The F-bodies weren't much competition to the Mustangs either.... at least sales-wise, anyway. There's definitely a reason why the Mustang has kept going, while the rest of the competition just faded away.

For some reason, I just can't get excited over this car. Muscle cars are (were) supposed to be attainable, and 40, 50k+ just sort of loses it for me. Anything from the $22-27k range seems affordable, and there's a ton of performance vehicles in that range. $25k for a 300hp mustang that's reasonably lightweight is one thing, $40k+ for bigger, heavier, and just more powerful really doesn't do it for me anymore. My uncle bought a Mustang right out of HS. Another member of my family bought a Camaro as a graduation from college present to herself.

It's almost as if the new crop of "muscle cars" are not targeting the same age bracket, they're targeting THE SAME PEOPLE. If you had a Camaro back in 1973 when you just graduated HS, now you're 53, have money to spare, and want to relive the glory by buying a $40k muscle car.

Any "affordable, powerful car" today is going to be a hot-hatch, or *maybe* a mustang if the budget is stretched a bit. For $24k, a Mazdaspeed3 in a 6sp is going to DESTROY the Challenger SE (in everything except maybe 0-60).

Dunno, just think that they're aiming for the wrong demographic with these cars...

↓↑report

"For $24k, a Mazdaspeed3 in a 6sp is going to DESTROY the Challenger SE (in everything except maybe 0-60). "

If by Destroy, you mean handling, I doubt it. The 3 might handle well, but only for a fwd car.

↓↑report

for handling I'm talking road course. same hp, 5-600lbs lighter weight, and a 6sp manual vs a 4sp slushbox. I wouldn't be surprised if the MS3 beat it on the 1/4, the skid pad and the slalom as well, but that's just paper-tests at their worst. we'll have to wait until mags start getting them to test.

↓↑report

If someone does not understand the appeal of a muscle car, yes, we should pity them. But that's different than not being drawn to a muscle car. That's not something that should be pitied at all. Some of us put the emphasis on handling and adding lightness to a car.

↓↑report

Incredible article. I grew up on American muscle. My first car was a 1970 340 Plymouth. I'm actually ashamed that a Brit "gets it" and so many Americans don't. American's aren't exotic supercars, we're forward charging brutes.

↓↑report

6400 units is a fail business wise. Unless you're Ferrari. They obviously weren't looking to turn a profit on these.

↓↑report

No one said the top model wouldn't sell out. Frankly to me it's the only one worth owning. Let's see how the lesser models do before lining all those idiots up against the wall. And shooting them.

↓↑report

If you go back and actually read some of the criticism, you'll see that folks like me said that they would sell a bunch early on to the fading baby boomers who can afford a gas guzzler as a third car. So they've sold 6400 cars. Big deal. Toyota sells about 10,000 Camry's every single week.

Give it a year and by then the boomers will have gotten theirs. Demand for this gas guzzling pig will then drop like a rock and Chryslerbus will be putting cash on the hood to move the cars.

↓↑report

tankd0g
"6400 units is a fail business wise. Unless you're Ferrari. They obviously weren't looking to turn a profit on these."

I'm sorry but your completely wrong. SRT-8 versions are just an indicator of how well this car will do. If the highest priced version will sell out this fast how do you think the others are going to sell. You will eat your words, its a beautiful car and just what the consumers asked for.

↓↑report

Ummm making 7000 something of them IS a failure. We'll have to wait until the next stock holder meeting to see all the costs, tooling, people, overhead that are involved in making such a tiny specialized run....oh wait, they're private now. Sounds like production of the SRT8 has gone the way of the SSR.

...up next? Bob Lutz announces the Camaro will only be available with a four cylinder.

↓↑report

"Ummm making 7000 something of them IS a failure. We'll have to wait until the next stock holder meeting to see all the costs, tooling, people, overhead that are involved in making such a tiny specialized run....oh wait, they're private now. "

Ummm, you're wrong. All you have to do is go to Allpar.com to get an idea of what the "costs, tooling, people, overhead that are involved", but I'll make it easy for you. I have to repeat myself again but here goes: The Challenger is made at a flex manufacturing plant, the one that makes the 300 and Charger (and previously the Magnum). The Challenger is based off the 300/Charger platform so a lot of $ was saved right there. Because it's a flex plant, they can build as many or as little as they need to, they can run any mix of 300's, Chargers, and Challengers down the line. Because of this they don't have to devote an entire factory and all it's overhead to the Challenger. The business case for the car was to build at least 35000 a year to make a profit and they will have NO PROBLEM doing that. When the cars run is over (new CAFE regs) they will stop building it, but the factory will hum right along building something else, unless they want to create a new gen with much better mpg's. As for the SRT's they made money on each one because it's a fully optioned model and they got a hell of a lot of publicity from it.

↓↑report

"PISSED" you must be from New England too! ;)

↓↑report

Worse, Wisconsin.

↓↑report