The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) released statistics regarding the most stolen “sporty” cars and topping the list were the Chevy Camaro, the Ford Mustang and the Dodge Challenger in that order. Given the number of these cars of the street these numbers shouldn’t be surprising. If you have one of these muscle cars you need to make sure your car insurance is in order and covers theft along with general liability as you’d be foolish to risk losing everything.
The retro designs for these three vehicles have been huge hits over the past decade. The Mustang was the sales leader but then the retro Camaro took the top spot. Now Ford is redesigning the Mustang for the 50th anniversary in one of the most anticipated redesigns in recent memory. Let’s see if the new one generates as much passion.
It appears Chrysler is toying with the idea of building a brand new Barracuda and folks are more than excited to learn more. The Challenger is a beast so where does the supposed Barracuda fall in line with the automaker?
The Dodge Challenger made a comeback, so what’s next for Chrysler Group in the retro muscle-car wars?
How about a new Barracuda, sans the Plymouth name?
Chrysler Group is rumored to be developing a 21st century Barracuda to replace the Challenger, according to a story on the Motor Trend Web site.
The car would be smaller and lighter than the Challenger, and it would be built on a rear-wheel-drive platform co-developed by Chrysler and Fiat. Alfa Romeo would share the platform with a wide range of models, according to the story. Today’s Challenger shares a platform with the first generation Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger.
The Barracuda’s styling would be a far less literal interpretation of its namesake than the Challenger, adopting styling cues instead of the strong retro look found on today’s Challenger, the story says.
“That’s all speculation. We’re looking at a lot of things,” said Dan Reid, a Chrysler spokesman.
Look at that beast of a ride! Bullz-Eye.com’s Gerardo Orlando recently reviewed the 2011 Dodge Challenger and this is what he had to say on the beauty:
There are very few cars that would make my “dream car” list, particularly if you’re considering vehicles that fall under six figures. But after driving the Inaugural Edition of the 2011 Challenger SRT8 392, I’ve added this amazing muscle car to my short list.
Ever since Dodge reintroduced the Challenger in 2008 as part of the American pony car revival, the vehicle has earned significant praise for the bold styling that evoked the original version from the early ’70s. It’s a beautiful coupe and Dodge is sticking with this third-generation design for the 2011 model with some minor tweaks. A total of 1,492 Inaugural Edition Challengers are being built featuring the blue-on-white or white-on-blue racing stripes that you see in the photos, but if you haven’t reserved your vehicle, you can get the 2011 Challenger SRT8 392 in all the other available colors. The retro design is lean and powerful and the car is definitely a head-turner.
While I’ve been a big fan of the new design, I didn’t truly appreciate the new Challenger until I was invited to drive the SRT8 392 in San Francisco. The car is simply amazing. I drove the automatic version and it was a joy to drive – I didn’t miss the manual at all. No matter what speed you are traveling at, the car does exactly what you want it to do whenever you touch the gas pedal and it responds with a muscular roar. The car is a torque monster – the 392 Hemi is rated at 470 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque. The entry level version of the Challenger has received an upgrade as well, replacing the 250-horsepower V-6 for Chrysler’s new Pentastar V-6 with 305 horsepower.
Despite sales drops for most major automakers, Chrysler bucks the trend by posting a year over year increase for August of 7%. Jeep posted big numbers with the Patriot jumping 57% and the Liberty climbing 56%. The most glaring number was the Dodge Challenger muscle car shooting up a whopping 190%. For most companies it would be a solid month but for the rebuilding Fiat/Chrysler it bodes exceptionally well for their prospects once the new models hit showrooms in 2011.
From the Detroit Free Press:
Chrysler defied the industry trend with a 7% increase in new vehicle sales in August from a year earlier when Cash for Clunkers inflated most of its competitors’ sales.
Once again, the Jeep brand led the way with a 17% year-over-year jump, helped by a 57% sales improvement for the Patriot and 56% increase for the Liberty.
But Chrysler’s year-over-year comparison benefited from the fact that it did not capitalize on last summer’s Cash for Clunker incentives because it had very little inventory of its smaller models.
“We will continue to build in this momentum as we begin production on a stream of new product through the end of this year,” said Fred Diaz, Chrysler lead executive for U.S. sales.
During his First Annual Address to Congress in 1770, President George Washington said, “To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace.” For the past decade, the muscle car segment has been quietly battling to keep a sea of dull daily drivers at bay, and the tension has finally reached its fever pitch. We are standing on the cusp of a revolution, and we are nothing if not prepared. We’ve got the horsepower, the track time and the street cred – all that’s missing is the official throwing down of the gauntlet. As of today, we’ve got that, too.
In Chrysler’s newest ad, the General and his thundering Calvary descend upon the bland, boring and bromidic (or “British”). While Washington and his four-wheeled troops rally against the Redcoats, the U.S. soccer team will be battling it out with England at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and you’ll be able to watch them both. The Dodge Challenger “Freedom” spot will air regionally during the match on Saturday, following its on-air debut at 11 p.m. EDT today during ESPN SportsCenter.
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