Daily, your writer’s fingers busily slave over a coffee-stained keyboard to convey facts, features and impressions of both new and used vehicles. My job, simply put, is to create sensible and level-headed reviews and columns that help vehicle shoppers make wise decisions on how to spend their new-car dineros.
Then, a car like the Dodge Challenger R/T comes along-- and messes my logical and rational car review process right the heck up.
Thanks to tremendous loyalty, nostalgia and novelty, there’s a different set of criteria driving folks to spend forty-plus large on a Hemi-powered copy of Dodge’s latest retro rod. Sensibility isn’t near the top of that list.
After all, if you’re a card-carrying Mopar nut, chances are that considering a Mustang or Camaro amounts to blasphemy punishable by your friends and family. In the interests of peace, I won’t mention that new rear-drive coupe from Hyundai, either.
All said, if you’re a Dodge fan set on a Challenger R/T, you’ll damn well have your rip-snorting burnout monster, regardless of what some writer says about cheap dashboard plastic, noisy engines or other such fluff.
Since you’re going to buy that Challenger anyways, here’s what to expect.
1) In the world of reborn retro rides, it's the Challenger that's stayed truest to its visual roots. The sneaky fascia looks up to no good, while the sweeping hips and simple rear-end with horizontal taillamp array look intensely old-school. Muscle-car guys at the local coffee-shop car show just love it. Unfortunately, so does your favourite radar-cop, so be careful-- as you’ll be being watched.
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| The sweeping hips and simple rear-end with horizontal taillamp array look intensely old-school. (Photo: Justin Pritchard/Auto123.com) |
Then, a car like the Dodge Challenger R/T comes along-- and messes my logical and rational car review process right the heck up.
Thanks to tremendous loyalty, nostalgia and novelty, there’s a different set of criteria driving folks to spend forty-plus large on a Hemi-powered copy of Dodge’s latest retro rod. Sensibility isn’t near the top of that list.
After all, if you’re a card-carrying Mopar nut, chances are that considering a Mustang or Camaro amounts to blasphemy punishable by your friends and family. In the interests of peace, I won’t mention that new rear-drive coupe from Hyundai, either.
All said, if you’re a Dodge fan set on a Challenger R/T, you’ll damn well have your rip-snorting burnout monster, regardless of what some writer says about cheap dashboard plastic, noisy engines or other such fluff.
Since you’re going to buy that Challenger anyways, here’s what to expect.
1) In the world of reborn retro rides, it's the Challenger that's stayed truest to its visual roots. The sneaky fascia looks up to no good, while the sweeping hips and simple rear-end with horizontal taillamp array look intensely old-school. Muscle-car guys at the local coffee-shop car show just love it. Unfortunately, so does your favourite radar-cop, so be careful-- as you’ll be being watched.
 |
| In the world of reborn retro rides, it's the Challenger that's stayed truest to its visual roots. (Photo: Justin Pritchard/Auto123.com) |