I tend to think there is some confusion still remaining out there about the 1999 Charger concept. The particular car was never built to showcase the 2005 Dodge Charger sedan. The problem was that the show car was still on the car show circuit for years afterwards because of its popularity. The 99 Charger concept was actually built on a LH platform which was originally intended to be a FWD/RWD dual usage platform. The car's engine was a supercharger 4.7 SOHC V8 burning natural gas. It really was brought out at an awkward time when Chrysler was becoming DaimlerChrysler and the LH platform was on its way out in favor of the LX within a few years. Rumor has it that Dodge tried earnestly to make the 99 concept a reality for the 2005 model, but the body was too radical to adapt to the LX platform. As most of us already know, that 99 car was also a 4 door car but reality simply was that it was just too radical to be considered a viable family performance sedan...which Dodge dealerships desperately wanted.
The Challenger concept is likely being shown closely resembling the production model and I think its no accident that we're seeing this car in a 'spy photo'. I personally believe DCX allowed this car to be photographed to gauge early interest in the car. This can put them on track to get an earlier arrival of the car into production. Plus, keep in mind that this new Challenger has been declared to be Dodge's pony car, which means that the production Challenger will compete on each model level with Mustang. There will be a V6 base, a R/T model (likely a 5.7L Hemi) to compete with Mustang GT and the SRT-8 Challenger to compete with the Shelby GT-500...all with price tags probably to be very close to Mustang on each level.
Personally, I think the Challenger is in good position to be a worthy pony car challenger and the R/T and SRT models will sell just as well as Mustang GT and Shelby. The area that Mustang will likely retain sales dominance is the V6 base. However, Dodge will not be quite as dependent on V6 Challenger sales because this car will share with Charger, Magnum and 300 so I suspect its development costs and sales expectations will not need to be as high.
Challenger will be a huge hit. Look at all the message boards across the internet. You've got Ford guys raving...GM guys raving...import guys interested and certainly the MOPAR guys are high on excitement. I think that Dodge had a pony car in mind all along but purposely waited for the Mustang hoopla to taper a bit. Now they have fulfilled the need for a sedan like the Charger and now can take aim at the Mustang's sales with a brand new Hemi Challenger coupe...all the while, Ford will likely have nothing to compete against Charger as the decade closes. DCX has done their homework. I love Ford, but I think they have underestimated their DCX rivals and it will show in the next few years.
