Filed under: Spy Photos, Coupes, Dodge
Spy Shots: Best yet of 2009 Dodge Challenger
by John Neff on Aug 10th 2007 at 1:24PM 
click above image to see 8 high-res spy shots of the 2009 Dodge Challenger
Preproduction prototypes of the Dodge Challenger have been spotted all over Detroit in the past few months, but most have been captured with camera phones and revealed little detail about the muscle car coming from Chrysler. KGP Photographers ran into one recently and were armed with proper DSLRs to shoot the car to death, focusing particularly on details like the headlights, taillights and wheels that previous low-res spy shots have missed. In a few pictures we can see through the mesh of the camo and glimpse the headlight hardware, which looks high-tech, perhaps incorporating LEDs around the frame of the circles just like the concept, and trimmed in chrome. The same goes for the taillights, which appear close to the concept's. Finally, through the wheels we can clearly see some serious stopping power in the form of rotors that would look right at home on a Dodge Ram. Is there anything on this car that will differ significantly from the concept? Our guess is that the first interior spy shots we see will hold the answer.
Check out the gallery of eight spy shots below, and we've also included a gallery of the Dodge Challenger Concept for comparison's sake.
[Photos: KGP]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
brimg87 1:36PM (8/10/2007)
Mmm, Detroit muscle... Can't wait to see it without the camo.
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500 1:37PM (8/10/2007)
Nice, can't wait to get one. In the rear shot though, looks like only the outer part of the taillights light up (with LED's?), instead of the neon full-width panel on the concept.
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Aaron 1:37PM (8/10/2007)
looking great just can't come fast enough.
We have enough bland garbage on the road.. It will be nice to see something a little unique.
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Steve 1:48PM (8/10/2007)
Unique? Yer kiddin right. Its almost the spittin image of a 70's Challenger. It's the least unique of all the new muscle car designs.
25 years old@$65k a year. 1:53PM (8/10/2007)
Bland garbage on the road now? WRX, RX-8, G35, 350Z, EVO, A4, TT, s2000, BLAND???? pfft,
Uniquie? How is bringing back a 30 year old car design(and presumably 30 year old technology) unique? This whole retro-styling by the big three are going to kill themselves when the "baby-boomer" generation they are only appealing to can't drive anymore due to being in retirement homes.
Thats when the Japanese brands are really gonna shine because they are currently appealing to the young and preofessional crowd, you know the ones who are going to have all of the buying power soon. No classy and intelligent young proferssional is going to be caught dead in a car that is famous for starring in a show about, get this, white trash *cough* *cough* Dukes of Hazzard.
And for the record this thing is going to tank, just like most of Chrysley/Dodge's uber-americana cheap POS's.
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SocalObserver 2:20PM (8/10/2007)
Posting your salary for the world to see is really classy. Are we supposed to be impressed?
Anyway, as someone who can be classified as a "young professional" in your same demo, I know plenty of fellow young professionals who think the Charger, Magnum and Chrylser 300 are bad-ass cars. Their appeal goes far beyond baby boomers.
There's no denying that the Japanese cars you mentioned appeal to our age group as well, but I personally would get laughed at by my older colleagues if I were to drive around in a WRX or Lancer Evo with a three-foot wing hanging off the back and a fart tip that sets off every car alarm in the parking garage.
If we're talking Japanese cars, the G35, IS, and TL are the sweet spot for our age group, but not all of us want to ride around in a "near-luxury" car with a techno interior that looks like the silver AIWA stereo I used to have in high school.
I think the Challenger will sell fine, but the point of this post is to clarify to those older than us that not everyone in our generation is a punk driving around in a rice rocket. It sounds like maybe you've spent a good chunk of that 65K salary buying the "Fast and the Furious" DVDs and playing Gran Turismo.
gwballin 3:33PM (8/10/2007)
Another 25 year old professional here and this car is on the short list (along with the 135i and Camaro) of cars to eventually replace my current car.
04A4 3:46PM (8/10/2007)
As a 22 year old "young professional", I 100% agree with SoCalObserver in telling you to speak for yourself. I am absolutely thrilled about the new Challenger and Camaro. And please, get a new username... you're trying waaaay to hard
Mez Jr 3:58PM (8/10/2007)
The challenger did not star in Dukes of Hazard dude, it was the Charger.
AMGoff 4:28PM (8/10/2007)
My God are you pathetic. First off, by simply posting something of that nature in your username I am inclined to believe that you are either 14 OR are indeed 25 and still living in your parent's basement.
Either way you must have some sort of severe self-confidence problem to display such a thing.
My wife and I will both turn 30 this year and we both make more than you so I'm not really sure who you're trying to impress. We have two Jeeps, the wife's daily driver is a Chrysler, and do you know what my daily driver is? A Buick.
My career does indeed qualify me as a "young professional," and I agree completely with SoCal. I can't show up to a meeting or pick up one of our trustees and/or benefactors in some POS rice burner.
I learned a long time ago that the only people who HAVE to show off are those who are compensating for something.
40 years old @ $215k a year 4:40PM (8/10/2007)
I want a Challenger, I will be trading in my M3 for a Challenger... and I wouldn't be caught DEAD in a Lancer or any of those other kiddie cars. Anyone who thinks an Evo or a WRX is visually attractive needs their eyes examined.
The Challenger, on the other hand, is hot.
Bryan 8:40PM (8/10/2007)
Im a young professional and I drive a Ford truck, thanks. Not all of us want little wus mobiles with bland styling. So speak for yourself, and watch the Charger blow your @ss away!
David 8:22AM (8/11/2007)
Another young professional here. I'm with the rest of these guys. While I actually like the stying of the WRX, the rest of those cars I would never purchase. I'm an American through and through and only buy GM vehicles. While I currently own a Cobalt since when I got out of college I needed something that could do 750 miles a week and not drive me to the poor house on gas, prior to that I've owned 4 Camaros.
And I hope to get one of the new Camaros when its out. These retro designs appeal to anyone who wants a true performance car at a good price. Not some rice rocket that is only popular because popular culture has deemed that driving around in a car with a more flamboyantly gay paint job than Rainbow Row in LA, 20" rims, a 2000 watt sound system, a $3000 useless body kit, and an exhaust so annoyingly loud and obnoxious you can hear it 2 blocks away is cool.
Personally the only thing I'd like better than the new Camaro is an older one with all the Camaros drivetrain, seats, and brakes in it. My real dream is to get a 67-69 Camaro and modernize it. Maybe even a turbo diesel if I can since gas doesn't look like its getting any cheaper and all that torque would be fun as hell.
riggs 10:56AM (8/13/2007)
im 23 and make 77k. sit down please.
Jayson 12:41PM (8/14/2007)
Another 25 year old professional making plenty of cash and wouldn't you know it, this car appeals to me. So much so in fact I drive a Charger SRT8.
Open your mind and maybe you'll live a happier life clown.
Ron 1:57PM (8/10/2007)
I think if it does tank, it will be because they made it too damn expensive and out of reach for the average car buyer.
I still think > $30k is too much for this car. It should've been in line with the Mustang which can be had for less.
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georgejetson 4:43PM (8/10/2007)
Actually, the current rumors on price say that it'll be competitive with the Mustang (at least, before the dealer gouging starts). That $31k number people are throwing around is for a 6.1, not a V6.
Devin 3:16PM (8/11/2007)
I'm almost positive that the RT (with the 5.7L Hemi) will be priced about the same as the 300C and the Charger RT, which is about 31-33k. The SRT-8 version (with the 6.1L Hemi) will probably start at about 40k. Really, I don't see anything at all wrong with those numbers. People who want this car will buy it without even considering the cost. It is bound to be a collector's car years down the road and will be raking in the money when it's sold on Barrett Jackson.
Further, this car is going to be much more high tech than people think. It will be on the LY platform, an overhauled version of the LX (aka. 300, Magnum, charger). It *might* have LEDs and probably some other trick features.
Ryan 2:04PM (8/10/2007)
I agree with Ron if this car does fail it will be because it's over priced like just about every other Chrysler Product but if they price it right i don't see any reason why this car would not be an instant hit.
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John S 2:04PM (8/10/2007)
I work in the car business (sales) and recently was speaking with a Chrysler training rep who has actually sat in a "production" version of the Challenger and claims that the car looks almost EXACTLY the same as the concept.
There are definitely a few differences, but he says that everything from the exterior down to the interior are almost the same as the concept.
The most interesting part of it, was that he claims the interior is really almost exactly the same except that there is orange stitching on the seats in the R/T model.
He also says the car he sat in was indeed a 6-speed Manual... I can't wait. Should be released in May of '08.
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