Watch out, Ford Mustang. Dodge is preparing a challenger.

In fact, it's likely to be called Challenger.

Chrysler plans to resurrect a respected name from the pony car era for a rear-wheel-drive Mustang fighter, industry sources say. The car is expected in 2009 on the LX platform, the basis of the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Magnum and Charger.

"It is a two-door, essentially a competitor for the Mustang," says Catherine Madden, a production analyst for industry research group Global Insight. "They are really excited about it."

Madden says the sport coupe is planned to debut in 2009, when the next-generation LX vehicles are scheduled to be re-engineered and restyled.

"They would be able to make some additional investment in the platform, make some adjustments for that product" at that time, she says.

"The enthusiasm for that product," Madden says, is "very big."

Chrysler hopes to sell 60,000 to 70,000 of the cars a year, she says. An assembly site was not identified. Production of the 300, Magnum and recently introduced Charger is expected to fill Chrysler's Brampton, Ontario, assembly plant.

Chrysler officials are not talking about the car, but industry analysts say they are familiar with the plans.

Jim Hall, vice president of industry analysis at AutoPacific Inc., says he isn't sure Chrysler can pull it off. "They have a lot of stuff that has to be cleared off the table before they start playing around with that car," he says.

The redesigned 2005 Mustang has exceeded initial sales estimates. Ford expects to build 192,000 Mustangs this year, and most retail units are selling at a price near the sticker.

The 1970-74 Challenger was Dodge's answer to the original Mustang, as well as the Chevrolet Camaro, Pontiac Firebird, Mercury Cougar and AMC Javelin.

And, yes, the original Challenger had a Hemi V-8.

http://www.autoweek.com/news.cms?newsId=102549

 

Nobody else has comments on this? Entire other boards are talking about nothing except this news.

 

This board is infested with people who are very old inside and prefer cars that ride like a waterbed on springs. Such unculcultured things like a "challenger" is not of much interest

 

The August issue of Road & Track has a tiny blurb about the possibility of Chrysler resurrecting the Challenger using the LX platform currently dedicated to the 300/Magnum/Charger trio. A concept is reportedly currently in the works for a debut at the 2006 Detroit Auto Show. The coupe would theoretically be easy to design and build and could be, if priced correctly, the first real competition for Ford’s new Mustang. R&T does point out, however, that the plant building the current crop of LX cars is at full production, so adding another model to the assembly line might be difficult.

http://www.autoblog.com/entry/1234000013051179/

 

That looks sweet!!! I would'nt mind having a big bad azz muscle car right next to my civic.

 

Any day now I expect GM to announce a revival of the Camaro... to come out in, oh, say about 2020.

 

I think its a nice car. American cars should be these things instead of SUVs and pickups. Too bad the image associated with these kind of cars is so trashy. Either way, I'd never touch one with a 10' pole but better these on the roads than more Explorers and RAMs

 

another w210 chassis + new body car?

 

Took a page out of GM's manual I guess. Release the same chassis under 10 different names. Given that... why would it take so long to release the damn car?

 

So this is also going to be based on the previous gen Merc E-Class chassis that has been around since, what, 1994? 95? This'll be a 15-year old platform by the time the Challenger gets its start. how much mileage are they planning on getting out of this platform? I like the concept quite a bit, I'd just like to see DaimlerChrysler advance their products engineering as well as the styling.