Directly from the DaimlerChrysler Pacifica Design Studio

[XcYZ]

Last week I was contacted by Micheal Castiglione asking if I would like to add a few of his concept designs of the new Challenger to the Lateral-g Artwork page. Micheal went on to tell me that he works at the DaimlerChrysler Pacifica Design Studio and worked on the design of the Challenger. He has shown Lateral-g to his friends at the Design Studio and they love what we're doing. He also told me that he took the g-machine/pro-touring approach to the design of the Challenger. I think that's fantastic and just shows that the g-machine movement isn't just a fad - this IS the new direction of hot rodding.

Our little website has had tremendous growth, been mentioned in numerous magazines, hit quite a few milestones... but when a well known designer from the DaimlerChrysler Pacifica Design Studio says that he and his friends at the studio really enjoy the site, it really says a lot for what we're doing. It's one thing to say you've been in a magazine, but to say we have influenced the design and direction of a new car from DaimlerChrysler... well... that's just amazing.

Thanks again Micheal! I'm looking forward to seeing your personal g-machine project come together.

http://www.lateral-g.org/artwork/castiglione/Mopar01.jpg

http://www.lateral-g.org/artwork/castiglione/Mopar05.jpg

http://www.lateral-g.org/artwork/castiglione/Mopar04.jpg

http://www.lateral-g.org/artwork/castiglione/Mopar03.jpg

http://www.lateral-g.org/artwork/castiglione/Mopar02.jpg

[MSchu]

Now THAT is cool. Just shows how great this site is... :yes:

[XcYZ]

I forgot to add: Here's your chance to say what think about the Challenger and KNOW the designers will read it.

Personally, I LOVE it. I'm glad that the big 3 are making exciting cars again. Enthusiast cars. :thumbsup:

[camcojb]

I forgot to add: Here's your chance to say what think about the Challenger and KNOW the designers will read it.

Personally, I LOVE it. I'm glad that the big 3 are making exciting cars again. Enthusiast cars. :thumbsup:

I agree Scott, love the car.

Jody

[907rs]

Personally, I LOVE it. I'm glad that the big 3 are making exciting cars again. Enthusiast cars. :thumbsup:

That just about sums it up for me. :thumbsup:

[4mm]

The car looks amazing, but what stays in my mind the most is its proposed weight of 4000+lbs.

[Steve Chryssos]

So does the new top of the line Mustang GT500. 3900 and change. And that's a production car. The Challenger does not formally exist yet, so the weight is just hype. It's a long way from show car to production.

Bottom Line: If the LX platform helps Chrysler justify the return of 2 door musclecars, I'm willing to overlook a little weight. Heck, I'll go on a diet to make up the difference.

Challenger: :thumbsup:

[Smack_talker]

I love the design of the new Challenger :thumbsup: If it can run a 13's in the 1/4 and handle on a roadcoarse then sign me up. :bow:

[Payton King]

I love the car and I would buy one...and I am a chevy guy

[evo69]

looks like a home run to me!

[Ummgawa]

So does the new top of the line Mustang GT500. 3900 and change. And that's a production car. The Challenger does not formally exist yet, so the weight is just hype. It's a long way from show car to production.

Bottom Line: If the LX platform helps Chrysler justify the return of 2 door musclecars, I'm willing to overlook a little weight. Heck, I'll go on a diet to make up the difference.

Challenger: :thumbsup:

Steevo, I have a suit that weighs as much as you do, dude. Now I can lose weight and make up for the difference. You however, are a skinny smart dude. Only way you can lose weight is to drive nekkid and none of us want that. Allen maybe, but not the rest of us. OK maybe Bill too.

I have a fund started "A Midlife Chrysler Fund" if you will, to purchase one of the Challengers. I love it. General Motors really needs to steal some of the design influence from some of its past winners, Like the 69 camaro. I know a lot of folks say it takes "styling cues" form the 69, but C'mon. I've seen Mapplethorpe take a crap on canvas, hang it the Met, and have an endless stream of Artsy Fartsy wine and Cheezers call it "Modern Art", all the while lamenting of the pain and depth displayed by the Artist's sweeping strokes and composition. Truth be known, Its Just Collard Greens and peanut butter, and lettin' it land where it will. And some serious drying time.

The Challenger is what people want. Nostalgia!!! And its Bad to the Bone. And to a large degree, It's like "dancing with the one that brung ya". Chrysler is doing it and so is Ford. Chevrolet is just askin' "Do you mind if we dance wif yo date"?

I am impressed with Chrysler and it's efforts. :thumbsup:

[clill]

Jim ....You stated it perfectly. Maybe this can get sent to decision makers at GM.

[Musclerodz]

I am a Chevy guy too and I would go buy one. Now take away the fact we are all car guys, does anyone else think it is almost toooo retro? I wouldn't change a thing and i think it is way better looking than the Camaro. But I think the new Mustang hit the nail on the head for styling. Just enough old, and just enough new.

Mike

[Hdesign]

Great renderings and exactly what I expected a modern Challenger to look like. Same goes for the Camaro concept. I'm a little worried that it is a little too much like following a box recipe for "How to make a new 69 Camaro or 70 Challenger in 12 easy steps." Ford has definitely had some success with the modern 67 Stang though.

I probably don't hold the popular opinion when I say that the current modern retro-craze is still just another fad that will PROBABLY end within the next few years. It's too bad that these great looking cars won't be in showrooms until late '07 at the earliest. And knowing how long it takes for the Big 3 to update styling over the course of a product life...they may be coming into the game too late.

Just my $.02 :D

[rockdogz]

Wow, that's just killer.... The drawings plus the news that these pros frequent our site. DEFINITELY like the concept guys - now BUILD IT!! :thumbsup:

[T Bell]

Sweet ride. It's got just the right amount of this and not too much of that. If money fell from the heavens, I'd buy one. Hell, for that matter, I'd buy two.

[Buick Motorsports]

Initially, I felt that the car was too retro! I have to admit tho, of all the cars with "retro" styling or cues, this car has the greatest appeal.

Of all the conversations I've had with local enthusiasts, whether they worship the blue oval, bowties or mopars, they all agree that the new Challenger could find a home in their garage.

If I was going to make any changes to the car, I would have foregone the retro style hood for somthing reminiscent of the Viper hood. Of course this would be a functional cold air induction! Had that been done, I would say, that would be the perfect balance of new and old influence.

For good, for bad, just my 2 cents.

[Damn True]

As a whole I like the Challenger. Of course some things will have to change. I sincerely doubt the 20"+ wheels will make it to production (that's a good thing) and Id like to see the thing shrink in all dimensions. I sincerely hope they will have a manual transmission in it, but we all know how Daimler Benz feels about those....I'm not confident. Lastly, the weight. 4k is waaaaay too much. You can run all the "It's gotta HEMI" commercials you want, but the thing will still weigh FOUR THOUSAND POUNDS. Cripes.

Again, bitchin car, but as of right now, I prefer the new Camaro. Time will tell though.

[JohnnyGMachine]

You guys know me - I like seeing nice renderings! That's good stuff and I appreciate the guy(s) from Mopar sharing. I agree with True on the 20s, it's too "Unique Whips" for me. Of course you know some bonehead's gonna build a Donk-style version of it when it comes out. Geez.
Anyways, I myself have also contributed my 2 cents to the Retro-Design conversations and posts but now that the dust has settled on seeing the new Camaro and Challenger - I don't care about if it's too retro or not or what's too much retro - Hey they're building them and they're not butt-ugly, good enough for me! The Challenger looks great, aftermarket companies are gonna have a field day with this Challenger just like they are with the Stang. I'm just happy there's more to pick from from the OEMs than a Mustang and a Corvette for V8 muscle. The Ford GT is just way too far out of most consumers wallets. The GTO's gonna probably die and though I think that car makes for a clean sheet of paper to design upon, it's just not cuttin' it in the styling department.
Anyways - 2 thumbs up to Chrysler for once again bringing another killer concept to production (if they're makin' it).

John

[Stuart Adams]

Cool drawings Mike. Nice looking car.

Are you going to be at Del Mar Goodguys?

[Derek69SS]

Here's my take on the Camaro/Mustang/Challenger thing...

Challenger: A bit "too retro" for me, but they got it pretty close to "right" for what a new Challenger should be. The Challenger only ever had one basic style, so building off that one style was the only way they could go with it, other than just putting the challenger name on something totally new and nothing like the original, like they did with the Charger. I haven't seen the sales figures on the Charger, but there seems of complaints about the number of doors from the enthusiasts... something tells me the people buying these aren't enthusiasts though. The Challenger was a pretty short-production run then, and I'll bet if it comes back, it will also be intended to be a 3-4 year run, with no intention of making a return after that. (just my take on it, correct me if I'm wrong) They didn't leave much to be changed without upsetting the look of the original style they based this one from, so I doubt this car will go through any major styling changes before the model is dropped.

Camaro: first-gen enthusiasts want "more retro", but they seem to forget that the first-gen was only 3 years of the 35 years the camaro was in production. There was some pretty cool styling in those other 32 years too. It appears GM might want to bring the Camaro name back for another 35 years, which is why they designed it to allow for styling changes to stay fresh. If they made it look like a '69, the first time they'd change something, it would just look like something that didn't fit the '69 styling. The design, as-is, can be changed dramatically without redesigning the whole car through a 7-8 year production run. The next style could build off this one, or go completely different, without something looking out-of-place in the evolution of the Camaro. It might not sell as well for the couple years a full retro would, but this appears to be a long-term design, not a "Jump on the retro fad while it lasts, then kill it again" design.

I know a lot of you have said something like "I'd buy one if it was a fully-retro '69 style", but they don't want you to buy one. They want you to buy several... one every few years when the new design makes you want a new one more than the one you already have.

Mustang: Where does it go next? 2010 Mustang II? :lol: They got this design out way before the others, and it was a hit. The problem is, much like the Challenger, there's very little room for change without upsetting the whole retro look. People won't buy retro forever, but the one thing the mustang has going for it, is the hype of the retro Challenger and semi-retro Camaro. This hype will buy the Mustang a couple more years of reaping the "retro" fad. My question is, what do they do when sales fall off? (and they will, you know they will)

[srh3trinity]

I think that the concept was well executed and it is cool to see the early drawings. The exhaust tips are sweet.

[RussMS]

I am impressed with Chrysler and it's efforts.

I have to admit I am too.

I like the new Challenger concept a lot. It is great to see a car company that actually listens to what the consumer wants and has the guts to deliver it.

I became very discouraged a few years ago while searching for a 4 door sedan and realizing that there were no good alternatives to the front wheel drive foreign cars out there. Domestic front wheel drive cars had earned the distinction as being the less desirable, less reliable alternative. I settled for a 4 door front wheel drive foreign sedan that I hate. It has good gas mileage, it’s reliable, it has no power and it’s utterly boring.

Now we have the 300, Charger, and the Magnum. V8 power in not only 4 doors, but a wagon as well. Bravo. (Though I have to admit I was hoping for a 2 door Charger as well.)

As to the Challenger, to paraphrase a movie “If you build it, we will come.” So build it as we see it there, not some water-downed version, placating to the opinions of focus groups made up of people who will never buy the car anyway.

Keep in mind we are also a group that appreciates performance, not just appearance. Things like 0 – 60 times, taking 1 lateral g on the skidpad and braking will matter to most of us. “Bling” (I hate that word) is important to some but not to all.

For me, the following will be considered in my next vehicle purchase, in order of importance:

1. Performance
2. Price
3. Appearance
4. Reliability
5. Fuel Economy

Its about time we had a Musclecar Revival in this country. If Dodge leads the way then there will I go.

One other thing I would like to see, Bring back the Barracuda under the Dodge nameplate. Give it some retro styling and design it to compete with the Corvette Z06. Make it light, low and mean.

My .02

[Speedster]

The design of the new Challenger is awesome. The '70/'71 are my favorites. If they make the new version like the drawings Scott posted, here, we will have a new company car.

[clill]

Per Derek69SS

"Camaro: first-gen enthusiasts want "more retro", but they seem to forget that the first-gen was only 3 years of the 35 years the camaro was in production. There was some pretty cool styling in those other 32 years too. It appears GM might want to bring the Camaro name back for another 35 years, which is why they designed it to allow for styling changes to stay fresh. If they made it look like a '69, the first time they'd change something, it would just look like something that didn't fit the '69 styling. The design, as-is, can be changed dramatically without redesigning the whole car through a 7-8 year production run. The next style could build off this one, or go completely different, without something looking out-of-place in the evolution of the Camaro. It might not sell as well for the couple years a full retro would, but this appears to be a long-term design, not a "Jump on the retro fad while it lasts, then kill it again" design.

I know a lot of you have said something like "I'd buy one if it was a fully-retro '69 style", but they don't want you to buy one. They want you to buy several... one every few years when the new design makes you want a new one more than the one you already have."

Build me a 67-9 and I will buy it. Then progress to a 70 and I will buy it. Just because nobody has done such a repeat does not mean it wouldn't work. 35 years later those first Gens still look killer. Build a 69 and you don't have to compare it to anything and the design is timeless. Build their current concept and throw it in the pot with everything else that looks similar and outdated in a couple years.

[nvawgn]

i agree, if they build this bugger along with the new camaro it will awaken the sport of hot rodding again but not just now you have to look 20-30 years down the line when kids will want to build something cool and they only have 2-3k in their pockets and an imagination to work with. :thumbsup:

[Hdesign]

I know that us car guys would love to relive the glory days of the big 3 duking it out again, with the same brutish RWD V8 musclecars but times have changed. There is a huge amount of exciting "performance" cars in the $20K-35K range from overseas that all the 20 and 30 somethings are buying. Why style and build a car to compete with only 2 other opponents? For the most part, kids buying cars now don't have a clue about American musclecar history and really don't care. They are the future of the market. Wouldn't it be a better idea to market to everyone looking for a performance car, import or domestic, rather than just musclecar enthusiast?

I think you can have a clear evolution of product styling while staying heritage conscious.

[Musclerodz]

I agree with Charley's philosophy. The Challenger has undeniable character that most of the new car do not have. So does the new Mustang to some degree. In thirty years, i can see someone going back to restore the "new" Challenger. The Camaro looks like another step in evolution and isn't what i would consider a trend setter. Someone mentioned the hood earlier like the new hoods on the SRT line. That already existed on the AAR Cuda and was used on "SICK FISH", so the trend is already there. I can just see the 3 levels of the new Challenger, base model 300 engine, mid level with a HEMI, and SRT with a detuned Viper V-10. That would get me fired up!

Mike

[zbugger]

Steevo, I have a suit that weighs as much as you do, dude. Now I can lose weight and make up for the difference. You however, are a skinny smart dude. Only way you can lose weight is to drive nekkid and none of us want that. Allen maybe, but not the rest of us. OK maybe Bill too....
Ummm.... Never mind. ;)

[Bill Howell]

Funny this thread is here right now. My wife and I went out for dinner this evening and she was telling me she had had lunch with a friend of ours that owns a 300 Chrysler. She said for a car, she really liked it. I was explaining to here that the new challenger would be "Just Like That" except two doors. Hell let it weight 4k, just build one and we will have one in the garage. I got mama's ok right now.

OH, and Jim, I will just add a blower to mine to make up for the weight difference. I got too much invested in my weight to lose any of it. :lol:

[Damn True]

More power won't make a pig of a car corner any better.

[Casti]

Having a site like this really helps me to stay inspired, especially when I walk out to the garage and see my 67 Camaro sitting there in pieces like a P.O.S. Thanks for all of the input on the Challenger. It was an ultra-cool project that started back in January 2004. We started with three different directions. I always felt that the car should have the spirit of the original 1970 Challenger. Thankfully, my design direction was chosen to become the concept car. Thanks Scott for posting my sketches. I will continue to be a huge fan of Lateral-G.net and the awesome featured muscle cars! :thumbsup:
Casti

[clill]

Great job Casti...Now go design the Camaro.....

[slownova]

Great job Casti...Now go design the Camaro.....
:hail:

[J2SpeedandCustom]

I got too much invested in my weight to lose any of it. :lol:

:rofl: I resemble that remark...

[Steve Chryssos]

More power won't make a pig of a car corner any better.

No, but it beats sitting around hoping and praying that Detroit will bring back the pony car. It's a compromise.

The deal is that Chrysler must add about one half of a factory to keep up with LX platform demand. But it's hard to build one half of a factory 'cause you end up with a gaping hole on one side. :eek: So the Challenger, a limited volume model, presents an opportunity to justify that whole factory. Good for Chrysler. Good for muscle car enthusiasts. I read that in like Car & Driver or something.
Plus the generous wheelbase means that the Challenger will hopefully fit under the category of "second car", not "selfish weekend toy". So the Mrs. will get on board. Just enough room for her and a couple small kids. No room for the Mother In Law. :_paranoid Altogether, that 4100 lbs sounds like sheer marketing genuis now, huh?

[Damn True]

Valid points. I still think lighter is better. Particularly in light of the fact that gas prices aren't likely to go down anytime soon. Unless the eco-weenies finally figure out the best way to not be dependant on foreign oil is to stop buying foreign oil and use our own.

Besides, the weight of the Mopar won't really bother me from the left front seat of a Gen-5 Camaro.

[Musclerodz]

Unforunately, with todays saftey requirements, I don't think a big car like the Challenger can get light unless you start removing serveral hundred pounds of airbags, and computer equipment. The original car was not that light in the first place. Maybe they need to take GM's approach for "on-demand" power like the Northstar has. Overdrive has come along way towards gas milage as well. 6 speed manu-matic would be nice. :unibrow:

Mike

[Hooligan]

Viper powered Challenger.... OH PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE OH PLEASE... I promise Ill be good.

[syborg tt]

i'll be the first in line to buy one

[XcYZ]

Having a site like this really helps me to stay inspired, especially when I walk out to the garage and see my 67 Camaro sitting there in pieces like a P.O.S. Thanks for all of the input on the Challenger. It was an ultra-cool project that started back in January 2004. We started with three different directions. I always felt that the car should have the spirit of the original 1970 Challenger. Thankfully, my design direction was chosen to become the concept car. Thanks Scott for posting my sketches. I will continue to be a huge fan of Lateral-G.net and the awesome featured muscle cars! :thumbsup:
Casti

Cool, I'm glad you signed up. :thumbsup: Your sketches are great, I'm looking forward to checking out a Challenger in person.

Keep us posted on your 67 Camaro project. It's FAR from a POS!!

[JimM]

I like the Challenger concept A LOT. It looks just like it "should."
Only problem is, based on the LX chassis, it is undeniably a BIG CAR. If it were 1970 again, it would be compared to a Monte Carlo or Grand Pri, not a Chalenger/mustang/camaro. Still, it looks GREAT! (and the hood must stay!)

The Camaro concept, to me, looks like a mildly reskinned CTS...and the Mustang... anyone ever see the new mustang parked next to the lart one? They hit this GIANT HOME RUN, and really made very little change to the car! Fords laughing all the way to the bank, selling the pants out of a car they built for 10 years all ready, with nothing but a new grille, front fenders, tail lights and sail panels!

[groovyjay]

Don't change a thing. The Challenger is perfect as it is now! :cool: