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Car Forum / Chrysler Cars / December 2004Charger fans upset over new model
http://www.mysanantonio.com/business/stories/MYSA120404.1J.williams.b5326336.html Charger fans upset over new model? And speaking of reviving popular old car names, Chrysler group is doing that with a new Dodge sedan based on the also-new Chrysler 300 sedan chassis. But calling it a Charger apparently is upsetting some of the diehard Charger fans who revere the muscle cars from the late '60s and '70s. The industry weekly Automotive News reported recently that Chrysler is even getting "hate mail" over the plans to call the new sedan a Charger, primarily because the car will be a sedan, and not a coupe as the original Chargers were. Still, Dodge plans to roll out the new Charger in January as an early 2006 model, and it will sit in the lineup beside the Dodge Magnum, which essentially is a wagon version of the new Charger (even though the Magnum came first). One thing that will remain true to the early Chargers is the availability of a Hemi V-8 engine in the new model, as is offered in the Chrysler 300 and the Magnum. The car will get the same 5.7-liter, 340-horsepower Hemi V-8 that is used in those cars as well as in the all-new 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee. As with those other cars, the Hemi in the Charger will have the cylinder-deactivation feature that cuts out four cylinders during highway cruising to increase fuel economy. That was definitely not offered on the early Chargers, which could be notorious gas-guzzlers. >As with those other cars, the Hemi in the Charger will have the >cylinder-deactivation feature that cuts out four cylinders during >highway cruising to increase fuel economy. Didn't GM try that on a Cadillac and it came up short? Idling four cylinders will not overcome friction losses, dead weight, and high octane fuel requirement of these behemoth V-8s. Chrysler had a more elegant solution with the turbo-supercharger. A turbocharged 4 banger engine has lots of advantages over larger displacements for same max. power. They're lighter and more efficient at lower outputs, where most driving is done. Regular grade gasoline can be used when the spark is retarded a few degrees from spec., with little penalty as a result. About the only drawback is torque at breakaway, but aren't our teenage days long past when we got our jollies out of patching 50 feet of rubber to the delight of Good'n'Rich Tire and Rubber? And one more very important point to make: Those big V-8s may be great at sea level, but going over those mountain passes, they have no chance against a turbo'd I-4. The only thing that can keep up with a turbo is another turbo. It has to do with power-to-weight ratio. That's a fact. << Charger fans upset over new model? >> ____Reply Separator_____ Interesting article, especially the pictures. An article about the Dodge Charger was accompanied by a picture of a Saturn coupe and a Pontiac Solstice. Are the 2.2 liter 1983 Charger owners going to revolt as well? We're those "Chargers" the ones that looked like Dodge Omnis???? SRG > Are the 2.2 liter 1983 Charger owners going to revolt as well? > We're those "Chargers" the ones that looked like Dodge Omnis???? > SRG Yep, they were like the two door Omni which was called "O24" the first few years. Now THAT should have really pissed off Charger buffs...... SRG >> We're those "Chargers" the ones that looked like Dodge Omnis???? >> SRG >> > Yep, they were like the two door Omni which was called "O24" the first few > years. It DID piss off this Charger buff... but then they came out with the turbo version and the GLHS, and some of the sin of calling a front-drive econo car a "Charger" was forgiven :-p I personally like the new Charger. I'm disappointed that it is more like the Magnum than like the Charger show car from a few years back (which I REALLY liked) but at least the correct wheels (rear) put the correct type of power (v8) to the ground! > Now THAT should have really pissed off Charger buffs...... > [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >>Yep, they were like the two door Omni which was called "O24" the first few >>years. >> We're those "Chargers" the ones that looked like Dodge Omnis???? >> SRG >> >Yep, they were like the two door Omni which was called "O24" the first few >years. Acually they were made alongside the O24's for at least 1982, and I'm pretty sure that was true in 1983 as well. You gotta remember what cars were like in those days -- getting 84 horsepower out of a 135 CID engine was pretty good. -- Jeff Wieland >Are the 2.2 liter 1983 Charger owners going to revolt as well? 1982 was the first year. 4 speed and no muffler -- they were noisy but fun to drive. They had lower gear ratio in them than the standard O24's, and the ground effects skirts. In 1983 the 5 speed A-465 came along, and with a muffler they were much quieter on long trips. I had an '83 for a while -- it was very happy at 70+ mph with the cruise set (back in the days of 55 mph speed limits). The Challenger fans seemed to be a lot more ticked off when the Mitsubishi-build "Challenger" came along in, what was it?, 1978. -- Jeff Wieland |
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