Since the new 2006 Dodge Charger hit the streets it has been tagged as a poser by devotees of the muscle car era because it’s got four doors instead of two. Many people were expecting a high-horsepower coupe that would resemble the original fastback Charger. But now, that job clearly belongs to the Dodge Challenger. While the new Charger might be a family four door, two of its trim levels offer plenty of raw power. If performance is what you want, choose the R/T or the SRT-8 versions. The new Hemi V8 engines found in these models uphold the Charger’s muscle-car image, making its four-door reality a non-issue. Although the Charger’s styling doesn’t hold true to the original – only faint themes in the roofline, rear glass, and fender haunches recall the older models – Dodge did what most American manufacturers have done in creating retro-modern automobiles. It borrowed a piece of the original Charger’s heritage and modernized the rest. The result, in the Charger’s case, is a fine family four-door that can perform and handle as well as competing models that cost twice as much, all while exhibiting a brash, in-your-face design just like the original model. Who says America can’t build cool cars?
At some point in time, every automotive enthusiast dreams of owning an iconic car from the past whether it’s a VW Bug, a rugged Jeep, or the beloved Ford Mustang. But the fact is, most of us think of these old cars as unreliable and unrefined and don’t want the hassle and upkeep an older car requires to serve as a daily driver. That’s why the current retro-modern styling craze has captured our collective hearts, even if it is nothing more than a smart marketing tool. Give the public a refined and reliable version of their favorite icon from the past, add a warranty to finalize the sale, and cha-ching!> — instant profit center.America has jumped at several opportunities to own a piece of the past, even though many were loose translations, but has ignored others. Some manufacturers like Mini stay true to the original while others like GM and Nissan interpret retro-modern a different way. What is the recipe for success? Do some designs fail because they’re based on vehicles too old or obscure to appeal to a wide range of consumers, or do customers walk because the design isn’t faithful enough to the original to make the association? For every retro-modern car that collect dust on dealer lots, others become big sellers and with Baby Boomers retiring with more personal wealth than any generation before it looks like the retro theme is here to stay.
The 1967-69 first-generation Chevrolet Camaro took the country by storm and kicked off a so-called “pony car war” that lasted until the fourth-generation Camaro bit the dust shortly after the turn of the century. Thanks to its triangular rear quarter windows, broad creased shoulders, Coke-bottle waistline, and hooded headlamps, the Chevrolet Camaro Concept is instantly recognizable as a first-generation Camaro. Add to that quad taillights and sexy dual exhaust outlets, and you’ve got the look of the original front to back and side to side. If GM decides to build a new Camaro based on this show car, you can bet the Z28 version will have the same 400-horsepower, Corvette-derived 6.0-liter V8 under the hood, equipped with Active Fuel Management to achieve as much as 30 mpg on the highway, so long as you don’t row all six gears for everything they’re worth. Ditch the double-dubs for smaller wheels, and the Chevrolet Camaro Concept you see in this photograph could easily be produced.