RENDERED! IF THIS Was The Next-gen Dodge Challenger, Would YOU Be Excited Or NOT So Much?

The real issue isn't whether or not this is good looking and instead it is that Gilles is just now getting around to the next generation Challenger/Charger which means a good 3+ years out. More mismanagement from FCA. The Image has ZERO Dodge DNA and it really isn't that captivating. It's not ugly. It's pleasant. But when all is said and done, it's dull.

As someone who does work as a "designer" on the engineering side of things, I need to get you familiarized with how things do work, because I assumed you already knew.

Usually a design is set roughly 3 years ahead of Job 1 or the process after that, locked in depending on intensity of program.

Small to mid-size front wheel drive cars obviously take a lot less time. Unibody, rear wheel drive sport sedans obviously require much more development time.

The next-generation cars are frozen already. Just because we (industry wise) show you something publicly, doesn't mean it's currently where we are in terms of development work. That's just creative marketing.

A 2023 model year vehicle would have been set in 2019 or even 2018. For these LA/LD replacements, it has been rinse and redo for 6 years now. First MY 2018, all the way to MY 2023 launch.

Heck, the next W223 S-Class design was set in December 2016 and frozen the next summer of '17, due for mid-late 2020 SOP. Its outgoing W222 predecessor launched in July 2013, was already designed in full size 1:1 as of 2009.

MB teasing it in 2011 didn't mean they weren't done yet with design work.

I trust you know this. Marketing like this doesn't equal 100% "where we are now".

FCA is done with major bodywork on them and working on 2024 MY design approvals this year and working through quarter scale clay/CAD 2025s. Earliest MY 2026 design work might have been affected by CV shutdowns, but nothing MY 2027 would be planned right now.

They take longer than us at Ford, because of less resources to move things along quicker.

In fact the only reason they will show this vehicle rendering is because they are confident with a final design and no longer concerned with varying choices.

All of your bullshit bloviating aside, the "all new" Challenger/Charger has been promised about every two years since 2015. More recently it was "they are definitely arriving as 2021s", but we all knew that was a lie given the paucity of prototypes. So, now we have sketches. Translation NOTHING is happening.

Yada yada yada. Why don't you get in touch with one of them if you're that upset? Like Ralph or Ryan? Simply behaving like an incorrigible lout in this respect. Maybe they'll answer your questions.

Crazy to think how long Chrysler’s most successful products still ride on hand me downs from Benz of a couple of generations ago including the Grand Jeep Cherokee, Charger/Challenger/300.

What's even crazier is that the new Challenger and Charger didn't follow hot on the heels of the Giulia with a steady cadence:

Giulia-->Challenger/Charger (LWB Giulia)-->Stelvio-->Journey (LWB Stelvio)-->Ghibli (Charger as now)-->Grand Cherokee (Journey WB)-->Cherokee (Stelvio). It would essentially be putting different hats on Giorgio. Development costs would NOT have been crazy and economies of scale would have been tremendous. FCA had poor vision (Marchionne/Manley), absolute lack of cash, or the Giorgio has some egregious flaws to it.

I hope you're not implying that the W210 chassis is what underpins these vehicles. That's a false rumor mill. Let alone 90s W163 or W164 with 2011 GC.

As of switching from the 5-Speed automatic to 8-Speed auto several years ago, the cars have shed virtually any connection to the W220 S-Class (10/1998) and W211 E-Class (03/2002).

Trim components (like window switches) still come from the same supplier to a degree, but mechanically they've been heavily revised since June 2005 and April 2008 introductions.

The WK2 Grand Cherokee actually launched in June 2010, the very uniframe chassis that the Mercedes-Benz W166 and X166 CUVs utilized. Those vehicles arrived in Autumn 2011 and September 2012 respectively. Development of these vehicles began in 2005-06, before the divorce of DaimlerChrysler in 2007. WK2 final design approval was January 2008, followed by W166 ML in spring 2008, and X166 GL in 2009.

It's why the Grand Cherokee lost its solid axles in favor of independent front and rear suspension.

What is pathetic is how WK2 GC debuted the chassis 10 yeats and the derivatives have already been redesigned (w/delays) to modular MHA. Yet Jughead suggests GC shouldn't be redesigned, "'cuhyuz gr8t sales".

The myth of hand me down MB platforms for these vehicles is mostly inaccurate, particularly where W210 of 1995-2002 is concerned.

Only the Chrysler Crossfire was a hand-me-down vehicle via R170 SLK (1996-2004) and not newer R171 SLK (2004-11). These vehicles were cheaper versions of existing luxury MBs (LX) or lead vehicles (WK2 GC), since Chrysler didn't require 6 years like MB did.

That's why early interiors were so bad, because the underlying components were extremely expensive.

*10 years ago*

Retro is why the Challenger/Charger sell. If the deviate from this simple formula they will see sales crater. Don't listen to designers, listen to your buyers.

And I would argue that the Charger needs to skew heavily in the direction of the 68 Charger. When the Charger was resurrected, calling it a Charger was an 11th hour move. It was simply going to be called the Intrepid.

The direction of the 1999 Dodge Charger prototype was in that direction. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqLTHBuq1Mg

It was going to be called Dodge Interceptor so he is not lying. I made the same mistake too.

In fact the vehicle arrived later than planned. The LX vehicles launched in 2004 except for the Charger and Challenger.

Tom Gale, leader of Chrysler design (for many many years dating back to the 1980s) and especially design director on the Viper and '93 LH Intrepid in 1986-89, said the 2005 Chrysler 300 was his last car before retirement in 2000.

The 1999 Concept was also created under him during 1998, but never got any feet.

The idea to actually have a Charger came much later in 2004-05, as the Dodge LX sedan was approaching pilot production. To actually design a Charger, began in 2007 and bore the 2011.5 car.

The '05 300 production design itself was completed in late 2000, followed by the Dodge Interceptor in 2002. These LX cars entered development in the early 90s, after longitudinal LH cars were launched in November 1992.

Chrysler under self ownership began LX plans by 1991 under Lee Iacocca and Bob Lutz, later starting advanced development on rear-wheel drive sedans based off of the LH cars.

Years later, Daimler-Benz came in and delayed the RWD vehicle programs, intended for late 90s/Y2K launch, to make some changes.

Final designs were nearly done by that time in 1998. Hence 1999 Charger concept.

And all of that from pillow talk!

I don't see why you need to come across like a homophobic twat, considering your relations. Just very peculiar, as if you want to be in bed with us. :/

I have 10 years industry experience, so I've been around (not to mention being a historian).

See what I mean?

Looks very futuristic and nice!

Love it. I'd buy one of the rest of the typical Challenger drivers promise not to.

Typical Challenger drivers? Please share what you mean, as I love analyzing stereotypes.

You also love promulgating them.

Why would I do that? WTH? :/

Scroll up, you did.

Nice design but the greenhouse is mighty narrow and tight. Typical show car unrealistic sizing.

It also looks like a squished version of a Nissan concept--I forget the name--that was an homage to the 510.

Matt said: And I would argue that the Charger needs to skew heavily in the direction of the 68 Charger.

I would agree. To me a Charger needs to have 2 doors and not 4. I have never liked a Charger except for that 68 - 70 body style.

That picture shown above can be flushed down the toilet where it belongs

What am I looking at?