The Dodge Challenger has come into the world in three completely different generations. The first generation Challenger was a pony car produced from 1970-1974 and the second generation ranged from 1978-1983 and was a badge engineered Mitsubishi Galant Lambda. The third, current generation came about in 2008 and was produced to compete against the Mustang and the Camaro, two muscle cars that had outlived the pony car era.
The current generation Challenger is built on the Charger/Chrysler 300C platform and features rear-wheel drive and an independent rear suspension. It is powered by a choice of three engines: a 3.5L V6 that produces 250HP and 250 lb-ft of torque, a 5.7L V8 delivering 372HP and 400 lb-ft of torque, and the top-of-the-line 6.1L V8 producing 425HP and 420 lb-ft of torque. These engines are mated to either a 6-speed manual pr 5-speed automatic transmission.
Well, it’s that time of your life. You know the time when you just turned 40 years old. Your family is in full swing and maybe your children are off to college or just about to finish up high school. Your job is okay, but nothing excites you much anymore and life is just plain dull.
Like most people, when the mid-life crisis stage sets in the only thing that every man needs is to have a fast car that makes him feel excited and young again. The question now becomes what car to buy?
The obvious choice is a Ferrari, a Lamborghini, or an Aston Martin. Nothing says youth like a DB9 or a 458 Italia. Let’s be honest with ourselves though, not many people can afford a car like that, especially with a family. We need to find something for under $100,000 that is fast, looks good, and isn’t on two wheels.
These are the top five mid-life crisis cars on the market today in the United States. Check them out after the jump.
We know pretty much everything there is to know about the 2011 Dodge Challenger, including the car’s prices list, but Chrysler hasn’t released an official press release yet. So, to get a closer look at the future muscle car, we went hunting. Turns out, we got lucky; Jonsibal caught the car in a parking lot!
Looking at the picture we are sure you were a bit surprised at how little the muscle car has changed. The list of exterior modifications include new 5-spoke wheels, the elimination of the "RAM Head" Dodge logo, a redesigned grille featuring a frown-like shape, and new door handles. That’s pretty much it for any changes. Exhilarating, isn’t it? It’s a good thing the Challenger is a sweet looking car or else we would be disappointed.
Thankfully, the biggest changes will be made under the hood and we couldn’t think of any better place to make the most changes. What goes fast can always go faster, right? The SE version will get a Pentastar V6 engine with an output between 290 and 300 HP, if the direct injection is added. For the RT version the engine will remain the same and the SRT8 version will get a new 6.4-liter Hemi engine delivering 480 HP and 460 lb-ft of torque.
Two days ago Dodge unveiled the first sketch of the special edition Mopar 10 Challenger. The new version will go on sale next month priced at $38,000 for an automatic transmission and $39,000 for a manual transmission. There will be only 500 units produced. In this video you will see Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of the Mopar brand, Mark Trostle, Chief of the Dodge’s Exterior Design department, and Dan Zimmermann, Head of Dodge Interior Design and Mopar Interiors guide you through all of the changes this muscle car undertook to get to the "sinister" look that Dodge and Mopar intended for this special edition. You will get to see many parts of the Mopar Challenger up close as the experts describe the idea behind the vehicle.
The new Mopar 10 Challenge will be distinguished by a Brilliant Black exterior color with contrasting Mopar Blue, Red, or Silver, 20" forged heritage gloss-black wheels, a cold-air intake, a front strut-tower brace with shock caps, a unique engine cover, and Mopar logos and graphics.
On the interior it gets Katzkin leather seating, custom leather-wrapped steering wheel with baseball-style stitching, Mopar shift handles (T-handle for automatics, Pistol Grip for manuals), a serialized dash plaque with Mopar ’10 logo, and Mopar branding throughout.
Although Chrysler hasn’t officially released the new 2011 Dodge Challenger pricing, we can bet that the NADA Guide site is an accurate estimate. You can build your very own Challenger with various options and they even include pricing. It appears to be fairly legit too.
What makes this so interesting is if these numbers are true, then prices have gone up substantially. A base 2010 Challenger SE with the 3.6-liter V6 is around $23,695, while the 2011 model is $2,310 more, at $26,055. The Coupe R/T jumps by $1,910 to $33,520. The top of the line SRT-8, which is the one you should have, is $1,921 more, at $45,601. A steep price to pay for that sweet motor.
When it comes to paint colors, Dodge has a whole buffet of them. You can mix and match all you want, depending on the model you choose. There is Redline 3 Pearl, Green With Envy, Billet Metallic, and so on.
We look forward to getting a go in one of the last muscle cars on the planet with a much improved dashboard and a 6.4-liter HEMI.
The new Dodge Challenger NASCAR Nationwide Series race car will be presented this weekend at a series of concerts that Dodge is hosting. The official presentation will end with interactive displays at the Daytona International Speedway.
“Our new Dodge Challenger race car brings true brand identity back to NASCAR, so now the spotlight is going to be shared between the new car and our two star drivers from Penske Racing,” said Dodge Brand President Ralph Gilles. “We’ve been looking forward to this race weekend for quite some time, and our loyal owners and fans are going to have a lot of opportunities to celebrate the return of the Dodge Challenger.”
Ford announced that any driver who wins the Subway Jalapeno 250 in a Mustang this Friday will receive their own 2011 5.0-liter Mustang GT production vehicle. So, how about Dodge? The company has said nothing about the drivers receiving a vehicle, but they are giving the fans an opportunity to win a new Challenger R/T. Sounds alright to us!
So, place your bets everyone and stay tuned this Friday to find out who the top dog muscle car is!
