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Dodge Charger 2006+
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The new GTO is a fantastic overall vehicle but much derided for it's sedate styling even though it's true to it's original mission of large RWD V8 manual shift large 2 door coupe.
Chrysler has chosen a more radical styling for the return of the Charger but only offers a 4 door model which I believe is a mistake since the 300 & Magnum are already 4 doors. Why not at least make a 2 door available? Styling is subjective but part of the definition of a true muscle car is 2 door coupe! This car should just be a Magnum sedan.
We are all aware of the little rat traps of the 80's that were called Chargers. This is supposed to be the "New Dodge", "Grab Life By The Horns" company. This car is plain. It's a nice family sedan that replaces the Intrepid. It should not have been given the name Charger. That is the issue here. Had this been called the Intrepid, Monaco, Polara, this discussion board wouldn't exist. Because it is called the Charger, and is a Dodge badged 300C, we enthusiasts are upset with that.
With the money that Dodge has, they could have stuck to the concept car. They could have built it on the current LX platform and included the HEMI instead of the propane injected concept engine. The name and shape mean alot to people. It's car culture history. It is if Dodge didn't learn from it's mistakes. Ford learned from the mid 70's Mustangs. What if the Corvette came out next year with a back seat? How about a wagon version of a vette? See, it just does not make sense.
Hope Dodge sells alot of these as police cars. That was the aim, get back into the police business. 4 Door, rear drive V8's that the cops need. Every few years they order more. If it weren't for cops and old people the Crown Vic would have been 6feet under 15 years ago.
The race version looks good because there are no doors. As for me, I will be going out to my garage now to work on ripping out the heater core on my 1971 Dodge Charger 500(added weight, and doesn't see winter duty). I'll have plenty of room to work, it has 2 big doors.
Again, for those that are new to this board, I beg of you to look at this link and tell me what CHARGER you would rather have, the current 2006, or this one that Popular Hotrodding came out with.
http://www.popularhotrodding.com/features/0404phr_dodge/
But this new Charger is very handsome and muscular in today's contemporary eyesight. And it will be a high performance platform in a more meaningful way than the original. The number of doors is clouding the rationale for the name, in my opinion. With this entry Dodge will be reinforcing the Charger image as a high performance car, and in a more refined way than the chargers of old.
>>>I am not a huge chevy or ford fan but at least the people there know not to mess with thier old legends.<<< Well, if my memory serves me correctly the Mustang went through several platform evolutions in a way that made me wonder if the Ford people knew what they wanted the Mustang to impart. The Mustang started of compact. got much bigger, diluted it's name with a so-called Mustang II, then went smaller before becoming the Mustang of today. Yes, the number of doors stayed the same but there were conceptual changes nonetheless. And the Thunderbird did go from coupe to sedan! I might add that the name Charger was used on the Omni-Horizon-based coupe of the late seventies and into the eighties, starting off as the O24. Now, yes, it did not have four doors but I cannot think of a deeper transformation from original concept. I can sympathize with purist traditionalists. It would be nice if the Charger were a coupe. It would fit and be maintained in the heritage of Chargers and everyone would be happy. The problem is that coupes as a vehicle class are not selling like they did in the '60s or '70s. In today's market the four-door sedan is king. That might change, but for now the sedan rules. Chrysler cars of the past decade or so have done absolutely nothing for me. The last half-way decent offering was the Acclaim/Spirit/LeBaron,in my opinion, and that was a little on the meager side. This new Charger has caught my attention, however, not because of it's name but because it is exciting. Best regards, Dusty
The rumor is strong of a possible Daytona version of this car. I hope to god that Mother Mopar does not redo the Daytona. Let this car lay in peace. Let the legend be. Do not bring back a legend to let it be fall the same faith as this current atrocity. Ask the moderator for my email address. You have my permission to contact me.
So if this chat room is to busy tonight and you probably will be considering all that is going on, please, I am happy to offer my services and can provide very good references.
so where is the 60s homage in the 06 charger, opps i mean magnum? DC builds a magnum sedan and calls it a charger, Burke have you ever seen a 60s Dodge Charger????? DCX you should be watching ford, the mustang is selling, and its a 2 door, you hear that Trevor Creed, 2 doors do sell, and whats with every car and truck DC makes uses the same stylecroiss haired grill, DC needs to make some management changes,
instead of DC telling us what we want, DC you should listen to what we want...
so where is the 60s homage in the 06 charger, opps i mean magnum? DC builds a magnum sedan and calls it a charger, Burke have you ever seen a 60s Dodge Charger????? DCX you should be watching ford, the mustang is selling, and its a 2 door, you hear that Trevor Creed, 2 doors do sell, and whats with every car and truck DC makes uses the same stylecroiss haired grill, DC needs to make some management changes,
instead of DC telling us what we want, DC you should listen to what we want...
"But this new Charger is very handsome and muscular in today's contemporary eyesight. And it will be a high performance platform in a more meaningful way than the original"
sorry but do u have your glasses on?
http://images.autotrader.com/images/2004/12/18/175/524/1163031435- .175524732.IM1.MAIN.565x421_A.562x421.jpg
I own three Chargers, the first three years in fact, and this new car is no Charger.
However, the new Charger looks like an ordinary mid-size sedan. It won't receive the reception the old one received. The Dodge boys could have done better than this.
Please! You should be ashamed. I didn't curse, what happened to free speech?
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I work in politics for the state of New Jersey, and all jokes aside, I know bull plop when I see it and that was grade "A" plop. Most of us over the past several months have expressed disgust and voiced our opinions. I find it amazing that the day the ad banner for the 2006 Charger Chat went up on this page that there was a sudden influx of POSITIVE responses.
I do not know who said it last night in the chat room, but I have heard the same, that for every positive letter that has been received at DCX, there have been 30 negative. A 4 door grocery getter, with no style, except for a different set of rear doors and a slight tweaking of the truck grill we have a Magnum Coupe, or a cheap 300C, which ever you want to call it; Dodge calls this the New Charger.
What was the response to no manual being offered? For those that weren't in the chat room last night, the Answer, "Manuals don't sell well in 4 doors"(Burke Brown, Jan. 13 2006)
What about all of the Euro cars, BMW, Mercedes, SAAB, and the Japanese Lexus IS, I know that these are 4 doors that sell very well with manuals. How do you offer a "Modern day muscle car" with no stick?
So many questions we had that went unanswered do to corporate PR Spin. Gentlemen, I look forward to the discussion until we all grow tired of the banter and buy the new Mustang which we all agree looks great. Good luck team Burke.
Obviously, I can't speak for Mr. Brown's answers as that's his (and his company's) decision.
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Dusty
So far I've liked what I've seen in the form of photographs, even if this is a tweak to an existing platform. Maybe in the flesh my opinion will be different. I like most everything about the Magnum and 300C except the front. The Charger front does it for me.
Dusty
The success of the new Mustang has prompted GM to reintroduce these American legends. They will have FOUR doors because that is believed to be what the car buyer of today wants. Stay tuned!
The only thing i have any problems with is that it will only sell as an automatic. I can't stand that! This car deserves a stick, an NO! I hate the manumatics out there...BFD!
This car will sell, i have no doubt about it...Charger name or not.
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They spent billions on this platform. They retool a plant that has to build them(meaning that they won't change for at least 4-5 years). They aero test them and all that junk, only to come out with this car. As I have said all along, this is a good car, not worthy of the name that we hold dear, CHARGER. If this was another Intrepid, or Stratus it would be ok. The hype and the rumors from the concept of 99 to this is what has angered us all(99 had a 5 speed manual, look at the pics, nice interior too). What really angered us was that Chrysler was very good with sticking to the concept cars that they showed. Viper, Prowler,PT Cruiser, and the Magnum, believe they called the Magnum something else, but still, the lines and shapes remained very very close. The debate with this current car is its history and aside from the 80's K car platforms, most people recall the Charger tearing up the tracks with Petty at the wheel and with Bo and Luke Duke out running Rosco P. Coaltrain. This is just what you said Charger, " it is ok as a general purpose car" just not worthy of tarnishing the name plate.
As for NASCAR, the cars went to a common template last season. This means that all cars and makes must pass through inspection with one common template that will fit all cars. It's in the rule book if you really wanted to go gung ho on it. The engines are what separates the makes. Dodge came back after a long time and their engines because the cam location in the block allows for them to turn slightly more RPMS then other makes. FORD and CHEVY have been using the same basic blocks since the small block debuted in the mid 70's.
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Can you even imagine when the current crop of future drivers grow up, and are driving the 06 Charger to school. And their teachers will tell them that they missed out on the real Chargers. They won't have clue what the teachers are talking about.
It sucks royally, and is a disgrace to the Charger name and Dodge name!
Am I close?
Well then, should they have brought back the "Meadowbrook" or "Saratoga" for the wagon-like Dodge Magnum?
Super Omni, anyone? Maybe do a gussied up version and call it the Imperial, or Newport....maybe not.
Now don't get us wrong the car is as alright as any other ordinary newly introduced model car goes, but the choice of name for the new car Charger. For anyone that knows even anything about the Chargers of the past, (When I say Chargers of the past I am referring to the ones that did the MOST to make the name Charger a legend 1966-1974 model years) knows that one look at this new Charger and we are asking ourselves "What the hell was Dodge thinking" First they tell us that the Charger is set to return and everyone is thinking "Yeah Baby!" A 2 door, RWD musclecar,available in stick or auto, possibly some kind of hidden headlight scheme, A slick sexy body, Possibly a nascar type fuel cap again, And all of this to be introduced on the legendary name of Charger. Judging by what Dodge did in the past with the Viper and some of the other recent greats, this bad boy should be good. Ok then the prototype appears and although its not bad looking it certainly isn't that great looking either HOWEVER it has a certain look about it. The biggest problem is the number of doors. Why 4 doors? Well the answer to that is is that the bean counters and marketing hotshots at Chrysler are force feeding us the crap that ONLY 4 doors sell (tell that to FORD. The guys that designed the Mustang should have designed the Charger)Ok fine. Now just when we are starting to accept it they come out with this thing that looks like they were scrounging around in the parts bins trying to piece together something to call a car and then they call it the new charger? Lets face it people are not stupid. Furthermore the our kids are not stupid either. Ever been to a Mopar Nats festival? Do you know how many 18-29 year olds have cars or have an interest in cars that were around before them? Bottom Line The Charger was designed way back when as a War Horse, A world class thoroughbred that is how she should have been re introduced. Not as some pieced together magnum taxi cab. It is a real shame what Dodge chose to to to the legacy of the Charger.
Like I said before, I own three REAL Chargers, a '66 with a 440, a '67 with a 383, and a '68 R/T.
The only Charger in my mind that has ever been truly and fully entitled to wear the Charger nameplate, is the 1966.
After that, they gained a few little cool things here and there, but overall they went downhill.
So to make a new car in a muscular image, and to be able to call it a "Charger", Dodge should have incorporated design aspects that stuck with what made a Charger of the musclecar era, when it was still a good car.
That means it should have had these things, the best things of the musclecar era Dodge Charger:
Hidden headlights (1966-1972)
Four bucket seats(1966)
A full length center console(1966)
Awesome looking dash gauges (1966-1967)
A flip top gas cap (1968-1970)
Sexy and distintive styling (1966-1972)
Two doors (1966-1974)
Performance V8 with RWD (1966-1971)
And how many of these things does the 2006 "Charger" have? Just one, the performance.
That's just being lazy on Dodge's part. They choose to be lazy and to turn their backs on people who have bought their products.
A fairly competent person can tell you that they should have used a different name. But no, instead they chose to screw the diehard fans, so they could rape/pillage the once honorable name, in the name of easy sales.
It is a rebadged Intrepid. Plain and simple. A car for family guys, soccer moms, and old people. All those who like it are unfaithfuls who have turned their back on the true Dodge Charger.
I hope the car crashes and burns.