OK, Here It Is: The '11 Dodge Charger R/T

[bull]

I didn't think they could make the grill any uglier but they managed to surpass my low expectations. The design changes make me think of what a 10-year-old kid could do with a big cardboard box and a Sharpie.

When they change the platform we'll see if they decide to finally make a Charger. Until then the "improvements" only amount to a half-assed admission of regret.

Isn't this thread a repost?

Every discussion about the new "Charger" for the past five years or so has morphed into one big pile of steaming, indistinct, BS nonsense. Everyone posts the same things over and over each time the topic rears its ugly head.

[Bigun426]

The definition of muscle car is not any old car with a v8 in it. John Delorean when he was with Pontiac before he was selling cocaine to finance his own car came up with the idea of taking a two door version of a current mid size production vehicle( back in the day just about all of them were offered in 2 or 4 doors) basic car no options with the largest production engine in it keeping the price down and the performance up using off the shelf parts so young people could afford it give it a cool name like GTO and see what happens. Back in the 60's if you drove a 4 door you were part of the establishment and driving a 2 door car was an act of independence. Challengers,Mustangs,Camaros were not considered muscle cars back in the day. The Mustang was a new design with a long nose and a stubby trunk and was an immediate success. The Challengers and Camaros were catch up to the Mustang and these cars were in their own class called Pony cars.   

[chargerjy9]

I understand how you feel because I'm weary of hearing that I should ignore the past, say to hell with the heritage of the name and fall in love with this alleged "Charger" just because...
nothing personal...
what gets me is that many of the people who want to live in the past probably weren't even old enough to have driven and experienced these vehicles when they were new. I wonder where they get their heritage and legacy ideas from. Dukes of Hazard?.... I was there firsthand, experiencing and living those cars and the times that made them out to be what they WERE. I drove these cars and  worked on the design of  these cars.  I KNOW....Those who insist on living the past, I have no problem with it, just quit busting my chops because I like a 3rd generation, 4th gen or the new generation. My 3rd gen Charger is as equal a CHARGER any 68 or 69.

Sorry if I went off, Chargers are near and dear, I bleed MOPAR BLUE.    

[chargerjy9]

"I understand how you feel because I'm weary of hearing that I should ignore the past, say to hell with the heritage of the name and fall in love with this alleged "Charger" just because... "

nothing personal...
what gets me is that many of the people who want to live in the past probably weren't even old enough to have driven and experienced these vehicles when they were new. I wonder where they get their heritage and legacy ideas from. Dukes of Hazard?.... I was there firsthand, experiencing and living those cars and the times that made them out to be what they WERE. I drove these cars and  worked on the design of  these cars.  I KNOW....Those who insist on living the past, I have no problem with it, just quit busting my chops because I like a 3rd generation, 4th gen or the new generation. My 3rd gen Charger is as equal a CHARGER any 68 or 69.

Sorry if I went off, Chargers are near and dear, I bleed MOPAR BLUE.

[bull]

"I understand how you feel because I'm weary of hearing that I should ignore the past, say to hell with the heritage of the name and fall in love with this alleged "Charger" just because... "

nothing personal...
what gets me is that many of the people who want to live in the past probably weren't even old enough to have driven and experienced these vehicles when they were new. I wonder where they get their heritage and legacy ideas from. Dukes of Hazard?.... I was there firsthand, experiencing and living those cars and the times that made them out to be what they WERE. I drove these cars and  worked on the design of  these cars.  I KNOW....Those who insist on living the past, I have no problem with it, just quit busting my chops because I like a 3rd generation, 4th gen or the new generation. My 3rd gen Charger is as equal a CHARGER any 68 or 69.

Sorry if I went off, Chargers are near and dear, I bleed MOPAR BLUE.

They are just opinions. We're all entitled to them.

[TylerCharger69]

I have to agree.....It's better...in the rear end  and the door scoops,  but they still should make it a 2-door  and do something about that ghastly front end design.   I'm not too keen on how the windows meet the sail panels either.

[super_dave]

The new Charger is a cool family car, thats why it sells.  The Challenger is for the muscle car crowd, and the Mustang for the performance oriented,,IMHO

[Chargen69]

just because we didnt get to drive a new 69 charger doesnt mean we dont have the same respect for them as people who did.   I do.

[Landonsrt]

I have to agree.....It's better...in the rear end  and the door scoops,  but they still should make it a 2-door  and do something about that ghastly front end design.   I'm not too keen on how the windows meet the sail panels either.

Well we know the charger will never make it back as a two door as long as the challenger is around. The market for a full-size two door doesn't exist anymore.

Besides the challenger...

[TylerCharger69]

Yes....but it's still unfortunate

[UH60L]

"Seriously, look at the Challenger. Ever since the 4 door Charger came out all we heard how Dodge/MOPAR needed to have a 2 door muscle car. "

Well, I can't speak for anyone but myself, but I can tell you honestly that I not once ever said that Dodge needed a 2 door muscle car in it's line up.  What I have said directly to Dodge via letters, e-mails, phone calls, and even in person at a few events, is that the car they put the Charger name on should be a 2 door, preferably at least slightly retro looking, car.  ("muscle car" would be better, but I could live with it if it at least looked right)

I was never wild about them building the Challenger because I knew people like you would do the whole "the challenger IS the two door charger" BS posts online, and voila, look what happens when these discussions come up.

It really has nothing to do with the challenger (which I think is a very cool car), it has to do with the 4 door sedan that looked absolutely nothing like a muscle car, yet was being touted for having a "hemi".

[Ponch ®]

"Seriously, look at the Challenger. Ever since the 4 door Charger came out all we heard how Dodge/MOPAR needed to have a 2 door muscle car. "

Well, I can't speak for anyone but myself, but I can tell you honestly that I not once ever said that Dodge needed a 2 door muscle car in it's line up.  What I have said directly to Dodge via letters, e-mails, phone calls, and even in person at a few events, is that the car they put the Charger name on should be a 2 door, preferably at least slightly retro looking, car.  ("muscle car" would be better, but I could live with it if it at least looked right)

I was never wild about them building the Challenger because I knew people like you would do the whole "the challenger IS the two door charger" BS posts online, and voila, look what happens when these discussions come up.

It really has nothing to do with the challenger (which I think is a very cool car), it has to do with the 4 door sedan that looked absolutely nothing like a muscle car, yet was being touted for having a "hemi".

wait...so you didn't want them to build the challenger because it would be used in arguments about the 4 door Charger?  

But seriously...my point when I mentioned the Challenger was that no matter how great the car is, there will always be a few malcontents who will shoot it down. They could build a retro styled 2 door Charger with a 500 hp HEMI that is the spitting image of a 2nd gen, and the usual suspects (who, again I must emphasize, wouldn't buy the car anyway) would be whining about how it sucks because it doesn't have an 8 track player like the original did.

[Brock Samson]

 wow, they said at the Charger intro once the LX had sold 100K units they would do the two door, which turned out to be the Neo-Chally... someone, OK a buncha' folks apparently  didn't get the memo...

Oh dear GOD!!!
How many more threads!!      

[Ghoste]

There will likely still be debates about it long after the car is dropped.

[RT DAVE]

If it's anything like my hemi magnum as far as reliability goes, you better pass on it!  I won't buy another NEW "Dodge" myself. 

[MRHWS]

Old, new, 2dr, 4dr, $3795, $45,000. Give me a frigging break. Sounds like a bunch of 50 plus year old menopausal old red haired bitties in rollers sitting around a bridge table puffing on Kent micronite filter cigarettes drinking highballs gabbing about the hot pants the young beauty down the street wears when she comes out to get the mail from the mailbox. All I can say is I personally enjoy both worlds and ain't no damn Toyota, Nissan, Kia etc, etc, etc, etc sitting in my driveway.

[Ghoste]

If I don't like it, I don't like it and since it's a discussion forum I am allowed to freely express my feelings about it.  I will not apologize for being passionate about the Charger nameplate.  They gave the new sedan that name SPECIFICALLY because market research groups told them it was well known as a Dodge product and that it would connect well with the enthusiast groups.  As part of that enthusiast target, the fact that it does not connect with me at all should never go undeclared.
Oh, and there are no foreign cars in my driveway either.

[charge69]

Well,  I have an '08 Lexus, an Infiniti, an '09 Toyota Venza, and a Dodge truck ('04) sitting in my driveway. My  Charger is being restored and not here for now although I regularly go and work on it myself.   I'll take the newer foreign crap in my driveway every time compared to the newer stuff the Big 3  is putting out, but thatis just me and my wife as we don't like working on new cars or having to pay for it as the case may be.

I have ridden and driven a new Challenger SRT and they are pretty nice but I have never driven a new Charger. I think they are just too ugly, but that is just my opinion. A good friend has an '09 Challenger SRT and we will see if it is still nice with some miles on it or not. He is pretty good at preventive maintenance and does his regularly including Royal Purple oil in all his vehicles including his diesel truck, also a Dodge.

In fact all he owns are MOPAR vehicles, including 3 classics and he never gives me a hard time about driving what I drive except he calls my Q45t Infiniti my "junker" as it is the oldest but is still very nice and he does say it with a smile on his face. He uses the term "it must be nice when the Infiniti is the junker" a lot. Cannot tell you how many people have tried to buy the Infiniti after driving or riding in it.

[Brock Samson]

I remember when infinity ads ran comparing it to a second gen... that was for the 45 I belive... I've seen some around and they are pretty nice, their V-8 is very nice. but you can't work on them,.. 

[bull]

But seriously...my point when I mentioned the Challenger was that no matter how great the car is, there will always be a few malcontents who will shoot it down. They could build a retro styled 2 door Charger with a 500 hp HEMI that is the spitting image of a 2nd gen, and the usual suspects (who, again I must emphasize, wouldn't buy the car anyway) would be whining about how it sucks because it doesn't have an 8 track player like the original did.

You are correct in that there will always be people complaining no matter what/how the cars look. HOWEVER, even you would have to admit the volume of complaints about the "Charger" is far greater than the new Challenger.

[Landonsrt]

I remember when infinity ads ran comparing it to a second gen... that was for the 45 I belive... I've seen some around and they are pretty nice, their V-8 is very nice. but you can't work on them,.. 

I worked for Nissan.  Just like the "big 3", all cars tear up. You just pay more for the imports. And since I've been around the auto industry for service, I know what I'm talking about.. Go ahead and pay $70k for a $30k BMW.

How many toyotas, nissans, lexus, bmw, and Mercedes do you see on the road that are 20 years old compared to ford, dodge and gm???

[Ponch ®]

But seriously...my point when I mentioned the Challenger was that no matter how great the car is, there will always be a few malcontents who will shoot it down. They could build a retro styled 2 door Charger with a 500 hp HEMI that is the spitting image of a 2nd gen, and the usual suspects (who, again I must emphasize, wouldn't buy the car anyway) would be whining about how it sucks because it doesn't have an 8 track player like the original did.

You are correct in that there will always be people complaining no matter what/how the cars look. HOWEVER, even you would have to admit the volume of complaints about the "Charger" is far greater than the new Challenger.

Honestly, the only place I hear complaints about the Charger and/or use of the name is here. Im on other MOPAR related message boards and I go to a ton of car shows/cruises and it's just not that big of a deal outside of the (very small) classic Charger community.

[Back N Black]

Taking a 4 door Charger to a car show, is on the same level of me taking my 4 door Impala SS to a car show. Its just wrong.

[bull]

Honestly, the only place I hear complaints about the Charger and/or use of the name is here. Im on other MOPAR related message boards and I go to a ton of car shows/cruises and it's just not that big of a deal outside of the (very small) classic Charger community.

I don't hear vehement opposition to it in the outside world either but I do hear a fair amount of disappointment with it when the topic comes up among regular folks. It may be tolerated by most but it certainly isn't celebrated with the excitement the original was and is. I've heard story after story from guys that fell in love with the classic Charger (esp. 68-70) and bent over backward to get thir hands on one back in the day. We still hear story after story about the lengths people go to to get their hands on a classic. Do you believe that same attitude is present with today's "Charger" anywhere but in the gansta/lowrider/pimpmobile crowd? I don't see it. Do you think 30 years from now you'll see people dragging the new "Charger" out of the bushes and barns and spending $50k to restore them? I don't. There's no comparison when you boil it down.

[MoparManJim]

I hate the newer cars so much that if someone gave me one I would locate the nearest cliff and run it right off without me in it that is. The company that made the car made a disgrace to the dodge name. 

Look at Ford, at least they got things right with the Mustangs. Why can't Dodge do the same thing.