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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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#70 of 659 Re: Right - those SSs, in good shape, [driftracer] by andys120 Dec 01, 2004 (12:03 pm)
Replying to: driftracer (Dec 01, 2004 11:58 am) The Shelby Charger was a blot on the name of both Shelby and Charger. It's also worth noting that the current Chrysler 300s are the first to come with four doors and are selling just fine, as well as outperforming (in 300C form) the 300-letter cars of yore.
#71 of 659 My only concern... by andre1969 Dec 01, 2004 (12:05 pm)
about the new Charger, is that some of the artists renderings make me think the end product may look like a rush-job, with just a bunch of haphazard, clunky, quickie styling changes applied to the Chrysler 300. Kind of like a modern take on those Dodge Darts that were badge-engineered into "Magnums", "Chargers", etc for the South American market. A lot of frivolous stuff tacked on, but blatantly obvious that the thing was intended to be a Dart underneath!
#72 of 659 by john_324 Dec 01, 2004 (1:22 pm)
I have to imagine, in the name of production economics, it'll be the four door...Not my first choice, but it's not bad-looking either.   Actually, the 1984 Shelby Charger was the best of a bad lot...try the "regular" Dodge Charger of the 1980s for a real treat. Friend in highschool had one, and maaannn what a slow car.   I think with the Caprice in the 1990s, nobody really noticed when they made the SS. Sure, the diehards and the car mags did, but it slipped by the rest of the population. It only became really sought after it was out a while, then esp. when it was canceled.
#73 of 659 Shelby Chargers by turboshadow Dec 01, 2004 (1:25 pm)
Although I have to admit a bias towards turbo Mopars, I'm gonna have to siound up about the Shelby Chargers. Sure, they were poorly slapped together automobiles, sure they were no 'Charger' as the classic B-bods, but dang those little things could scoot. And with minimal dollars and a few easy mods, they could embarass many a big block, especially around corners.   Check out www.thedodgegarage.com for some info on these cars.   I've owned both a 69 Charger 383, and a Turbo Shadow, and I can tell evryone here that the Shadow would flat tear up that Charger. Straight lines, corners, etc....   And don't even get me started on Mother Mopar's decision to put little bitty drum brakes on those big-block cars. They were SCARY in emergency situations.   Turboshadow
#74 of 659 Impala SS by turboshadow Dec 01, 2004 (1:26 pm)
Chevy would have been more than happy to keep building the Caprice/Impala SS, but it wouldn't meet '97 crash standards without substantial redesign.   Turboshadow Replies to this message: andys120 (Dec 01, 2004 1:47 pm)
#75 of 659 I never thought about... by andre1969 Dec 01, 2004 (1:39 pm)
the side impact angle, but looking back on it, it makes perfect sense now. Those '91-96 B-bodies were massive inside, actually as wide, if not wider in some cases, than those old, outsized '71-76 mastodons. However, to get that width, they made the body of the car extend out well beyond the frame rails, and even the doors were bowed out to give more interior room. So basically, a great deal of that car extended out beyond the comparative safety of the frame rails, and other strong parts of the car.   I'm sure those doors with the huge windows didn't help much, either.
#76 of 659 Re: Impala SS [turboshadow] by andys120 Dec 01, 2004 (1:47 pm)
Replying to: turboshadow (Dec 01, 2004 1:26 pm) IIRC discontinuing the big rwd GMs, Impala included, had a lot to do with wanting to use the plant capcy to turn out trucks, which were more profitable and popular than big rwd sedans.   It's noteworthy as well that the new GTO, a hot performer with a great name isn't selling well. Is there still a market for big coupes?
#77 of 659 by john_324 Dec 01, 2004 (1:52 pm)
Re the GTO, I think it's mainly because it looks like a Grand Am, which is to say it sports that somewhat out-of-date, aero-jellybean look.   The next gen GTO, assuming it will have the more current blocky muscluar styling (like on the 300 or the new Mustang) should be a bigger hit I bet. Esp. with that LS2 engine. Whoa momma!
#78 of 659 That was my original thought... by andre1969 Dec 01, 2004 (1:56 pm)
that GM wanted to convert the plants over to production of SUVs, which were much more profitable, as well as the whole CAFE thing. While 17/26 is actually very good mileage for a car that big, these things were bringing GM's CAFE numbers down for cars, but in contrast a Yukon or Tahoe, getting maybe 14/18, wouldn't drag down the truck average as much.   But I wonder if the crash standards might have had something to do with it, as well? Probably a combination of things.   I think the GTO's problem is its styling...not enough flash to go with that substance. Shame, because I hear it's a great car. I wonder how the new Mustang will do, sales-wise? I think it's gonna be a winner. Maybe GM should have gone a little more retro with the GTO? At least, a little more retro than a '95 Cavalier coupe with a '92 Grand-Am nose!
#79 of 659 by grbeck Dec 01, 2004 (8:39 pm)
So far the Mustang is selling well. The November sales figures are very strong.   The GTO is overpriced, with a sticker well over $30,000. A new Mustang GT is about $25,000. Maybe the GTO can outperform the Mustang, but the Mustang offers much sharper styling for a lower price. Plus, the Mustang GT offers enough performance for 99.9 percent of all drivers.   The Mustang offers enough "go" and lots more "show" for much less money.

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