Dodge just issued a release exclaiming how excited they are over all of the excitement for the Dodge Challenger SRT8 (yes, the same Challenger we just revealed the first detail shots of earlier today, and first to show you a commercial on last week) — an excitement instigated by their release of pricing for said muscle car earlier this week. In fact they've already had a whole 6,000 folks drop a deposit down since Monday, with 4,300 slapping their piggy bank on the table on the first day alone. They're also claiming that they'll be revealing some form of "eye candy" later this week. All of this is fine and good — and we'll even let them slide for using our service-marked and patent pending phrase "Muscle Car Wars" at the end of the release below the jump without charging them the usual $2 per use we normally charge. Ain't we a nice buncha guys?
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.