Challenger SRT8 MSRP pricing announcement from Chrysler - $37,995

[68charger383]

But by the same token, having lots of money and wanting to show by paying whatever it takes to "be the first on your block to own one"

Some people make $15K, $20K or $25K + a month and that extra $15K over MSRP to them would be like asking most of us having to pay an extra $1,500 on the car.  To them its not a big deal.

People have been paying this premium on the Shelbys for two years now! Bottomline, people in their 30-60s with to much disposable income or equity in their houses can be dangerous if left unattended in dealerships where these toys are sold!

I honestly don't think I would want the first run/year on these cars. I think they will really come out with a lot of new factory options to the car over the course of the first and second year. Shaker hood, T/A hood and spoiler, vert, 426 Hemi?? etc

[The70RT]

I agree. Most people that bite have a household income of a couple hundered thousand a year and won't blink an eye.

[keepat]

The brochure looks great! Note that the grill and the wheels have changed but still look good! No interior pictures

[Brock Samson]

tail lights have been changed too, not to mention it's no longer a hard top... 

[Old Moparz]

Usually I agree with what you write OldMoparz but I think you are way off on this one......... IF a person can afford to pay more than sticker price, or pay the dealer their markup, in order to get one of the first vehicles of that type - Then they are an Enthusiast !   Because an enthusiast will pay more, perhaps he is More dedicated.  Lets face it, the auto manufacturers want to sell cars to people who buy one new, at MSRP.   Their primary target customer is not the fellow who waits two years and 30K miles to buy a used car so he can pay 1/2 price.
  If he is not an enthusiast, why is "the rich guy" buying a specific car when it first comes out ?   If he doesn't care what he drives, then it doesn't matter that he gets it new.  If he just wants to impress, than he can buy a big diamond, or an island, or a indoor pool.  Rich people do not impress other rich people with a 40K car.
Just because a buyer has more $$ than the majority of us, doesn't exclude him from being an enthusiast.  If he sells the car after two years to buy a different car, it doesn't mean he doesn't love cars, it means he wants something different, a new thrill.

No problem disagreeing, but I don't think I'm way off at all. I've met a lot of people with enough money to buy a car like this, & they are completely clueless when it comes to anything automotive. They won't care if it's a Dodge, Ford, GM, or any other make, just as long as it's brand new & the only one of it's kind when they get it. They are not close to being a car enthusiast by any means, & are much more interested in impressing others. These people I refer to are not "rich people" either, just people with a better than average income, or credit good enough to lease it. (And some of these Challengers will be leased.)

I don't understand the reasoning of how these people could be called as "enthusiasts", or that they are "more dedicated" because they are willing to pay more than what something is worth. Myself, as well as friends, yourself, & other members on the message boards, are way more dedicated to a car & should be considered the enthusiast. That doesn't mean people with a lot of money can't be enthusiasts, & I never said that either. What I stated was, "Don't forget there will be a handful of car buyers that are not car enthusiasts." referring to a percentage of the new Challenger buyers, not all of them.

[andy74]

in my defense,as a dealer if some one comes in to buy a car,and they want to pay 10 grand under sticker,we are supposed to accept that,but when there is ANY car that someone is willing to pay over sticker for we are the rip off artists?dealers dont create the market,consumers do and I wouldnt pay over sticker for most cars,but I did spend 5 grand over for a shelby supercharged mustang at the auction 6 months ago,and had it sold before i got back from the auction.

in short, i personaly wouldnt buy anything for over msrp,but on the flip side most people wont pay msrp anyway-and when i can order a 40,000 plus car and have some one just not argue about paying what is on the window i will probably be happy,keeping in mind that the mark up in the srt 8 challenger is about 1800 from sticker to invoice,less 900 hold back,so the store makes less than 10% on a 41 grand investment!!

not trying to argue,just make a point besides the one on my head!  

[hotrod98]

I wonder why they show the concept grille in some of the pics from the brochure and one pic of the correct 70 style grille that the production car will have. The car is supposed to be two inches narrower as well.
The thing that impressed me the most about the car when I saw it at the SEMA show is the size. That car is huge. Appeared much bigger than a Mustang. I had always assumed that it would be smaller. It's definitely as big as my 71 Cuda.

[Brock Samson]

it's based on the 300 magnum chargum LX platform imagine if your '71 was based on a new yorker... 

[Magnumcharger]

From "thefirehousebiz.com"

Dodge Challenger

What has muscle cars fans squealing like teenage girls at a Hannah Montana concert?

Try the all-new 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8®. Just in the first DAY of orders, more than 4,300 people plunked down a deposit for the American muscle coupe. And more than 6,000 have made deposits with dealers since orders opened on Monday, months before the limited-edition Challenger SRT8 goes into production.

"This is unprecedented," said Mark Mallie, Challenger Brand Manager – Dodge Marketing. "Customers were actually coming to us and pushing us, so we thought this was a good time to take pre-sale orders."

Orders are still coming in – long before enthusiasts have even seen the car. They'll have to wait until the production Dodge Challenger SRT8 makes its debut at the Chicago Auto Show next February. But there's no surprise about the benchmark performance of the Challenger SRT8. Each is powered by a 6.1-liter HEMI V-8, and features a numbered dash plaque, plus dual "carbon-fiber" hood stripes that harken back to the original Dodge Challenger.

The car is available in black, silver or HEMI orange.

"More than half of the orders are HEMI Orange," Mallie said. "It's been almost 35 years since the last Challenger, and there's a lot of interest. There's a lot of people anxious for it. It's certainly an iconic muscle car."

The manufacturer's suggested retail price is $37,995, including a $675 destination fee. Remember – this is a SRT, delivering top-of-the-line performance, world-class ride and handling, benchmark braking and a race-inspired interior. Pricing on the rest of the Challenger lineup will be announced at a later date.

Since pricing was announced on Nov. 29, Web site traffic to www.Dodge.com has spiked up 23 percent, Mallie said.

The muscle car wars start next spring, when deliveries begin for the Challenger SRT8.

But later this week, muscle car fans will have more to squeal about, when we release some eye candy. Check back here later.

   
Comments (6) 

  Reader Comments   

  1.  Posted Dec 5, 2007, 2:36 PM by Justin Berkowitz
Is there a corporate policy on dealer markups? There are already eBay auctions set up by dealers asking for $15,000 over sticker, and certainly showroom markups are in the future when cars begin to be delivered.

Does pre-ordering lock in the MSRP without markup? Or does it merely guarantee a customer a Challenger, and the rest is in the dealer's hands? 
  2.  Posted Dec 5, 2007, 2:55 PM by Gene Downs
Will any of these cars be available in right hand drive for foreign delivery, what will be the sticker price. 
  3.  Posted Dec 5, 2007, 3:39 PM by Dan Whydra
Unfortunately, no RHD models are planned. This was announced quite awhile ago. 
  4.  Posted Dec 5, 2007, 4:47 PM by Mike Ellis
Hey Justin Berokwitz, to answer your question, here's what I got from Kathy Graham, our pr specialist on the Challenger. She said that Chrysler set the Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price on the Challenger, and strongly encourages dealers to follow that. But dealers are independent businesses and they legally set their own pricing. Chrysler encourages consumers to shop around for the best deal available, if some are charging above MSRP. Remember too that this is just the 2008 model. Stay tuned for orders for 2009 models. 
  5.  Posted Dec 5, 2007, 5:4 PM by Richard Ehrenberg
Will there be any manual transmission versions for 2008? 
  6.  Posted Dec 5, 2007, 5:6 PM by Mike Ellis

The 2008 Challenger SRT8 will have a five-speed automatic with Autostick. Stay tuned for info on the 2009 models.

[89MOPAR]

 I see your point OldMoparz,  Maybe I was using the term "enthusiast" too freely.  A person who drives past an old car without noticing, or caring, is not an enthusiast. Most people who drive a Camry are not an enthusiast.

But what about a guy who has been working overtime for a year, he may be willing to pay more than MSRP just to be the first on the block with that kind of car. In that case he is not "rich", but he allocates more money than most would to own something.  What i meant to do was point out that all folks with above average incomes are not out to "impress" everyone else- and if they are they'd probably buy a Prius or RollsRoyce

of course what something is "worth" is all relative to the buyer.  A guy may pay $1000 for a NOS grille, where a 2nd guy thinks that is too much and is happy with his reproduced $500 made in China grille. Guy # 3 may not care at all, since he doesn't need or want a grille. And guy # 4 may be willing to pay $2000 for that same NOS grille because he has been looking for two years for one.

I didn't see anyone giving our fellow member who just bought the Shelby Mustang a hard time for admittedly paying a markup of more than MSRP...........

[RT DAVE]

Basic supply and demand going on here people.  That's what makes america great.  If you don't like it, don't you and everyone else buy it and maybe the price will go down.  Also, some people live life like there's no tomorrow.  Maybe there ain't.   Kudos to them for grabbin life by the horns... 

Anyhow, my dealer claims there will be no markup on there one car they are getting.  They had a list of about 30 people I coulda got behind.  I declined.  I can wait, I'm young and allegedly healthy (and stingy)

Looks good in black and silver.  I think I'm going to puke if I see it in hemi orange again...

I hope the pic from the rear is the concept.  I hate it.   If it's like that on the real thing, that alone will stop me from buying.  UGLY!!   

[hotrod98]

The mopar rep at the SEMA show told me that the bumpers would be different on the production model to meet impact requirements but a kit from Dodge would be available to convert it to the concept look.
Not sure whether or not that has changed.
Of course there are dozens of companies already working on body kits for these things as we speak, I'm sure.

[T3/RT]

The mopar rep at the SEMA show told me that the bumpers would be different on the production model to meet impact requirements but a kit from Dodge would be available to convert it to the concept look.
Not sure whether or not that has changed.
Of course there are dozens of companies already working on body kits for these things as we speak, I'm sure.

Chrysler will outsource HXC(Charger,Challenger,Cuda) cy09 Built on the Challengers new platform with light weight skin. Talk of a new division for heritage badging. So it seems we will have more to talk about buying then just the Challenger. And thats a good problem to have.

[Magnumcharger]

"Talk of a new division for heritage badging".

Plymouth?

[ACUDANUT]

 Why would they have to outsource?  Don't tell me they are going to use China.

[FastbackJon]

I just want to test drive one, and I don't like the B-pillar either! I wonder if my local dealership has the brochures yet. Hmm....

[Brock Samson]

more pics here.. well,.. same pics, just better quality.

http://www.fpistudios.com/SRT8/

[keepat]

   

[RD]

Why would they have to outsource?  Don't tell me they are going to use China.

outsource to a privatized company rather than doing them in house, like the daytonas were outsourced as well as sunroof and some convertible mods were.

[moparstuart]

"Talk of a new division for heritage badging".

Plymouth?

plymouth

[bandit67]

Is it true that it weights in at 4500 pounds.......

[Ghoste]

I have a photo of a tag on the rad cradle from one of the concepts (I understand there were more than one?) that lists the vehicle weight as 4160 lbs.  That's the concept car though.

[hotrod98]

By the time they beef up those bumpers, they're going to have to work hard to remove weight from somewhere else to keep the weight at 4160.
Maybe that's why they're narrowing the entire car up by two inches.