwards it has nothing more to offer in the future for that nameplate other than option packages.

Back to the Magnum. Wagons are so, like, mid-2000s. The next big thing seems to be modern econoboxes, just as it was after the original muscle car era. Dodge has a replacement for the Neon that - so far - looks as if it will come in a wagon version. No need for two wagons built on different platforms. Bye, bye Magnum.

[Crazy Larry]

So why not just make a Magnum sedan?

That is what the Charger is?

Why the theatrics?

To me that is a sign that Dodge had lost it, they were at their witts end so they tossed in the Charger name.

I disagree with the assumption that Ford has nothing to offer by going retro. Ford's going to the past, was a brilliant step for the future. They realized that a good thing never dies, so why try to remake it, give the folks what they want. Dodge didn't have enough...pardon me..sack in the top office to follow Ford in their retro design.

Until they saw what the numbers were in Ford's sales, and hence the Challenger concept is here.

Now if it is here to stay like it is into production will tell if Dodge has the you-know-whats to compete.

Is it possible to go retro in design but bring in modern day mechanics and suspension? Of course - and Ford proved that but Dodge could  have first, since their Charger concept was around since 1999.

[Headrope]

The 99 Charger concept was based on the Intrepid platfrom - which was soon to vanish. A four door Magnum could have been interesting, but I think structurally would have been difficult to work around.

This thread has gone way off track beacause of us. Feel free to PM me if you want to continue discussing the Charger.

[ChargerHound69]

So it sounds like you own a 2006 Headrope, or you want one.

But really, WHO CARES ANYMORE???

The real question is WHERE IS THE CHALLENGER??

[ITSA426]

So why not just make a Magnum sedan?

Probably for the same reason the '66 Charger wasn't called a Coronet "sport hardtop" despite sharing the platform with it.  Marketing.

I'm guessing the Magnums are like the 06 Chargers in that the base model drives/handles differently than the R/T package and the SRT 8 drives entirely different from them.  Try before you talk.

If ford's only selling 175,000 rustangs this year that would surprise me.  They sold 490,000 in '66 against the 37,400 or so Chargers sold that year.  But they aren't the same car, or the same market;  then or now.

Is the magnum done?  I see prices are tumbling on them up here so i can get into a basic car for less than $20K.  My dealer said they haven't sold many since Charger came out.  The SRT 8 still sells above sticker price but other buyers lean towards Charger.  I would look for it to go away so if you want one instead of a new Charger you better buy it now. 

If you want the new Challenger you better start saving your pennies cause it probably won't be cheap in its market niche.  That's how Charger was in the day.

[4forty]