The next gen Dodge Challenger is expected to arrive in the next two years – should Chrysler continue on with the Challenger being a big, brawny muscle car or should the company try to scale it down to more closely compete with the Chevrolet Camaro and the Ford Mustang? We look at the pros and cons of both below.
The Dodge Challenger has posted a few records sales months in 2013 but those numbers still fall far short of the Chevrolet Camaro and the Ford Mustang. Since being introduced, many Mopar diehards have complained that the Challenger is simply too big and too heavy to compete with the cross town rivals from Ford and GM. Chrysler has compensated for this difference and size and weight by packing the Challenger with a massive, high-powered engine but with the Camaro and Mustang both getting big power jumps over the past few years, Ma Mopar might have a tough time simply out-muscling those smaller pony cars with the Challenger as it exists today. Due to this, many believe that the Challenger should scale down its proportions significantly so that it will be as light and as nimble as the Camaro and Mustang but at what cost?
Pros of a smaller, lighter next generation Dodge Challenger:
-A lighter car naturally makes better use of the available power so Chrysler wouldn’t need to increase the output of the available engines very much to even the playing field with Ford and GM.
-A lighter car would also offer better fuel economy with a similar drivetrain. Even though performance is key, fuel economy is an ever-growing issue in the performance car world.
-A smaller and lighter car would handle and brake better.
Cons of a smaller, lighter next generation Dodge Challenger:
-The size difference will almost certainly diminish the back seat. Unlike the Camaro and Mustang, the current Challenger offers actual rear seating space for adults. Making the car smaller will probably give the Challenger the same diminutive rear seats as the other two American muscle cars.
-A smaller Challenger will inherently be less badass. There is no question that when the big, strapping Challenger rumbles up next to the smaller Camaro or Mustang – the Challenger is the biggest and meanest looking of the three. While the Challenger might be bigger and heavier, this is a vehicle that just screams “MUSCLE CAR!”
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
