Is this a joke? No really, is it?
So, let's see what $40,000 (yes, that's forty thousand dollars) buys you from Dodge...
The GoodHey, it's American, I like American (V8) cars. It's got some guts in the form of a 425 hp Hemi (that means absolutely nothing, btw) engine. It's got some nice big Brembo brakes, and also IRS.
The BadI personally think it looks ugly as hell. I describe it as looking like it's been carved out of a bar of soap. It's so soft and Tonka toy looking.
This thing weighs more than Kirstie Alley after she threw in the towel. Actually, that's not accurate. She isn't nearly as morbidly obese as this gussied up Dodge Charger.
It only comes with 20" wheels, which further degrades performance, but what really hurts is the absolutely pathetic tire size that comes on them: 245s all the way around.
Ok, so it's got IRS, but seriously... is anyone going to take this f-ing obese pig (4200 lbs) to a road course? I thought not, so why not go with a solid rear axle to save some money and actually help out at the drag strip (what this car was theoretically designed for)?
It only comes with a 5 speed automatic... cue hysterical laughter now.
The UglyHow embarrassing is it going to be when you can't shrug off a bone stock Mustang GT which costs nearly half as much and has 125 less horsepower?
1 comment:
I see this thing as basically a poser-mobile. It's as much a muscle car as a PT Cruiser is a 50's hot rod (OK, maybe not that bad).
The muscle cars of the 60's and 70's were designed with straight-line performance in mind, while this was designed to appeal to middle-aged car buyers who either never got their hands on a muscle car as a kid, or are missing the one that they did have. But, their stations in life have changed, and now they want a cushy interior, a smooth, hands-free transmission, all of the power bells & whistles, creature comforts, etc. The fact that it's called a Challenger and is vaguely shaped like one is enough for them to make the emotional connection to the old car.
It is definitely way overpriced by performance standards. But, the only optional features on the car are sunroof, navigation, and summer tires. Everything else (and it's a long list) comes standard - it's a glorified mid-luxury sedan, minus 2 rear doors. It only has a big engine and big brakes so that it doesn't completely suck in the performance department, and can make some of the sounds that the old cars used to make.
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