With the Plymouth brand dead, there's totally an opportunity for a Chrysler version of the Challenger. Chrysler Road Runner anyone? The Pontiac Firebird is an obvious choice and, given that Pontiac still exists, a RWD V8-powered muscle car seems like a good fit for the brand. There are so many muscle cars and muscle car variations from back in the day, which one should rise like a Phoenix from the ashes to burn rubber?

I picked up the Challenger from Chrysler's fleet company in Madison Heights yesterday afternoon. Despite an itch to hit the road immediately, we first needed the obligatory glamour shots taken by Metro Detroit's star photographer Fabrizio Costantini and a quick bite to eat. So it wasn't until late yesterday night when I finally had the chance to take the new Mustang-killer out onto Woodward.

A few hours more doesn't bother someone that's waited three years since their first fleeting glimpse of the Challenger across a crowded Detroit Auto Show press introduction. Still, my excitement was obvious — if anyone had been looking that late at night — as I eased the muscle-bound two-door out on to the road and pointed the LX sedan-sans-two doors onto Northbound Woodward Avenue. I don't even know why I tried to contain my feelings. How can a person not be excited when they're driving a car with sheet metal so brilliantly retrospectively-inspired you're actually able to believe orange can work as a car color again?

Plus there's that power. Despite the Challenger's hefty 4,100 lb. weight, the big 425 HP 6.1-liter Hemi the Challenger SRT8 shares with its bigger, four-doored brother allows it to blast away from stoplights. Each and every time, we were provided with the effortless gratification of squealing performance radials.

But I grew up on Woodward Avenue. I know at night the police lay in wait, watching the stoplights, pens at the ready in eager anticipation of tickets to be signed and handed to unsuspecting hoons careless enough to do burnouts. I had no desire to be stopped tonight. Tonight, the fun for me is cruising my past with a car that's more of a time machine than any DeLorean. I wanted to drive. So I drove.

I drove past the hospital where I was born. Past the Red Coat Tavern, where my mom had once been a bartender and where she'd met my father. Past Vinsetta Garage, Michigan's oldest palace of wrench-turning — and a lot where I'd spent many an evening in my teenage years peering through the chain-link fence, trying to discern the differences between muscle cars by shape under bulky car covers. Past Birmingham, where I'd taken my driver's training and first kissed a girl. Past Cranbrook, my high school arch-rivals. Past Long Lake, and the remnants of the Fox & Hounds grill and across from the Merrill Lynch office my father, now gone, worked at over a decade ago. I drove past old family homes, old restaurants and old memories.

It's a credit to how similarly roomy this new Challenger is to the old early-'70s muscle car that I hardly noticed when I'd pulled around Pontiac and was already heading back to Royal Oak. The strongly side-bolstered seats and comfortable-to-grip steering wheel helped me to pass where I'd begun my trip so effortlessly, I decided to keep going — down all the way to where Woodward Avenue ends at the Detroit River. Not having enough of that low rumbling exhaust, I turned the beast around, rear wheels competently holding on as I steered with my right foot and came right back up Woodward. I did this over and over again last night. Each time, emotions long thought dormant welled up inside of me at every red light and would quickly explode outward on every green.

Gone were any cares of the day. The photos? Meaningless. Writing the review? Means nothing to me. The price of gas and a rating of 18 MPG? Ha! These are little things for little people. I'm a man — a real man driving a brand new meaty Mopar muscle car — something Motor City denizens haven't done in decades. The only thing that matters is continuing to drive.

OK, so it turns out there's one thing that matters more. Exhaustion. I pulled into the garage in the wee hours of this morning feeling emotionally drained, but with a wan smile on my face. Why shouldn't I? I knew I'd get to take it out again this morning. And that's exactly what I did, four hours of sweet sleep later and after waking with that smile from the night before still firmly affixed to my face.

Yes friends, that's the current view of the lot outside of Brampton — Challengers, Chargers and 300s as far as the eye can see. And when we first saw it, we almost wept at the beauty we beheld. It's amazing. Frankly, there's nothing more to be said. If we were to say anything else here, it'd be superfluous because for this one moment we forgot every problem in the world. High gas prices. CAFE. Everything. Just look for yourself in the up-close gallery below.
(Hat tip to Rick!) [2gstratus]

This particular model is one of the glass roof Mustangs, which let in all that natural light. If you look at the interior pic you'll also notice "Mustang" printed on the previously mentioned deluxe cloth seats. Say it with us — Deeeeeeluxe! (Hat tip to James!)

The question is, with the upcoming Dodge Challenger and Chevy Camaro, is the Mustang relevant or exciting? Is it a great American sports car? Or is it just a heavy American car? Are those worshiping in the Mustang Church of America pursuing a false idol? Do we care anymore? Is the WRX the new Mustang or is the new Mustang also the old Mustang?

[Photo: AdClassix]

The sanctuary will include eight of Ales' own Mustangs, including a 1966 convertible, three Boss Stangs (including a rare 429) and four new Shelby Mustangs. it looks like loving cars has turned from a cult into a religion, meaning it may be time to change our tagline. For more photos and information surf over to TomStrongman.com. [TomStrongman.com]

Maybe not. The new V6-powered Dodge Challenger gets 250 horsepower, which is 20 more horsepower than the V8 standard on the original Challenger, while getting 25 mpg. The latest Shelby Terlingua Racing Stangs have historic muscle car DNA and feature a V6. So does the Shelby CS6. Given rising fuel costs, overall savings and the improvement of V6's would you buy a V6 muscle car?

We just caught the latest prototype for the Hyundai Genesis Coupe, caught testing in Northern Sweden. Our latest look catches the fetching RWD coupe with some new, multi-spoke euro-inspired wheels. We also managed a couple new shots of the Coupe's interior, revealing and automatic transmission with the expected +/- slot for the shift stalk. No steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters are visible—somewhat surprising given the Coupe's upscale gene pool stemming from the recently-released Genesis sedan. Heated seats, however, are on the options list.

We also managed a good look at the rear seat accommodations, and they
look fairly acceptable for real, full-grown human use. Leg room,
while not ample, looks reasonable enough. Hyundai's new coupe will be
a strict four-seater, with rear buckets separated by two cup holders
and a central bin. So far, the only confirmed engine is a 2.0-liter
turbocharged four-cylinder engine. A V-6 is also likely, but a V-8—
however tantalizing—is reportedly a long-shot.

Yep, word on the street interwebs is the case is being made for a 2-mode hybrid version of the new Camaro. The extra hybrid hardware will certainly add a premium to the price tag, but that concern is outweighed by the General's need to meet new CAFE standards.
[via The Car Connection]

The straight-line special sheds weight by using components such as a composite hood and a lightweight front brake assembly. Basic amenities, including windshield wipers, power windows, sound deadening and rear seats, are also deleted in a quest for lightness. Altogether, the hardcore Challenger has lost about 800 lbs.—and its street legality. So c'mon GM, bring us a stripped-down Camaro with the ZR1's LS9 and really heat up the Muscle Car Wars. [via Allpar]

Check out Camaro5 for more pictures of the production Camaro's unofficial welcome to the US of A. And of course, check out our full Muscle Car Wars coverage. (Thanks to Jason for the tip) [Camaro5]

With news about the Camaro testing nearly nude - except for the previously painted-on black "tape" lines - focus now is on the still-secret 2010 Mustang.

Last month, one of our photographers caught a 2010 Mustang Convertible. Last week it was the GT Coupe. And now, one of our photographers caught yet another coupe - and although camouflaged - we have close-up photos to fuel the interest of all the enthusiasts.

Sources are telling us to expect a mid-cycle facelift for the 2010 model year, but by the looks of this heavily camouflaged prototype - the 2010 Mustang will be sporting an all-new front and rear fascia - including grille, headlamps and taillights! In addition, the interior will also be updated - although this prototype's interior - like the last one we saw - was pretty much covered up to conceal any and all changes.

Look for production on the revamped Pony car to begin in early 2009 - with sales starting sometime during the first quarter of the year.

Photo Credit: Brian Williams for Brenda Priddy & Company

One of our European operatives caught this full stable of high- performance Holden test cars—including the new Camaro—between Denmark and Sweden, en route to the frigid arctic circle testing grounds. The encounter provided the best, most detailed look at the Camaro, including the first shots of the car's interior.

As with the exterior, the production Camaro's interior will remain
true to the concept in its overall look and feel. The largest change
between the concept and production versions is found on this
prototype's center stack, which has an attractive stereo interface
that was missing on the show car. The four small analog gages still
reside in front of the gear shift lever, and the old-school
instrumentation pods have survived the productionizing process largely
unscathed. A band of color-keyed trim runs along the dash face, and
flares out into the door panels, providing some welcome character and
further linking the production Camaro with the concept that has been
only teasing us for far too long now.

Our close-up look reveals that these Camaro prototypes were outfitted
with 20-inch wheels, and were shod with 245/45 ZR20 Pirello P Zero
tires.

LotNumber 1316 Year 2009 CarMake CHEVROLET CarModel CORVETTE CarStyle ZR-1 CONVERTIBLE

"From Rumor to Instant Legend in the Blink of an Eye. Chevrolet presents the very "First Retailable Unit Built" Corvette ZR-1 for auction at Barrett-Jackson on Saturday, January 19, 2008 with all proceeds from the auction will benefit The United Way."

We all expecting a mid-cycle facelift for the 2010 model year, but by the looks of this heavily camouflaged prototype - the 2010 Mustang will be sporting an all-new front and rear fascia - including grille, headlamps and taillights! In addition, the interior will also be updated - although this prototype's interior was also heavily covered and we couldn't get any clues.

Our shooter stumbled upon this prototype when he made a wrong turn in ...well, that doesn't matter ... but he found this while making a U-turn (which explains the lack of sharpness in some of the photos). Sharp or not - Mustang enthusiasts will examine every inch of these photos!!

2006 Dodge Challenger Concept

What has muscle cars fans squealing like teenage girls at a Hannah Montana concert?

Try the all-new 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8®. Just in the first DAY of orders, more than 4,300 people plunked down a deposit for the American muscle coupe. And more than 6,000 have made deposits with dealers since orders opened on Monday, months before the limited-edition Challenger SRT8 goes into production.

"This is unprecedented," said Mark Mallie, Challenger Brand Manager - Dodge Marketing. "Customers were actually coming to us and pushing us, so we thought this was a good time to take pre-sale orders."

Orders are still coming in - long before enthusiasts have even seen the car. They'll have to wait until the production Dodge Challenger SRT8 makes its debut at the Chicago Auto Show next February. But there's no surprise about the benchmark performance of the Challenger SRT8. Each is powered by a 6.1-liter HEMI V-8, and features a numbered dash plaque, plus dual "carbon-fiber" hood stripes that harken back to the original Dodge Challenger.

The car is available in black, silver or HEMI orange.

"More than half of the orders are HEMI Orange," Mallie said. "It's been almost 35 years since the last Challenger, and there's a lot of interest. There's a lot of people anxious for it. It's certainly an iconic muscle car."

The manufacturer's suggested retail price is $37,995, including a $675 destination fee. Remember - this is a SRT, delivering top-of-the-line performance, world-class ride and handling, benchmark braking and a race-inspired interior. Pricing on the rest of the Challenger lineup will be announced at a later date.

Since pricing was announced on Nov. 29, Web site traffic to www.Dodge.com has spiked up 23 percent, Mallie said.

The muscle car wars start next spring, when deliveries begin for the Challenger SRT8.

But later this week, muscle car fans will have more to squeal about, when we release some eye candy. Check back here later.

February 16th 2009 for the coupe. December 7th 2009 for the convertible.

Dodge Announces Pricing for All-new 2008 Challenger SRT8®

Dodge Challenger SRT8 available for $37,995

• The American muscle coupe is back, packed with modern technology and innovation
• Demand for contemporary version of iconic pony car drives Dodge to accept orders for the 2008 Challenger SRT8® beginning Dec. 3, 2007
• Introduction begins with limited-edition Dodge Challenger SRT8 models - each with numbered dash plaque
• Complete, broader Challenger lineup details and pricing still to come
• 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 models feature 6.1-liter HEMI® V-8 and are available in Black, Silver or HEMI Orange

Auburn Hills, Mich. - Dodge announced pricing today for the modern interpretation of the American muscle coupe. The 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8® will arrive in showrooms next spring at a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $37,995 (which includes $675 destination).

Due to unprecedented demand, Dodge dealers will begin taking orders on Dec. 3 for the limited-edition 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 models. Each will feature a numbered dash plaque and a 6.1-liter HEMI® V-8 engine. 2008 Challenger SRT8 models will be available in Black, Silver and HEMI Orange. All will feature dual "carbon-fiber" hood stripes, harkening back to the original Dodge Challenger.

"The 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 offers pure American pony-car muscle," said James Press, Vice Chairman & President - Chrysler LLC. "With styling that stays true to Challenger's original heritage, an abundance of modern amenities and cutting-edge technology, the 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 will deliver the SRT credo of benchmark performance at a tremendous value.

"The Challenger SRT8 is only the beginning of the story, as we'll soon follow with a complete lineup of Challenger models that will offer a wide array of features and deliver outstanding value for our customers," Press added.

Customers may begin placing orders at their Dodge dealer on Monday, Dec. 3. They can expect to take delivery of their vehicle next spring.

The all-new 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 will be built at the Chrysler Canada Assembly Plant in Brampton, Ontario, on the same assembly line with the Dodge Charger, Charger SRT8, Magnum, Magnum SRT8, Chrysler 300 and Chrysler 300 SRT8 vehicles.

Pricing for the complete all-new Dodge Challenger lineup will be announced at a later date.

SRT performance vehicles - including the Dodge Viper SRT10, Dodge Caliber SRT4, Dodge Magnum SRT8, Dodge Charger SRT8, Chrysler 300C SRT8, Jeep® Grand Cherokee SRT8, and now, the Dodge Challenger SRT8 - are engineered by Chrysler's in-house performance organization: Street and Racing Technology.

The all-new 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 showcases the renowned, five key aspects of every SRT vehicle: exterior styling that resonates with the brand image; race-inspired interiors; world-class ride and handling characteristics across a broad range; benchmark braking; and standout powertrain. The all-new 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 will unquestionably deliver in all five areas.

Dodge Brand
With a U.S. market share of 6.4 percent, Dodge is Chrysler LLC's best-selling brand and the fifth largest nameplate in the U.S. automotive market. In 2006, Dodge sold more than 1.3 million vehicles in the global market. In the highly competitive truck market, Dodge has a 15 percent market share.

Recently, Dodge introduced the all-new 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan with 35 new or improved features including the newest innovation, the Swivel 'n Go™ seating system. Dodge is entering key European volume segments with Nitro, Caliber and Avenger. The all-new 2009 Dodge Journey will debut in 2008 calendar year, and will be available outside North America in both left- and right-hand drive in mid-2008. Also in 2008, Dodge will introduce its modern muscle car the all-new Dodge Challenger.
###

"the dead Challenger do not come to Europe. In the business plan the manufacturer has taken into account purely a limited sale on the American market.

It is for the European liefhebbers of the model hope that new owner Cerberus returns on the decision of previous Chrysler-top and the modern interpretation of dead muscle adapts car for supply on the European market."

"Chrysler Group has confirmed that it will build a high-performance version of the Dodge Challenger. It is expected to launch sometime after the 2009-model base car rolls out. The SRT-8 Challenger will be based on the next-generation LX platform, the LY."

But are we sure we believe Ward's — I mean, they do know the first year of the car's going to be a 2008 model year, right? Or do they mean an SRT won't come out until the 2009 model year — the second year of the newly re-born muscle car from the Ram's Horn-y brand? Also by "LY" platform — do they mean "LC" platform? Are they the same? We're so confused. [SEMA eNews]

To quote Maximum Bob, 'it's just sad.'

Normally, we have great respect for General Motors Vice Chairman Bob Lutz. But lately, he seems to be preoccupied with us in Auburn Hills.

Just a few weeks ago, for no apparent reason, Lutz took a shot at Bob Nardelli, the CEO of The New Chrysler. As we've said, Bob Nardelli will bring a fresh set of eyes to the company. But Lutz dismissed his hiring as a bias against Detroit auto executives who are "under-educated Midwestern idiots."

Then on Thursday, while at the Woodward Dream Cruise introducing the 2008 Chevrolet HHR SS, Lutz took a swipe at the newest special edition Chrysler PT - the 2008 Chrysler PT Cruiser Sunset Boulevard Edition.Cruiser.

He called the HHR SS "the real deal" and "not some special edition".

Hmmm....he seems to forget that the 'real deal' HHR is described by pundits as a copy of the PT Cruiser. Not to mention that GM recruited the designer of the PT Cruiser to style the HHR. Or that Chrysler has been showing special editions at the Woodward Dream Cruise for years, long before GM.

What's next from Lutz?

Sounds like he needs to talk out his anxieties. To hear his nervous chatter, you'd think WE'RE the one that is about to pass GM in total sales.

Re: 2008 Dodge Challenger Production Spy Photo! [GMInsideNews]

Related:
Spy Photos: 2008 Dodge Challenger - From The Side!; Spy Photos: 2008 Dodge Challenger; Challenger Pre-Production Body Shots Make Their Way To Web; Spy Photos: Dodge Challenger Mule!; Production Challenger Doomsday Clock [internal]

"A Hemi V8 was no challenge for our photographer, as he was still able to snag a great shot of the upcoming Dodge Challenger on a fast-moving highway. And even though the pre-production Challenger was wearing a bit of vinyl - one can easily tell that the production model is nearly identical to the concept shown on the auto show circuit.

Dodge's all-new muscle car will be built on the new "LY" RWD platform in Ontario, Canada. Production will start in the spring of 2008 - and the Challenger will go on sale shortly afterwards as a 2008 model. Pricing is expected to start around $31,000, although it's rumored that the R/T models have all been pre-sold in the 50K range. A convertible is also expected to arrive in the not-so-distant future.

The official debut of the (production) Challenger will be on February 6th at the Chicago Auto Show - just 222 days away."

[2008 Dodge Challenger]

UPDATE: New spy photo of the production 2008 Dodge Challenger taken from the side!

Related:
Challenger Pre-Production Body Shots Make Their Way To Web; Spy Photos: Dodge Challenger Mule!; Production Challenger Doomsday Clock [internal]

As we reported the other day, the 'merican side of the German-American hybrid announced at the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto that the Challenger will be built at the Brampton, Ontario assembly plant. That's the same plant churnin' out it's bigger LX-platformed siblings, the Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger and Dodge Magnum. Now they've got a new toy to display with the "concept car" they've been lugging around since the last Detroit show. Here's the scoop from the Chrysler Group:

"The Dodge Challenger has a new home in Canada, and now a date in Chicago. At auto shows this year, the Challenger concept car will stand alongside a 'countdown clock', which will tally the days, hours, minutes and seconds before the production version is revealed at the Chicago Auto Show in February 2008. As of today - Feb. 14 - the wait is 357 days until reveal."

Related:
Dodge's American Muscle To Be Built In Canada [internal]