Isn't the new Dodge Challenger sexy?

[inefficient]

http://images.businessweek.com/ss/06/11/1130_lacars/source/7.htm

I am glad they are bringing back this classic look.

 

[Killer-Kris]

Sweet it's about time!

Now all we need is GM to bring back the Camaro and Firebird.

 

[tongue_of_colicab]

Dont like it at all. They screwed it up just as they did with the mustang by making it to fat without any detail.

Besides that its american tech so it means it wont corner, needs a refull after every 100km, will feel like the steering wheel isnt connected to the wheels and it will probably have a awsome hughe engine but they forgot to put on some decent brakes.

 

[Ty]

General Lee?

 

[ShootMyMonkey]

Now all we need is GM to bring back the Camaro and Firebird.

Relatively old news --
http://www.leftlanenews.com/2006/01/07/detroit-2006-chevrolet-camaro-concept-revealed/

As far as the Firebird is concerned, it and a brand new Trans Am are only rumored, and they've been rumored for a while with no solid announcement on the matter --
http://www.leftlanenews.com/2006/02/02/gm-to-build-new-firebird-trans-am-alongside-camaro/

 

[Mize]

Dont like it at all. They screwed it up just as they did with the mustang by making it to fat without any detail.

Besides that its american tech so it means it wont corner, needs a refull after every 100km, will feel like the steering wheel isnt connected to the wheels and it will probably have a awsome hughe engine but they forgot to put on some decent brakes.

We shall see...of late american sports cars are handling quite nicely...and remember this is being built by DaimlerChrysler - that's a German company.

 

[tongue_of_colicab]

And wich ones would that be? the Z06 is about the only half decent one and even that wont come close to the likes of Ferrari, Porsche and Lamborghini. Sure its alot cheaper, but if your looking for that buy a lotus or even better, a Ariel atom. American sportscars are worthless on european roads were you actually need to make corners and they just arnt cutting it on the track compared to european sportscars (in terms of handling).

 

[ShootMyMonkey]

We shall see...of late american sports cars are handling quite nicely...and remember this is being built by DaimlerChrysler - that's a German company.

Yeah, but the quality of Mercedes has been declining over the years, and it seems as though the merger between Daimler and Chrysler improved Chrysler's quality and dropped Mercedes quality all the more (at least from the outside observer view, that seems to be the case). And saying that American sports cars handle better now than they used to and/or get better gas mileage than they used to is really not saying a whole lot. It's not as if the Challenger or the Charger are made to cater to the same automotive "ideals" as do the RX-8 or the Lancer Evo.

American sports car fanatics feel more enthralled by big engines with throaty-sounding exhaust notes and beefcake appearances. Everything else (brakes, suspension, etc.) is just fluff. "Who cares about dumb-ass time trials in Laguna Seca? What's it's ET in a 1/4 mile drag strip? That's all that can ever matter!" I will admit that the Corvette has progressively gotten into a position to bridge that gap, but only that.

 

[Geo]

Sorry, if it doesn't have a duck's ass tail, then I refuse to consider it a Camaro or Firechicken/TA. I was walking thru a parking lot in Morgantown, WV one day in early 1982 when I saw a new car with a "Camaro" badge on it. . . and literally shrieked in pain.

 

[digitalwanderer]

I like the new Camero better than the new Challenger, but it does need a spoiler.

Much better than the 80s remake of it at least, those were just freaking sad.

 

[Mize]

And wich ones would that be? the Z06 is about the only half decent one and even that wont come close to the likes of Ferrari, Porsche and Lamborghini. Sure its alot cheaper, but if your looking for that buy a lotus or even better, a Ariel atom. American sportscars are worthless on european roads were you actually need to make corners and they just arnt cutting it on the track compared to european sportscars (in terms of handling).

Horseshit.

http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2676641

The Corvette is more than worthy of those European roads and will trounce just about every EU car in it's price range. No, I'd never take it against a $100k+ Porsche, but it's a hell of a lot cheaper and get 37 mpg on the highway.

 

[ShootMyMonkey]

Horseshit.

http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2676641

If anything, that video drives the point home even more clearly. The power advantage (particularly in the low end) was everything there. Even the most heavily modified Lotus Elises (that were remotely reliable enough to push for 15 minutes around a track) make a good 100 peak horsepower less than a stock Corvette, and the torque difference is even more significant... on top of which, the Elise's engine is essentially a wheelchair motor until you push it above 6500 rpm. And you can see pretty clearly that the Elise has higher entry speed than the Corvette in every corner, but simply can't accelerate on the exit.

No, I'd never take it against a $100k+ Porsche, but it's a hell of a lot cheaper and get 37 mpg on the highway.

I wonder, though. EPA highway mileages are always idealized, and every car is driven pretty much the same way. I seriously doubt that a typical Corvette owner would baby their engine/transmission to that extent. You don't buy a Corvette for that reason anyway. Though it's a good example of how efficiency is a game of balance and not a simple "make it smaller" business.

 

[BRiT]

Horseshit.

but it's a hell of a lot cheaper and get 37 mpg on the highway.

Horseshit.

There is no way any Corvette, let alone any WS6/Firehawk/TA/Formula Firebird, ever gets 37 mpg on the highway. I know, I own the later. (You're lucky to get 25 mpg on the highway, and that's with a tail wind, downhill, coasting.)

 

[Moloch]

Horseshit.

http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2676641

The Corvette is more than worthy of those European roads and will trounce just about every EU car in it's price range. No, I'd never take it against a $100k+ Porsche, but it's a hell of a lot cheaper and get 37 mpg on the highway.

Porsche doesn't really make a competitor for the z06... the 997 TT is a pig (GT car I guess now?) and the 997 gt3 isn't nearly as user friendly as the z06 and I'm pretty sure the gt3 is slower on the track
(so im saying I would put the z06 again a 100K porsche)
Oh and screw these retro muscle cars, I dont care for 4000 pound boats with big engines.

 

[poopypoo]

Back on topic 9_9; that designwork is pretty sweet, but I'd like to see one in RL from the side. It looks like the car might be a little short to properly support that classic Challenger look. Like, a lot short. But it's pretty tits either way. I probably wouldn't be too interested in the car realistically, but from a design perspective these modern US retros are getting pretty great, for production vehicles. One thing keeps bothering me though -- those wheels -- either that wheels is just crazy looking (caves in a lot eh?), or there's quite a bit of negative camber on the front wheels. Maybe it's just a fluke camera angle?

 

[London Geezer]

http://images.businessweek.com/ss/06/11/1130_lacars/source/7.htm

I am glad they are bringing back this classic look.

Mmmm...

 

[Mize]

Horseshit.

There is no way any Corvette, let alone any WS6/Firehawk/TA/Formula Firebird, ever gets 37 mpg on the highway. I know, I own the later. (You're lucky to get 25 mpg on the highway, and that's with a tail wind, downhill, coasting.)

You're right - EPA is 28 hwy. Oops. Still good though.

 

[Moloch]

You're right - EPA is 28 hwy. Oops. Still good though.

However, the GM Ls series (engines) are reknown for getting excellent MPG, the ls7 is the only engine over 500hp which doesn't have a gas guzzler tax, hate on GM all you want for shitty interiors/build quality, but one thing they know how to do very well is make engines.
Go ahead and go on corvette forums and see what people are getting MPG wise... the fact of the matter is that they just get good MPG, no bullshit.
While you're at it, go on rx8 forums ard see what those poor souls are getting with their pathetic 220HP(real life hp, not mazda bs HP) engines.
Which reminds me, people say porsche is stubborn for not giving up the rear engine layout, well I say mazda is atleast as stubburn if not more for not abandoning the silly wankle engines long ago, in a time where gas prices are going up there is no room for inferior engine designs which yield extremly low MPG per hp (bsfc) which serve no purpose other than to differentiate themselves from their competitors.

 

[3dcgi]

If anything, that video drives the point home even more clearly. The power advantage (particularly in the low end) was everything there. Even the most heavily modified Lotus Elises (that were remotely reliable enough to push for 15 minutes around a track) make a good 100 peak horsepower less than a stock Corvette, and the torque difference is even more significant... on top of which, the Elise's engine is essentially a wheelchair motor until you push it above 6500 rpm. And you can see pretty clearly that the Elise has higher entry speed than the Corvette in every corner, but simply can't accelerate on the exit.


I wonder, though. EPA highway mileages are always idealized, and every car is driven pretty much the same way. I seriously doubt that a typical Corvette owner would baby their engine/transmission to that extent. You don't buy a Corvette for that reason anyway. Though it's a good example of how efficiency is a game of balance and not a simple "make it smaller" business.

As was already determined 37mpg for a Corvette is not correct however I bet it would hit this with cruise control on in the flats of west Texas. My brother got that with his Pontiac Grand Prix. In my Corvette I typically get 26mpg on the highway at 80-85mph. Stomp on the gas though and the efficiency goes down quickly.

I've never ridden in an Elise, but one thing that bugs me is how light it is. That might be fine if you're a small person and just drive on a track, but add someone like myself that's over 200 pounds and some gear for a road trip and that power to weight ratio has gone down significantly.

Oh yeah and the Challenger looks nice too. Although, it doesn't seem to look as good as the first concept pictures I saw.

 

[Moloch]

As was already determined 37mpg for a Corvette is not correct however I bet it would hit this with cruise control on in the flats of west Texas. My brother got that with his Pontiac Grand Prix. In my Corvette I typically get 26mpg on the highway at 80-85mph. Stomp on the gas though and the efficiency goes down quickly.

I've never ridden in an Elise, but one thing that bugs me is how light it is. That might be fine if you're a small person and just drive on a track, but add someone like myself that's over 200 pounds and some gear for a road trip and that power to weight ratio has gone down significantly.

Oh yeah and the Challenger looks nice too. Although, it doesn't seem to look as good as the first concept pictures I saw.

Um the elise is perfect as it is, a light weight sports car which world class handling, as you have a corvette I don't think you're into that ,as light as the corvette is for a v8 sports car.
As for the power to weight going down signifcantly with you in it, lose some weight and stop thinking of using it like a truck or suv
Only gear that should be in is perhaps some gold clubs