VIDEO: 2008 Dodge Challenger Hits the Track Plus Even More Photos! (The Torque Report)

Coyote:

The brake lights look cheap...

Posted by Coyote | February 7, 2008 12:59 AM

Posted on February 7, 2008 00:59

Brian:

What kind of burn out is that? I mean it's not even trying, but at least get it up to four grand or so. I want to see it smoke tires when shifting into second, now that would be impressive.

Posted by Brian | February 7, 2008 1:56 AM

Posted on February 7, 2008 01:56

Jeff:

I'm not impressed either. Although I would forget once I got to floor this bad ___ car once or twice...

Posted by Jeff | February 7, 2008 3:31 AM

Posted on February 7, 2008 03:31

John Chippy:

Those rims are plain ugly, way too big and cheap looking. And that burn out - it was way cooler than your fully automatic will ever give you... so bummer. Maybe they only had one set of tyres for shooting that add.

Posted by John Chippy | February 7, 2008 3:58 AM

Posted on February 7, 2008 03:58

brad:

Close but lacking in some finer details.....

Posted by brad | February 7, 2008 4:06 AM

Posted on February 7, 2008 04:06

Diesel:

Thats what happens when you give it to your maid instead of a real driver. It looks narrower than I thought and the hood is a bit tall but its okay.

If someone made this into an electric car... that would be interesting.

Posted by Diesel | February 7, 2008 5:53 AM

Posted on February 7, 2008 05:53

Chimpy:

"If someone made this into an electric car... that would be interesting."

WTF? Look tree-hugger, in case it isn't obvious, this car's target demographic isn't Prius-wanna-be's.

Posted by Chimpy | February 7, 2008 6:24 AM

Posted on February 7, 2008 06:24

TomLeeM/BigWarpGuy:

It would be even cooler if it was a flex fuel system. Ethanol has a higher octane than gasolene. It would lessen the need for imported oil and make macho cars green.

Posted by TomLeeM/BigWarpGuy | February 7, 2008 8:31 AM

Posted on February 7, 2008 08:31

Cheap Car Lover:

This looks even better in black. What an awesome car.

It's supposed to be a MUSCLE CAR, not an alternative fuel vehicle. Rich 60 year old men who will drive this thing 1,000 miles a year are not going to care all that much about gas mileage.

It needs a 6 speed! Come on Dodge... Make it a real muscle car.

Posted by Cheap Car Lover | February 7, 2008 8:43 AM

Posted on February 7, 2008 08:43

Rod:

Do the turn-signals disguised as headlights look like malfunctioning headlights to anyone else? It's kinda funny, since some of the still pictures show them as being bright like the headlights.

Posted by Rod | February 7, 2008 9:33 AM

Posted on February 7, 2008 09:33

Ant:

There is one thing wrong in all of these photos....It's a crappy automatic. That's just PATHETIC!

Posted by Ant | February 7, 2008 9:42 AM

Posted on February 7, 2008 09:42

Scotty:

Look, like many vehicles in Dodge's lineup, it's a niche market vehicle. They're going after a very small demographic, hoping it sells well. Much of Dodge's 'Hemi' based lineup (300, Charger, etc) sell pretty well to a very small group. Overall, the sales numbers, especially on this challenger, are going to be very small.

Dodge's strategy is shifting away from selling cars which 'try' to appeal to great numbers of people. With some exceptions, they simply can't compete on appeal, quality, or reliability. Cars like Calibers and Avengers don't even compete in their categories.

But for the relatively small 45-60 year old 'wants to relive the 70's through a car' demographic, the Challenger is a bulls-eye.

Posted by Scotty | February 7, 2008 10:05 AM

Posted on February 7, 2008 10:05

patrick:

..."WTF? Look tree-hugger, in case it isn't obvious, this car's target demographic isn't Prius-wanna-be's."

I hate to be the one to point on the obvious, but an electric car is 1, nothing like a prius and 2, has vastly higher torque than an internal combustion engine.
I would much rather have electric if they could make it last longer on a charge and charge faster.

Posted by patrick | February 7, 2008 10:14 AM

Posted on February 7, 2008 10:14

WS:

Sorry, that interior is nowhere close to what should be expected from a $40K+ car. It looks like it could have been pulled right out of a Dodge Caliber.

Posted by WS | February 7, 2008 10:18 AM

Posted on February 7, 2008 10:18

Sandra:

"It would be even cooler if it was a flex fuel system. Ethanol has a higher octane than gasolene. It would lessen the need for imported oil and make macho cars green."

Umm actualy it increases the need for foreign oil, first it takes more energy to make ethanol than the fuel itself produces and some of that comes from foreign oil, and even ignoring that fact Ethanol fuel economy is crap, far worse than gas and what's even worse is a flex fuel engine gets worse fuel economy on gas too and since Ethanol isn't really avaliable that means probably 99% of the people with flex fuel vehicles are just using gas and thus using more gas than a non flex fuel car would.

Posted by Sandra | February 7, 2008 10:22 AM

Posted on February 7, 2008 10:22

JadeTalon:

... And how much do they want for this thing again?

Posted by JadeTalon | February 7, 2008 10:24 AM

Posted on February 7, 2008 10:24

JustaGuy:

Wow, body roll like a Toyota Camry and an interior with quality similar to a Neon. Hope its better in person than in the pictures. Idea is great execution, so-so.

Posted by JustaGuy | February 7, 2008 11:01 AM

Posted on February 7, 2008 11:01

Noya:

"It would be even cooler if it was a flex fuel system. Ethanol has a higher octane than gasolene. It would lessen the need for imported oil and make macho cars green."

Get real and stop listening to the political trite about ethanol in it's current form. Here's some facts you never hear the politicians /sheep / and "green" proponents state:

1 - one gallon of ethanol only produces around 67% of the power (fuel economy) of a gallon of gasoline. When growing/ harvesting/ converting/ etc. is all done, more energy is put into making ethanol than comes out of it.

2 - mass-adoption of ethanol will greatly drive up the cost of all food as wheat/corn/etc. crops switch to producing it. All of our livestock is fed with the above, so not only will edible grains (wheat/etc.) go up in price, meats/poultry, dairy, etc. all go up as well. I know I don't want to pay $7+ for a gallon of milk.

Look it all up...read instead of listening to the hype.

Cellulosic ethanol sounds better in theory....but even if it pans out we're still 10+ years from it even replacing 20% of the crude we use.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellulosic_ethanol_commercialization

Posted by Noya | February 7, 2008 1:03 PM

Posted on February 7, 2008 13:03

Scott:

Every single time this car makes the news I read the same old shi* from most of you guys. I have never seen such a bunch of cranky complaining depressing never-happy impossible to please morons in my life. Do the rest of us that can appreciate this car a favor and stick your heads back where they came from.

Posted by Scott | February 7, 2008 2:14 PM

Posted on February 7, 2008 14:14

gm0n3y:

Am I the only one who didn't realize how butt ugly the tail end of the car is until now?

Posted by gm0n3y | February 7, 2008 2:22 PM

Posted on February 7, 2008 14:22

Todd:

Wow, I'm in love with this car! All the pictures and videos released since the Challenger's debut in Chicago have been very promising. For those of you complaining about it's styling and looks, you must not remember the old days of the original Challenger and Cuda. The new production has a perfect modern look to the old muscle car. i can't wait to see these on the road again!

Posted by Todd | February 7, 2008 2:54 PM

Posted on February 7, 2008 14:54

Travis:

I have a feeling the new 380 hp non SRT hemi + 5/6 speed manual, and a lower price of around 30K before gas guzzler tax will make this car a little more attractive.

Looking at the interior they have great looking seats, they are thickly padded deeply bolstered and look well made.

The Steering Wheel is ok looking, it's not bad, I wish the center were completely round though, that would make it look better.

The dash on the passengers side looks about right.

The Center Console is a little wide IMHO, and could have been done better, but I like the simple controls, and it's not a total failure.

The Door liners look fairly decent.

The super dull non reflective surfaces look to me like they are soft touch plastic, so in that regard I think they may have gotten it right. Though the dark gray color is a bit much, It dose not kill things for me because it looks serious and I have always felt that a drivers car should be serious. Black with a bit of aluminum bright work would have been a lot better though.

The Instrument cluster is a total fail it looks horrible, it's so bad it makes the rest of the interior look bad, they should redesign it now like RIGHT now before they even let people buy this thing.

Oh and this car looks amazing in black, so much better than that color Orange, I always loved the classic in Orange, so I was confused that I didn't like this one as much in Orange, but now that I look at it carefully I realize that it's not a true Hunter Orange like it should be, it's not bright enough, and thats why it's not quite good enough.

Posted by Travis | February 7, 2008 3:46 PM

Posted on February 7, 2008 15:46

don dada:

dodge should stick to caravans...

Posted by don dada | February 7, 2008 5:37 PM

Posted on February 7, 2008 17:37

deskmist:

This car has a foot-brake?

I actually like the exterior, it draws my attention everytime I see it and the seats look nice. But the center console and dash look cheap and the car has a FOOT BRAKE.

Very odd decision.

Posted by deskmist | February 7, 2008 7:19 PM

Posted on February 7, 2008 19:19

RETNIAP:

nice car

Posted by RETNIAP | February 7, 2008 10:15 PM

Posted on February 7, 2008 22:15

Tony:

All of the negatives in the posts I see, as well as the pictures and my own critiques, it seems that Dodge knows exactly who they wanted to market this car to - old guys with lots of money who loved the classic but don't really want a sports car.

This is a horrible status vehicle. It falls in line right next to the H2 as one of the top expensive cars never used for their (ideally) "intended" purposes.

Criticism aside, I'm sure these will win plenty of stoplight races (and slow down the fast lane, as well).

Posted by Tony | February 7, 2008 11:54 PM

Posted on February 7, 2008 23:54

SteelCity1981:

The car is not even worth its price. Too many cut corners. Too much plastic in and outside of the car to make Rubbermaid envy. Retro meets unappealing plastic.

Posted by SteelCity1981 | February 8, 2008 1:11 AM

Posted on February 8, 2008 01:11

dennisil:

theres no doubt in my mind this thing will be fast in a straight line but its to fat in the ass for cornering. this will be a drag race car or maby a stock car that only makes left turns but not a track car for places like leguna seca or the nurburg ring. so its not usefull in real day to day driving and then the biggest fault it has is its a dodge and dodges are serously uncool. (I.E. Neon, Caliber, Stratus, 205 hp v6 charger with hub caps... need i say more.

Posted by dennisil | February 8, 2008 11:43 AM

Posted on February 8, 2008 11:43

Cheap Car Lover:

I think it's cool. Just expensive and automatic.

Posted by Cheap Car Lover | February 8, 2008 3:55 PM

Posted on February 8, 2008 15:55

Tommy Boy :

Specks I want to see in the 2009 or 2010 Challenger SRT8

$32,000 base price
weight of only 3,600lbs
dual-cluch 6 speed maual (a good one)
425hp and 420ftlbs of torque
top speed of 180mph
0-60 in 3.6 sec.
0-180 in 10 sec.
60-0 in 80ft.
13 sec. 1/4 miles
cylinder shut-off system with
18mpg city and 26mpg highway
good handling and
leg room

(Hey, I can dream can't I)

Posted by Tommy Boy | February 8, 2008 6:42 PM

Posted on February 8, 2008 18:42

Tommy Boy :

Specks I want to see in the 2009 or 2010 Challenger SRT8

$32,000 base price
weight of only 3,600lbs
dual-cluch 6 speed maual (a good one)
425hp and 420ftlbs of torque
top speed of 180mph
0-60 in 3.6 sec.
0-180 in 10 sec.
60-0 in 80ft.
13 sec. 1/4 miles
cylinder shut-off system with
18mpg city and 26mpg highway
good handling and
leg room

(Hey, I can dream can't I)

Posted by Tommy Boy | February 8, 2008 6:44 PM

Posted on February 8, 2008 18:44

Tommy Boy:

Oops, didn't mean to click it twice.

Posted by Tommy Boy | February 8, 2008 6:46 PM

Posted on February 8, 2008 18:46

Polynikes:

Zzzzzzzz... Huh? It's over? Oh.

That was the most boring video I've ever watched.

Posted by Polynikes | February 9, 2008 10:20 AM

Posted on February 9, 2008 10:20

Tommy Boy:

I can't watch the video.

Posted by Tommy Boy | February 10, 2008 9:37 PM

Posted on February 10, 2008 21:37

Sphere:

Wimpy burnnout, WTF? Why he lifted just after took off? Scared of fishtailing, or what? What a pussy.

No LED tailights? Makes them look very cheap.

I think there is something wrong with the video perspective. The car looks narrower than on the pictures.

Foot brake? WTF?

This car need a serious drop. It would look awsome that way. Hope TEIN will make some adjustable coilover, but I bet most will simply cut the coils and to hell with the (already suspicious) handling.

I hope the steering whell is not as light and provides more feedback than the Chrysler 300/Charger, but I'm not holding my breath.

Overall, I like the design, except for the rear. Hate the interior though, too bland....Looks like a 90's truck, IMHO.

Posted by Sphere | February 11, 2008 11:47 AM

Posted on February 11, 2008 11:47

gm0n3y:

It does look better in black, but still not very good. And I agree, WTF foot brake?

Posted by gm0n3y | February 11, 2008 2:34 PM

Posted on February 11, 2008 14:34

Bill:

Detroit has once again figured out to make a small car that get the milage of a pickup truck. Congratulations.

Posted by Bill | February 11, 2008 6:19 PM

Posted on February 11, 2008 18:19

Tommy Boy:

Peaple peaple peaple stop bitching. Yes the 08 Challenger is yet another sheep in wolf's clothing, but thay're making 09 modles now, so just wait for those.

Posted by Tommy Boy | February 12, 2008 5:11 PM

Posted on February 12, 2008 17:11

Squiggles:

Looks fabulous. It's retro-fest, but what-the-heck. They've got the exterior dimensions nearly spot on and, as you can see from the comparison photo, it's not so much a recreation as a re-imagining. Wonderful, except... the interior could have come from, oh, I don't know, just name anything cheap and obcure and thoroughly boring. What a let-down! Let's hope that, at some point, Dodge do in fact fit it with a proper engine.

Posted by Squiggles | August 23, 2008 4:36 PM

Posted on August 23, 2008 16:36

Squiggles:

Looks fabulous. It's retro-fest, but what-the-heck. They've got the exterior dimensions nearly spot on and, as you can see from the comparison photo, it's not so much a recreation as a re-imagining. Wonderful, except... the interior could have come from, oh, I don't know, just name anything cheap and obcure and thoroughly boring. What a let-down! Let's hope that, at some point, Dodge do in fact fit it with a proper engine.

Posted by Squiggles | August 23, 2008 4:36 PM

Posted on August 23, 2008 16:36

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VIDEO: 2008 Dodge Challenger Hits the Track Plus Even More Photos!

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