2008 Dodge Challenger Review
The year is 1970. The first Earth Day is celebrated the USA and he was the “dawn of the Age of Aquarius”, according to The 5th Dimension. In December of that year, the north tower of World Trade Center was exceeded by 1,368 feet, making it the tallest building in the world.
At Detroit, Mopar was the new word for Chrysler. After the 1969 Dodge Daytona that packed a wallop and scorned, the new Dodge Challenger hit the scene. Curiously, it was the same year that American Motors introduced the Gremlin (April Fools Day) and Ford Pinto introduced to the automotive scene, which the Americans considered the most successful American models of the year.
The modern score of the original Challenger history does not differ much from what we live today in its new reincarnation. Back in the early sixties, Ford paved the way to the pony car race with their Mustang in mid-1964. When Dodge and Chrysler are able to react Ford was not only the production of the Mustang for five years, but has also introduced changes in the mercury as the Cougar - which has its own style - since 1967.
It was a time when American-style ruled the automotive world and finally forced the Europeans to imitate these forms implicit in new packaging despite their own vehement opposition. They recognized the new raw make efforts that are so new “empty shell”, but the forms followed the aphorism that “men make mistakes, both in their efforts.” Some still stubbornly agree when they see these reincarnations of the former American icons such as the Chevrolet Camaro concept and the new Dodge Challenger, although Ford has paved the way by taking advantage of their retro-style Mustang that J. Mays Ford sold on to customers for several years now.
To defend its own position, Chrysler finally gives us what we’ve been waiting all these years, namely a reinterpretation of the assets of an American icon, the eminent right to cap fuel tank and false-hood mounted catch air. This latest attempt to impress uses the same basic ingredients as the original to get our attention.
It is evident in styles such as the E-body cars of the early 70’s, whose first Dodge Challenger and Plymouth Barracuda, that confidence was there to use the treachery of clay in its ductility, the designer ’s advantage to gain clarity of forms. In a critical comparison of the grandfather Challenger in 1970 and 2008 Challenger SRT8, the recreation of the original starts to lose the consistent style and become rather amorphous and heavy. Especially in the areas of the nose and tail seem not to the completion of the original as well integrated bumper chrome elements carved in tubular forms ending shaper of the body. The details of the last car was an attention after the original form was created by the head designer Michael Castiglione the Chrysler Pacifica studios.
Built on the LX platform, which is also shared with the Charger sedan, the Challenger 116-inch wheelbase is only 4 inches shorter than the new Dodge Charger. Lead outside designer, Jeff Gale pointed out that on the last car, “We decided to extend the preliminary faux-two inches more than the original concept. It has simply not right without the added length on the nose. This has enabled us to carve deeper into the grille area where we have chosen to remove the cross grid currently on other Chrysler cars. It need not be a Dodge, body language alone said “Challenger”.
Gale was quick to divert our attention to details such as chrome filler cap that did not showcar: “We have taken another look at the original and decided production car just need.” During the 21 months starting in 2006 the concept of final production, designers in Auburn Hills had the chance to create beautiful 20-inch wheels to reduce the car properly, resculpt the door mounting mirrors to reflect the original E - body and the mirror-style location, and to focus on the details Gatlin gun barrel piston projector details and place led the flashing amber in the centre-fire more than around them. Regarding the concept, the inevitable A line parallel and functionality belt line were left intact, because this is what really helped sell the original concept.
Although the exterior design is reminiscent of the original 1970 car, the interior design of the Challenger production has not moved from inside the elements of the concept - which itself has many features derived from l ‘original work. Brian Nielander, manager of the exterior and interior design of the Dodge Challenger, CAN said: “We were trying to capture the feeling of these cars, but also a modern interpretation of that. There were some liberties taken with the show car, which should be done anyway, but then you have to go to the hard issues that we had. ”
Nielander said that the decision to adjust production car with a report LX group of instruments, HVAC control, heads of radio, window switches and steering wheel was determined ultimately financially. “You must choose your battles,” he said. “You want to go after things depending on where the impacts will be. We had a good launching pad with the LX that we started with certain parties that we had this car and incorporated them where we could, and be discreet about this. ”
Although the instrument cluster, centre console and steering wheel of the concept are closer to the 1970 original if modern form trapezoidal surface inside were transferred from the concept, as well as the shape of the front IP, door panels and the shape of the centre console, which gives the impression of being tilted toward the driver. “The trapezoidal shape were very important,” Neilander said, “and we also tried to capture the softened geometric look.” The list of options Mopar fortunately characteristics of elements such as the large rear wing and Hurst shifter. ” This is a party believes that people really passionate about “Neilander said.
Dodge has a secret advantage over the competition which is now - or soon will be - offering a retro revival of their own pony car, and it colors. Although only Dodge plans to sell the first series of Challengers in SRT8 Hemi Orange, metallic silver and black, already extremely limited production models are emerging in colors such as blue metallic and recovery of over $ 200K to U.S. bids. This suggests that Dodge May not be reluctant to offer once more daring colors 1970 Dodge Challenger once more. With Cool names, colors like Plum Crazy (purple), Sublime (toxic light green), Go-Mango (light orange), banana (yellow), Rallye Red and Pink Panther could come back in vogue. And with their contrasting matte black funky graphics, this aid May Chrysler stand out in the crowd, as it did 38 years.
Dimensions: Length 5023mm, 1923mm width, height 1449mm, 2946mm Wheelbase.