DETROIT -- If buyers want the car, rising gasoline prices will not dissuade the Chrysler group from putting the Dodge Challenger concept into production.

The 425-hp, 6.1-liter Hemi V-8 coupe was one of the stars of the Detroit auto show. The concept draws on styling cues first seen on the 1970 Challenger. It shares a platform with the rear-drive Chrysler 300.

"If gasoline is $4 a gallon and the market said this would be a great business case, we could do it," said Eric Ridenour, Chrysler's COO. "If the market says it is not, then we probably won't."

Ridenour, who headed product development and quality before being named COO in September, said fuel efficiency will play a bigger role in Chrysler's product decisions. But he added: "That does not mean that that will be the only factor in the customer's choice."

Despite fluctuating gasoline prices, Ridenour said demand for the automaker's SRT line of performance vehicles remains strong. There are no plans to reduce SRT's current or proposed future product line.

He said customers continue to look at a number of factors when purchasing a vehicle. Those factors include styling, reliability, handling, ride, passenger space, fuel economy and, in some cases, performance.

"Fuel economy is a parameter, but it is not the only parameter," Ridenour said in an interview at the Detroit auto show.

While not naming specific future models, Ridenour said, "We have some that will be on the more sporty end and therefore won't be the best fuel economy, but still might be fuel-efficient within their segment."

The Chrysler group may decide whether to make the Challenger muscle car as early as the end of the third quarter, CEO Tom LaSorda says.

LaSorda on Friday said Chrysler has been flooded with positive responses to the Challenger concept, shown at the Detroit auto show in January.

"You have to look at the investment, the cost of the program and the margins you can make," he told Automotive News at Chrysler's Auburn Hills, Mich., headquarters. "With something like this, you chase the business case and not the volume."

Chrysler officials have said the Challenger will likely be a lower-volume car with a V-8 engine. It would be built on the same platform as the Chrysler 300, Dodge Magnum and Dodge Charger cars. John Wolkonowicz, an analyst for Global Insight, predicts Chrysler will make 20,000 to 30,000 and sell them in the low-$30,000 range.

If anything I think a better measure of what could be done to show what’s going on with fuel efficiency and gas guzzlers is compiling a list of all the cars that were put on the market in say 2005. And then getting the figures on how many of each of those models were actually purchased. Then get the mileage ratings for all those vehicles. Now if you were to take the same EPA numbers that Lienert used and calculate how much each model costs in annual fuel costs. And then multiply that number by how many of those models were purchased. And then order them from least to most fuel efficient based on the manufacturers mileage ratings. That would be a more informative measure of what really is going on in the automotive market of fuel efficiency.

As it is, there aren’t that many Ferrari’s on the road. And not everyone can afford some of the hybrids that are on the market or the wait is so long to purchase some of the hybrids that they don’t hit the roads soon enough. I think 100,000 people driving a 20mpg SUV 20,000 miles per year is worse and more important than a couple hundred people driving a 12mpg Ferrari a couple thousand miles per year.

Chrysler is expected to announce on Friday one of the worst kept secrets in the industry: that it will build a production version of the Dodge Challenger coupe, first unveiled at the 2006 Detroit auto show, according to newspaper reports.

Details are still sketchy, but indications are Challenger will be sold sometime next year.

The Challenger concept sits on a shortened version of the LX platform that underpins the 300C, itself once a Mercedes E-Class. That platform holds up not only the 300C, but also the Dodge Magnum and Dodge Charger.

The concept uses the 6.1-liter, 425-hp SRT8 Hemi V8 mated to a six-speed manual transmission. Dodge lists 0 to 60 mph in the concept at 4.5 seconds and the quarter-mile in 13 seconds. Top speed is 174 mph.

Production of the vehicle makes good business sense, since Chrysler would save big bucks on development. And by slapping in an existing engine, as is the case here, the company would save even more bucks.

Auburn Hills, Mich., Jul 1, 2006 - Chrysler Group President and CEO Tom LaSorda today announced that Dodge Challenger will return to production after a nearly 35-year hiatus. The all-new Dodge Challenger will debut as a 2008 model in calendar-year 2008.
The announcement was made shortly before the Pepsi 400 NASCAR race at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. Driving out with the Dodge Challenger was Chrysler Group Chief Operating Officer Eric Ridenour.

"We haven’t seen this kind of spontaneous, passionate response to a car since we unveiled the Dodge Viper concept in 1989,” said LaSorda. “But it’s easy to see what people like about the Dodge Challenger. It’s bold, powerful and capable. It’s a modern take on one of the most iconic muscle cars, and sets a new standard for pure ‘pony car’ performance.”

The Dodge Challenger will feature the long hood, short deck, wide stance and two-door coupe body style that distinguished the iconic Challengers of the 1970s.

“We drew on the rich heritage of the Dodge Challenger, but with contemporary forms and technologies,” said Ridenour. “It’s not just a re-creation; it’s a reinterpretation.”

Dodge’s “Pony Car” in the 1970s

The Dodge Challenger made its debut in the fall of 1969 as a 1970 model. While it shared the “E-body” platform with the Plymouth Barracuda, Dodge Challenger’s wheelbase was two inches longer, creating more interior space.

The Dodge Challenger was originally offered as either a two-door hardtop or convertible. And, befitting the brand’s performance heritage, the Dodge Challenger also went racing in its first year, competing most notably in the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Trans-Am series and National Hot Rod Association’s Pro Stock class.

Although it was produced only from 1970 to 1974, the Dodge Challenger earned a reputation as one of the most desirable of the original “pony cars,” with meticulously restored and rare examples today selling for six-figure prices.

In its first year, Dodge Challenger was offered in a limited-edition T/A model to meet homologation requirements for SCCA Trans-Am racing. In 1971, a Dodge Challenger paced the Indianapolis 500 race. New front-end styling in 1972 featured a larger, “egg-crate” grille. In April 1974, Challenger production ceased. Over a five-year span, approximately 188,600 Dodge Challengers were sold.

The Dodge Challenger is another chapter in Chrysler Group’s long history of bringing concepts quickly to production, including the Dodge Viper, Plymouth Prowler, Chrysler PT Cruiser and Jeep® Compass.

“Our product development system allows us to quickly turn concepts into high-quality production vehicles,” said Ridenour. “We’re justifiably proud of our speed to market, and Dodge Challenger is the latest example of our focus on getting gotta-have-it vehicles to our customers.”

Originally Posted by LLN.com
Production 2008 Dodge Challenger identical to concept
The exterior of the production 2008/2009 Dodge Challenger will be identical to the concept version, according to Chrysler VP and lead designer Tom Tremont. "You're not going to be able to tell the difference," he told the Detroit News. While Tremont's comments likely relate to the exterior of the car, the interior will also get a lot of attention. "We knew if we screwed this up, we would lose a lot of fans," said Alan Barrington, who designed the concept's interior.

Chrysler this week at the SEMA auto show will exhibit a customized version of the Dodge Challenger Concept, which since January has served as a preview of the 2008 Dodge Challenger. The 392 HEMI Dodge Challenger Super Stock Concept commemorates the original 392 HEMI engine introduced in the new 1957 model year Chryslers and Imperials.

While most SEMA cars are modified versions of readily available models, this 392 HEMI previews what might be possible in the next few years. For now, the Challenger is just used as a showcase for the new crate motor. The engine itself will be offered immediately as a kit to performance enthusiasts from Mopar with as much as 540 horsepower and 490 lb.-ft of torque. Gallery after the jump…

Next year marks the 50th anniversary of an engine that revolutionized not only drag racing, but the entire automotive industry as well: The legendary 392 HEMI®. Mention the word "HEMI" to an automotive enthusiast and little else needs to be said. Or, perhaps a lot more needs to be said depending on your perspective.

"The 392 HEMI is a legend so rich in automotive tradition that hundreds, if not thousands, of books and accounts have been written about its historical significance," said Chris Cortez, senior vice president - Global Service & Parts, Chrysler Group."

The History of the 392 HEMI
The original 392 HEMI engine was introduced in the new 1957 model year Chryslers and Imperials. It replaced the 354 cubic-inch version of the original HEMI launched in 1951.
Compared with the 354, the 392 was completely revised and improved, with larger valves and ports, a beefier block and crankshaft, and improved bearings. In short, the 392 HEMI, often referred to simply as the "92," was perfect for drag racing.

More than a few racers bolted on six or eight carburetors, slipped in a hotter cam, tipped some nitro into the tank and went racing. Racing legend Don Garlits ran a 392 in his Swamp Rat I at record speeds of over 180 mph on nitro with no supercharger. Garlits also used a 392 HEMI to officially break the 200-mph barrier when his Swamp Rat went 201.34 mph at Atco, N.J. in 1964.

Dodge Challenger Super Stock Concept with 392 HEMI by Mopar
To further commemorate the legacy of the 392, Chrysler Group and Mopar are unveiling a SEMA first: a concept vehicle tricked out just for SEMA. From Detroit's 2006 North American International Auto Show and a year before its production debut, the stunning Dodge Challenger Super Stock with 392 HEMI by Mopar.

"There was really only one vehicle choice to showcase our new crate motor-the bold, powerful and capable, Dodge Challenger," said Cortez.

One of the most iconic muscle cars of the 1970s, it debuted in the fall of 1969 as a 1970 model. Although it was only produced from 1970 to 1974 (188,600 sold), the Dodge Challenger earned a reputation as one of the most desirable of the original "pony cars," with meticulously restored and rare examples today selling for six-figure prices.

The Challenger went racing in its first year and HEMI-powered Challengers tore up the drag strips across the country in the SCCA Trans-am series and NHRA Pro Stock classes. In 1971, a Dodge Challenger paced the Indianapolis 500.

"The HEMI legacy lives on," said Cortez. "But this Dodge Challenger Super Stock concept will no doubt bring that legacy to a whole new generation."

The all-new Dodge Challenger will debut as a 2008 model in calendar-year 2008.

392 Technical Specifications
To help celebrate the 50th anniversary of the legendary engine, Mopar is launching an all-new 392 HEMI crate motor for a new generation of performance enthusiasts. This engine-built with all new components-is a complete engine assembly from the throttle body to the oil pan, and cranks out 525 horsepower in it most potent form.

Three different versions of the new 392 are available from Mopar:
• P5153604 392 HEMI Crate Engine - Carbureted, 540 horsepower and 490 lb.-ft of torque
• P5253605 392 HEMI Crate Engine - SEFI, 525 horsepower and 510 lb.-ft. of torque
• P5153603 392 HEMI Long Block HEMI Crate Engine

Technical specifications include:
• Deep-skirted cast iron block with cross-bolted mains
• CNC-ported aluminum twin-plug cylinder heads
• Stainless steel 2.100" intake and 1.600" exhaust valves
• Ovate wire (beehive competition) valve springs
• Viton competition valve stem seals
• 279°/285° hydraulic roller camshaft with 0.584" intake and 0.552" exhaust lift
• Forged pistons (4.055" bore)
• 10.5:1 compression ratio
• Aluminum single plane high rise intake manifold with holley 870 4-bbl carburetor for carbureted 392 applications (1)
• 4140 forged steel crankshaft - 3.795" stroke
• 4130 forged- steel I-beam performance connecting rods - 6.200" length
• SFI-approved competition crankshaft damper
• "Plug-and-Play" wiring harnesses (2)
• 80 mm manual throttle body on fuel-injected engines (3)
• Premium tri-metal performance engine bearings
• Precision balanced rotating assembly
• Distributorless coil-on-plug (COP) ignition system

Chrysler will unveil the production version of the 2009 Dodge Challenger 356 days from today (Feb 15). It will be unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show in February 2008, the company said today.