Challenger 'vert cancelled

[chimazo]

From Jalopnik.com:

"Bad news for fans of drop top muscle cars: according to multiple sources, the Dodge Challenger Convertible has been canceled and the Chevy Camaro Convertible delayed for at least a year. Luckily Ford will be showing a 2010 Ford Mustang Convertible at next week’s LA Auto Show, with sales scheduled to start in Spring ’09.

Chrysler and GM’s decisions to respectively kill and delay the ultimate poser’s cars, convertible muscle cars were made for the same reason: money. The unibody Challenger is, unbelievably, not originally engineered to lose its top. So engineering a model capable of retaining its rigidity is, due to the financiapocalypse, now considered wayyy to expensive. Speaking to Motor Trend, a company insider described the Challenger convertible as, “dead as a doornail.”

[dave6666]

DIY............

[Blue Pilot]

well, i guess the wife will now get that Mercedes CLK vert' she has always wanted instead...............

[J&R3xV10]

Thats a shame I thought it would be cool to have an old school car like the old 'Cudda vert and I am surprised that they didn't badge the challenger as a 'Cuda under Chrysler with maybe a upgraded interior or something. as they did with the Charger/300

[Kevan]

Originally Posted by Jalonik

From Jalopnik.com:

"Bad news for fans of drop top muscle cars: according to multiple sources, the Dodge Challenger Convertible has been canceled and the Chevy Camaro Convertible delayed for at least a year. Luckily Ford will be showing a 2010 Ford Mustang Convertible at next week’s LA Auto Show, with sales scheduled to start in Spring ’09.

Chrysler and GM’s decisions to respectively kill and delay the ultimate poser’s cars, convertible muscle cars were made for the same reason: money. The unibody Challenger is, unbelievably, not originally engineered to lose its top. So engineering a model capable of retaining its rigidity is, due to the financiapocalypse, now considered wayyy to expensive. Speaking to Motor Trend, a company insider described the Challenger convertible as, “dead as a doornail.”

Awesome writers over there.
I guess they were out sick on "To, Too, Two" day.
Hopefully they don't miss "One, Won" day TOO.

[big-n-italian]

its too bad the Challenger unibody wasnt designed to "lose its top" in the first place so they wouldnt have to go back and redesign everything.

not real smart.

[JeffTheViperMan]

Originally Posted by big-n-italian

its too bad the Challenger unibody wasnt designed to "lose its top" in the first place so they wouldnt have to go back and redesign everything.

not real smart.

Over on the Cuda-Challenger.com forum, we had a guy from Dodge Customer Service chatting with us - he said a Challenger convertible was never in the works. In effect, there was no convertible to cancel. It was a thought, but never in the works to begin with.

There are however aftermarket companies that have already begun doing this - I'm sure pictures have been posted here before.



This one was going to SEMA.

Jeff

[wallbanger]

i saw a 09 red challenger yesterday.. that thing looked awesome...much better than the 08 orange

[big-n-italian]

Originally Posted by JeffTheViperMan

Over on the Cuda-Challenger.com forum, we had a guy from Dodge Customer Service chatting with us - he said a Challenger convertible was never in the works. In effect, there was no convertible to cancel. It was a thought, but never in the works to begin with.

and thats the part myself and many others dont get. the retro challenger was created largely because of the very successful retro mustang. the retro camaro was also created for the same reason. it just makes sense to me that if you want your car to compete with the coupe/convertible mustangs and camaros, you should be immediately thinking about making coupe/convertible challengers. when the new mustang was released almost 4 years ago now, it immediately became a convertible. same goes for the camaro - the camaro coupe comes out in 2009 and the convertible comes out in 2010. everyone else seems to be thinking coupe/convertible, why didnt dodge? alot of people were very dissapointed when the challenger pics finally came out and they saw that the rear quarter windows didnt roll down and instead were "fixed", indicating that there probably wasnt going to be a convertible. i just think that dodge blew it by not thinking coupe/convertible from the beginning, unlike their competitors.

[Paul Hawker]

If they designed it from the beginning to be offered as a convertable, it would have come out even heavier. Many are already complaining that the Challenger is not as light as they would have liked.

Vipers are designed for both Coupe and Vert. from the start.

[JeffTheViperMan]

Originally Posted by Paul Hawker

If they designed it from the beginning to be offered as a convertable, it would have come out even heavier. Many are already complaining that the Challenger is not as light as they would have liked.

Vipers are designed for both Coupe and Vert. from the start.

Yes, but the Viper was also built with easier Federal mandates for rollover, etc. The Challenger has a MASSIVE steel beam in the roof for rollover protection. The convertible would have to be so unbelievably heavy to pass federal standards that it'd be nearly undriveable.

Jeff

[big-n-italian]

Originally Posted by JeffTheViperMan

Yes, but the Viper was also built with easier Federal mandates for rollover, etc. The Challenger has a MASSIVE steel beam in the roof for rollover protection. The convertible would have to be so unbelievably heavy to pass federal standards that it'd be nearly undriveable.

Jeff

so what is the camaro and mustang doing so differently that the challenger cant? dont they all have to adhere to the same federal standards?

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

Originally Posted by JeffTheViperMan

Yes, but the Viper was also built with easier Federal mandates for rollover, etc.

Why is that? I'm not doubting you I'm just curious as to what dictates different Federal requirements.

[J&R3xV10]

Originally Posted by Chuck 98 RT/10

Why is that? I'm not doubting you I'm just curious as to what dictates different Federal requirements.

From what I understand it the low production numbers of the Viper that allows it to pass under different standards.

[mbccenter]

Maybe that is why they are broke? They are not and are not planing on building a car that people want.