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Daimler's abuse of the Dodge Charger legacy.

659 messages,  Last post on Jun 21, 2006 at 2:03 PM

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#143 of 659 GTO by seminole_kev Jan 19, 2005 (7:40 am)
while it was the 2004 model, not the upgraded 05, I test drove the GTO and wasn't really wowed by it. Wasn't "rowdy" enough for me and the styling was a real turn off. Also, I didn't really see an impressive interior. Center stack felt a little cheap to me for the price (although to be fair, it wasn't anything different than you'd find in an Infiniti G35)   Hopefully the '05 model feels a little "hairier" for lack of a better term.   Not sure I'd really put the V8 Charger in a "wannabe" crowd. Although yes, I do wish they offered a stick as I'm a manual fan. But I know that would account for a very small percentage of sales in today's market. Still would be nice to offer it though. Replies to this message: tripowergto (Jan 19, 2005 7:54 am)
#144 of 659 A lot of wanna-be thugs... by andre1969 Jan 19, 2005 (7:43 am)
like to buy old ex-police cars, so there has always been a demand for both sides of the law wanting the same car! When I used to deliver pizzas in my '89 Gran Fury ex-sheriff's car, you'd be surprised at how many teenage kids were actually lusting over something more square than the box their playstations came in!   I think some of them like the idea of taking something that was once used for law enforcement, and suddenly having their own control over it.
#145 of 659 Re: GTO [seminole_kev] by tripowergto Jan 19, 2005 (7:54 am)
Replying to: seminole_kev (Jan 19, 2005 7:40 am) In comparing the GTO and Charger directly I'd argue that the center stack in the Charger is much cheaper looking as is the interior in general. The seats in the GTO are far superior.   If the 350HP wasn't "hairy" enough the 400HP certainly should be. The Charger Hemi is 340HP and heavier so I doubt it will feel very hairy.   I concider an automatic 4 door sedan a wannabe muscle car even if it has a V8. It wants to be too many things to too many people which immediately makes it a compromise. It will likely sell more(especially to the police) but it is a pretender.
#146 of 659 tripower by seminole_kev Jan 19, 2005 (8:28 am)
my use of the word "hairy" was more in regards to feel rather than the actual power. The GTO I drove sure would scoot, but it didn't feel wild and rowdy. It was a real nice GT that's for sure though. Although I do realize it is a muscle car in the modern sense. They are just more refined these days.
#147 of 659 Yeah, that's just it... by andre1969 Jan 19, 2005 (8:40 am)
cars of today are just too sophisticated for their own good sometimes, and I think that takes some of the excitement and adventure out of them.   One of my co-workers has a 300C Hemi. When you hear it run, it's actually kind of depressing. There's a bit of whine in one of the pulleys that detracts from it, and overall it just doesn't SOUND all that powerful. If I want to hear a sound like that, all I have to do is fire up my '85 Silverado's 305!   And one of the dumbest things they do with the new Hemi, is put a huge shroud over it! Now the first thing everyone wants to see is that "big" V-8, but you pop the hood and all you see is this big shroud that says "5.7 HEMI" on it. And since OHC heads are so prevalent these days, even those massive Hemi heads have lost a bit of their mistyque. Well, that, and the fact that physically the new Hemi is pretty dainty compared to the old 426 Hemi of days gone by, or the old Dodge Red Ram, DeSoto Firedome, or Chrysler Firepower Hemis of the 50's.   Maybe they cover up the engine because the designers of the new car get "head envy" when they get a look at those massive, beefy, thick heads that the old cars had, so they feel a bit inadquate in comparison and are ashamed to show theirs off?
#148 of 659 IIRC... by 210delray Jan 19, 2005 (8:58 am)
...that engine shroud on the 300C Hemi can be easily lifted off (without tools) and kept off if you so desire!
#149 of 659 getting a little side tracked but.. by seminole_kev Jan 19, 2005 (9:02 am)
...what is the point of those shrouds anyway? I don't get why looking at the engine is such a sin. Only thing the shroud does is that it one more thing to remove to work on the engine. Maybe it cuts down on complaints since people can't see if a valve cover seal is leaking or something like that? I've never really got the point of these things (plus I think they're ugly).
#150 of 659 I'm not sure... by andre1969 Jan 19, 2005 (9:09 am)
but doesn't the engine shroud direct air flow under the hood a bit? Probably in the end though, the main reason they put them on is because they might make the engine look more modern than it really is, and hide some of the clutter.   Y'know, all this talk about the Charger IS starting to make me want one, more and more. And I'm getting an HELOC this Friday, so I'm starting to feel like I'm in a precarious position!
#151 of 659 I thought the shrouds... by 210delray Jan 19, 2005 (9:18 am)
...help to silence the engine somewhat, as heard from the driver seat. But who'd want to do that with a lusty V8 in a performance car?   And clearly, they add some supposed "class" to the engine compartment.
#152 of 659 The shroud idea comes directly by driftracer Jan 19, 2005 (9:21 am)
from BMW and Mercedes vehicles, where covering up the "guts" of the engine gives a more refined look. It isn't like most BMW or MB owners would ever wonder what's under there, anyway... Replies to this message: andys120 (Jan 19, 2005 10:10 am)

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