More DeLorenzo rants
#1
01-20-2005, 09:56 AM
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: southern NH
Posts: 1,270
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
More DeLorenzo rants
Peter Delorenzo reporting on the Detroit Auto show had this to say on the new Not-a-Charger; I have to say he got this one 100% right....
The full link is here:
http://www.autoextremist.com/page2.shtml#Rant
The Emperor's New Clothes Award, Or, Put On These Magic Goggles and You'll See the Light. The Dodge Magnum Sedan, aka the new Dodge Charger, could have swept a number of awards besides this one, such as Best Display of Stubborness by a Car Company, Best Talking to Ourselves Award, as in, "We Know What We're Doing and Everyone Else is Wrong," Most Overt Manipulation of the Media, Best Attempt at Trying to Make a Connection to its NASCAR "Racertainment" Version - a connection that just wasn't there, no matter how much Chrysler tried to spin it. They even dragged out Richard Petty as if he would somehow impart some level of magic to the Charger that just was nowhere to be found. None of it worked. The bottom line on this Dodge sedan version of the LX platform is that it has none of the brutal muscle car-elegance of the Magnum, and it has none of the road presence of the 300C. And unless you put Chrysler's Magic Goggles on, add the custom Chrysler Kool-Aid IV drip attachment and the Kool-Aid Patch, it is nothing but a chunky, homely, boring sedan desperately trying to be something else.
[IMG]local://upfiles/7982/1F6EC4CBB2884A2694747363A6B6FC35.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]local://upfiles/7982/1F6EC4CBB2884A2694747363A6B6FC35.jpg[/IMG]
http://www.autoextremist.com/page2.shtml#Rant
#3
01-20-2005, 06:10 PM
RE: More DeLorenzo rants
I have to agree. There are so many other ways that dodge could have styled this car. I have seen a number of artistis renditions that I would have gone to pocket for tomorrow and plunked down a deposit on. This thing though is sadly not one of them. All we can hope for is that in the next model year or two as is customary with most car companies that they restyle it to be more appealing. Look at how much was changed in the intrepid from the first generation to the second. Hwystar
#4
01-21-2005, 01:09 AM
Professional
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location:
Posts: 119
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: More DeLorenzo rants
I think the critics are just that, critical. The Charger which I agree could have been done up with better styling but you have to remember the tooling costs for building a car from scratch are outrageous. The normal payback is three years on average for car manufacturers to re-coup the cost of re-tooling. Keeping similar body styles and interiors keeps not only tooling costs down, but also engineering costs and specialty part costs to a minimum. Looking at it from D/C's point of view, they have a winner with the Magnum and the 300, so what they are offering is another model at minimal costs for production. Stock holders love that kind of talk. I'd of loved to see a two door model, or a model that is set apart from all other present lines, but it's the bottom line that dictates the products that we are offered. And like I said in another post, the look is growing on me and if the Charger is offered in a SRT-8, I just may consider buying one.
#5
01-22-2005, 12:15 AM
Professional
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Fargo, ND
Posts: 196
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: More DeLorenzo rants
Ummm.... which Mustang was that?!? 
64-73 were RWD. Even in the dark days of the Mustang II (74-78) it was RWD. The first Fox platform from 79-86 was RWD, 87-93 were RWD, and of course 94-98 and 99-04 were RWD as is the 05. They did want to sneak the Probe in as a Mustang but when the enthusiast community got wind of it they gave Ford hell.
64-73 were RWD. Even in the dark days of the Mustang II (74-78) it was RWD. The first Fox platform from 79-86 was RWD, 87-93 were RWD, and of course 94-98 and 99-04 were RWD as is the 05. They did want to sneak the Probe in as a Mustang but when the enthusiast community got wind of it they gave Ford hell.
#7
01-22-2005, 02:50 PM
Professional
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: United States
Posts: 239
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Trending Topics
#8
01-22-2005, 05:18 PM
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: southern NH
Posts: 1,270
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: More DeLorenzo rants
ORIGINAL: Hemi RT
Maybe I'm wrong but I swear there was a mustang LX in the 80's that was FWD. Am I wrong????
Maybe I'm wrong but I swear there was a mustang LX in the 80's that was FWD. Am I wrong????
#9
01-22-2005, 11:51 PM
The Only Elite DF Member
RE: More DeLorenzo rants
ORIGINAL: TeeWJay426
Some companies apparently DO listen to their enthusiast segments!
Some companies apparently DO listen to their enthusiast segments!
#10
01-23-2005, 09:11 PM
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: southern NH
Posts: 1,270
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: More DeLorenzo rants
ORIGINAL: nickoman01
yeah, and look what they have to show for it: the ugliest cars in America, losing huge parts of market share fast, and their highest performance car being beat by a car that hasn't been upgraded in years thats half the price.
yeah, and look what they have to show for it: the ugliest cars in America, losing huge parts of market share fast, and their highest performance car being beat by a car that hasn't been upgraded in years thats half the price.