Back in April 2007 reports emerged claiming officials at Chrysler were considering creating a new Barracuda based on its Dodge Challenger, with none other than hot-rod legend Chip Foose dropping the suggestion at the New York Auto Show.
This new car sports a totally revised front-end with single projector headlights, a new grille and a black ‘shaker’ hood. The same story can be told for the rear, which also gets new lights, a central fuel-filler cap, and a small carbon-fiber bootlid spoiler.
There’s no official word from Chrysler on whether this vehicle will remain a pure concept or if it’s destined for production, but bringing the car to market would not be a difficult task when you consider most of the car’s internals would be shared with the Challenger.
As most readers would know, the original Cuda was sold as a Plymouth but since that brand has been dropped from Chrysler’s lineup this latest version would have to be sold either as a Dodge or Chrysler. Not surprisingly the concept vehicle is badgeless.
2009 Dodge Challenger Barracuda Concept
2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8 Pricing
The flagship model of the remade Dodge Challenger, the new high-performance SRT8, will be priced from $37,995 when it goes on pre-order from December 3 onwards. The first batch of cars will be a limited edition run, each with a numbered dash plaque, and will be available in black, silver or HEMI orange. First deliveries will start next spring.
All the cars will come with dual ‘carbon-fiber; hood stripes and a 6.1L HEMI V8 engine. The SRT model also comes with a race-inspired interior, sports suspension, upgraded brakes and extra horsepower.
The all-new Dodge Challenger will be built at the Chrysler Canada Assembly Plant in Brampton, Ontario, on the same assembly line with the Dodge Charger, Magnum and Chrysler 300 models.
Challenger is going to be Dodge's number One
There’s been a lot of excitement surrounding the launch of the new Dodge Challenger, and officials are hoping this excitement won’t die off soon after the car hits the road as is often the case with hyped up sports cars. Chrysler lags its Detroit rivals in sales by a significant margin and desperately needs halo models like the Challenger, like the 300 before it, to be a hit with the public. If initial sales are anything to go by it appears Dodge may have pulled it off.
Officials expect to sell between 20,000 and 30,000 Challengers per year once the full lineup goes on sales, a modest target it seems considering the first full year run of the flagship SRT8 model (priced at $37,995) has already sold out. The information comes from Chrysler Vice Chairman Jim Press, who spoke recently with the Free Press. He also revealed that a waiting list has already formed for the 2009 model.
The Challenger’s closest rival is the popular Ford Mustang but Dodge is touting that its muscle car is the better choice, pointing out that it comes standard with antilock brakes, electronic stability control, curtain air bags, six-speed automatic transmission and keyless ignition, and features a five-link rear suspension as opposed to the Mustang’s archaic solid rear axle. “We’d rather run like a thoroughbred than ride like a pony,” Frank Klegon, Chrysler vice president of product development, said in a thinly veiled jab at the Mustang.
The standard Challenger models will be revealed during April’s New York Auto Show and will include lower-priced models with smaller V6 and V8 engines. There’s even plans for a convertible version further down the track.
2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 official information
After months of leaked images and drip-fed teasers Chrysler has finally released full details for its all-new 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 muscle car. The new model will be making its world debut this week at the Chicago Auto Show but it has actually been on sale since December of last year. The Challenger is the fourth vehicle to ride on Chrysler’s LX platform, succeeding the 300C, the Charger and the ill-fated Magnum, but unlike its siblings each SRT8 variant will come with a unique numbered dash plaque, carbon hood stripes, forged aluminum 20in alloys, and the SRT prepped 6.1L HEMI V8 engine complete with 425hp and 420lb-ft of torque.
Performance targets for the new Challenger SRT8 include a 0-60mph time in the low five-second range, 0-100-0mph in less than 17 seconds, a quarter mile time of less than 14 seconds, 60-0mph braking distance of approximately 110ft, and a skid pad performance of 0.88g. Transmission options include either a five-speed auto or six-speed manual, although the car will initially be available with the automatic only.
Though the 2008 Dodge is a pure-blooded muscle car it also comes packed with the latest in in-car technology. Some of the gadgets include GPS navigation, keyless start and entry, a MyGIG infotainment system and UConnect hands-free communication.
SRT8 models are limited to just three different colors, the familiar HEMI Orange, Bright Silver Metallic and Brilliant Black Crystal, so picking a color won’t be too hard when the first cars arrive in showrooms this spring. As earlier confirmed, the car will be manufactured at Chrysler’s Brampton, Ontario, Canada assembly plant and will be priced from just $37,995.
Dodge will follow up the SRT8 with regular Challenger models, which will be available with both V6 and V8 powerplants, but no official details have been released yet. Base models are expected to get a 3.5L V6 mated to a four-speed automatic transmission, while the mid-spec R/T will come with a 5.7L V8 engine.
Dodge Challenger Super Stock factory car in the works
Dodge used last year’s SEMA Auto Show to roll out a concept version of a Super Stock Challenger racer but like most outlandish concepts few suspected the car would go into production. At the time, officials did confirm the concept’s monster 392 HEMI V8 engine would eventually go on sale as an aftermarket crate engine but apparently that wasn’t the end of the story.
Latest reports claim the actual Super Stock Challenger concept will enter production and is set for launch within a couple of weeks after the debut of the standard Challenger at this month’s Chicago Auto Show. Some of the specs flying around internet discussion groups include a new lighter chassis, weighing up to 800 pounds less than the production car, unique serial build numbers, several different variants of the current 5.9L HEMI and Magnum engines, and both automatic and manual transmissions.
Racing elements include a lightweight front fascia support system, composite lift-off hood and functional scoop, an uprated cooling module with electric fan, new brakes and a set of racing seats.
As the car is purely meant for motorsports you can forget about such frills as windshield wipers, power windows, a rear seat and sound deadening.
2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8
Over the past few weeks a number of pictures of production Challengers have leaked onto the web, but now the leaks have brought along a nice front three-quarters view for all to see. The car looks - as expected - very much like the concept that has made the rounds from Barrett-Jackson to your local auto show. The teasers Dodge let slip almost two months ago also gave a good idea what the final car would look like, but now we can remove all doubt: the Challenger is here.
Due for its official public unveiling at the Chicago, the Challenger is the fourth vehicle to ride on Chrysler’s LX platform, succeeding the 300C, the Charger and the ill-fated Magnum. Just last week the first production Challenger took in a gargantuan $400,000 - although the proceeds went to charity.
Under the hood there are few surprises: a 6.1L Hemi V8 that populates others in Chrysler’s SRT8 range gives ample kick-in-the-pants fun, while the six-speed automatic stays true to its muscle-car roots, even if it adds some modern-day smoothness. Bringing the show to a safe and timely halt are four-piston Brembo brakes, also standard LX-platform SRT8 fare.
The details all seem to mimic the concept as closely as anyone could expect from a production car, although those with a sharp eye will notice the chrome cross-hair grille is gone, and in its place are a series of thin, flat-black squares - and homage to the original.
The first coupe to be built on the LX platform, the Challenger is four inches shorter (at 116in) than its corporate compadres, which yields a slightly lighter weight, reports Automotive News. This should make the 425hp, 420 lb-ft Hemi seem a bit livelier, and will contribute to better handling and stopping distances. Fuel economy should also be slightly more palatable than other SRT8s, but let’s face it - you’re not buying this car for its green image.
Dodge ZEO concept let loose at NAIAS
As petroleum prices skyrocket and hydrogen fuel-cells remain in the semi-distant future, more and more auto makers are turning to the electric vehicle as the solution for the present. The futuristic styling aside, the Dodge ZEO presents a decent argument for the practical possibilities of an EV. Not that those futuristic looks are in any way out of place or unwelcome - Dodge’s new EV is rather sexy.
The 2+2 mates practicality with electro-hot-rod tendencies, such as the 23-inch rims, the muscular fender swells and the powerful 200kW (268hp) electric motor - the same one powering the hydrogen fuel-cell ecoVoyager concept. The combination of strong power and light weight give the ZEO a 0-60mph time that should come in under five seconds, according to Chrysler, which it says ‘rivals [its] famed HEMI powerplant.’
The dramatic exterior styling is the focus of the ZEO, which draws inspiration from muscle cars of the past, mathematical concepts and tried-and-true principles of aerodynamics. The heavily sloped A-pillars are derived from the Möbius strip - a loop with only one exterior surface - that twists and joins into the rearward part of the canopy. The wrap-around windshield runs from the front almost all the way to the rear, giving a jet-like canopy to the sporty EV. Scissor doors and unique lighting accents finish the ‘custom’ feel of the ZEO.
Inside, organic forms are the mode. Aimed at the younger market - people who might actually buy such a car - the ZEO is replete with technological gadgetry. The long, narrow center console divides the cockpit into two regions, rising at the rear to complete the division. The unique steering-column/instrument panel unit are freestanding.
Weighing in at just 2,650lbs, the ZEO provides approximately a 10:1 lbs/hp ratio - just slightly better than a Nissan 350Z. Wheelbase and overall length are close to the Z as well, and with its 2+2 architecture (like the Mazda RX-8) the rear-wheel drive ZEO could prove to be a serious contender - and not just among EVs. Although, with a range of just 250mi, it’s not quite ready for long-distance touring.
