Since the Dodge Dart has been introduced, there have been some Dodge fans who don’t like the fact that it is a compact sedan rather than a coupe – even though the original Dart was initially offered as a 4-door sedan along with a 2-door coupe. The Dart is a great car, regardless of how many doors it has, but as is still the case with the gorgeous Charger, there are skeptics who insist that it should have been a coupe. If the Dart was offered in very similar styling inside, outside and under the hood, would you be more interested in buying one?
The Dodge Neon Coupe was available from 1995 to 1999 and since Chrysler killed off the 2-door Neon, Dodge fans have been clamoring for a new sport compact coupe. The original Neon Coupe was one of the vehicles that helped to really launch the American sport compact segment with models like the ACR but with the introduction of the 2nd generation Neon for the 2000 model year, the Coupe was gone. The massive decrease in interest in 2-door compacts by American shoppers has pretty much eliminated the compact coupe from the segment so like the Neon, the competition that once offered a coupe have eliminated it as well. The Ford Focus and Chevrolet Cavalier/Cobalt were both popular models but the shift in buying habits has caused Ford and GM to go away from the compact coupe. To fill this gap, Hyundai has begun offering a 2-door version of their Elantra but there really arent many other options for consumers to buy a compact coupe.
In theory, this lack of options for the consumer market means that a Dodge Dart Coupe would have very little competition. If the folks at Dodge were to introduce a Dart Coupe – would you be more inclined to buy it rather than the sedan? Click here to head into the forums and tell us what you think!
"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.
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