With Chrysler's resurrection of the Charger nameplate for 2006, in the form of a sport sedan that echoes some of the design elements introduced in the 300C and Magnum, it's playing with fire. On one hand, the company is riding on a resurgence of Hemi-powered muscle, on the other, it's not a real Hemi, in the strictest sense of 1960s engine architecture, and, hello?, it's a sedan. Those tensions are said to be drawing angry reactions from enthusiasts, many of whom see any Chrysler-built Charger outside of the golden years of 1966 to 1971 as having debased the name. The fact that Chrysler is planning to have plenty of Hemi engines available when the new Charger ships in January 2005 to meet demand is no consolation to those who were expecting the car to look more like the 1999 Charger Concept.
Chrysler fends off a Charger coup — scroll down [AutoWeek]
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Will Dodge s 2006 Charger Be Worthy of Its Legacy? [internal]