GTP Cool Wall: 2nd Gen Dodge Challenger

  • Thread starter BKGlover
  • 95 comments
  • 23,705 views

Dodge Challenger Gen.2

  • Total voters
    98
  • Poll closed .
BKGlover

BKGlover

6,113
United States
Texas
Dodge Challenger nominated by Tornado

1980_dodge_challenger-pic-2458529462898497717.jpeg


Stats that Matter:
Production: 1978-1984
Style: 2-Door Coupe
Engine: 1.6L I4 (77 HP), 2.6L I4 (100-105 HP)
Transmission: 3-Speed Auto, 5-Speed Manual
Layout: Front-engine, Rear-drive
AKA: Mitsubishi Galant Lambda (1976-1984), Mitsubishi Scorpion, Mitsubishi Sapporo, Plymouth Sapporo

Wikipedia
Automobile-Catalog.com

Nomination Thread

Question- Would you all like for me to start announcing the final placement in the thread?​
 
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As a Mitsubishi, with the 2.6L engine, this might not have been too bad of a car. It's 2-Door, doesn't look too bad, and as much as Mitsu raced Galant variants this probably has a few good races behind it.

But it isn't. It is a Mitsubishi Galant with Dodge and/or Plymouth badges on it. It is a captive import, and the only way a captive import can even hope to be cool is if it was a DB9, or a Viper, or an F1.

Seriously Uncool.
 
Absolutely trash compared to the original. Laughable horsepower, terrible styling, no V8 option? Seriously uncool. Without hesitation.
 
Was going to vote Seriously Uncool, but ended up voting Uncool.

A castrated shadow of what the Challenger once was, but this car appeals to me somehow, but would be a lot cooler with another name.

It's a byproduct of what happens when government started dictating car design.
 
Uncool, this is NOT a Challenger. The FR layout saved it from Seriously Uncool.

And yes, you should announce the final placement on the thread. I've been looking for the results for a lot of them.
 
GranTurismo916
And yes, you should announce the final placement on the thread. I've been looking for the results for a lot of them.
Click to expand...

Verywell, I'll announce the results on the threads as well, starting with the T&C, though you may not like/get confused on some calls.
 
It could have been worse. It could have been a Mustang II.




Though (as per usual of the time period) of course it took Chrysler about 3 years too long to actually debut it.
 
Tornado
It could have been worse. It could have been a Mustang II.
Click to expand...

At least Ford tried with the Mustang II. This is just being lazy, incredibly so in this case as I don't think they even changed any trim pieces to differenciate it from the Mitsu, tape stripes not included.
 
It was certainly a WTF choice to carry on the Challenger name, and that very fact makes it a cool piece of history in my mind. The old school styling cues and RWD help, too.
 
Seriously Uncool. It just looks like 4.5 metres of "some car." And that's before we get to the rather unfortunate point of the name.
 
BKGlover
At least Ford tried with the Mustang II. This is just being lazy, incredibly so in this case as I don't think they even changed any trim pieces to differenciate it from the Mitsu, tape stripes not included.
Click to expand...

If the Mustang II was Ford trying, I shudder to think what them not trying would be*; and trying doesn't amount to much when the end result is... the Mustang II. Chrysler was extremely lazy about developing the Challenger II, but at least the base car they shipped across the ocean was competent and assembled well. More than can be said for... the majority of the domestic output of the time (this was when Chrysler was building the Volare, remember).










*The answer is the 1974 Thunderbird.
 
Tornado
If the Mustang II was Ford trying, I shudder to think what them not trying would be*; and trying doesn't amount to much when the end result is... the Mustang II. Chrysler was extremely lazy about developing the Challenger II, but at least the base car they shipped across the ocean was competent and assembled well. More than can be said for... the majority of the domestic output of the time (this was when Chrysler was building the Volare, remember).







*The answer is the 1974 Thunderbird.
Click to expand...

While I'll admit the Mustang II isn't the greatest car in the world, and even though I like it, it has it's flaws, but Ford really should have stayed with the Maverick based Mustang.
 
I'm not entirely sure where to stand on this car, like the Mustang II it was a car designed in an era when things were in a transition period, but unlike the Mustang II, the Galant with a Dodge badge on it wasn't completely horrible. It had that slightly funky late 70's/early 80's Japanese styling too, which has always been cool. It also setup Chrysler to build, or rather pop off the Mitsubishi badge and glue a Chrysler one on, the Conquest and Daytona...both of which are cool cars.

I'm going to go with 'meh' I think. While it had many cool features about it, the lack of the 4G63T engine is detracts from it's coolness since it was the 80's and everything in the 80's needed a turbo.
 
Slashfan
While I'll admit the Mustang II isn't the greatest car in the world, and even though I like it, it has it's flaws, but Ford really should have stayed with the Maverick based Mustang.
Click to expand...

They really, really should have (or, better, built it off a domestic version of the Capri; but perhaps that is unrealistic to expect from Knudsen-era Ford). It would have probably been lighter, it would have handled better (even though the Falcon chassis was 14 years old by then and the Pinto platform was probably somewhat stronger, the Maverick had much better weight distribution and better tires), and it could have hit the ground with the V8 in the first year. It certainly would have been a lot cheaper to do so as opposed to all of the hoops they had to jump through to adapt the Pinto stuff. Plus it would have even been... well, a Mustang just like the original.


Who knows why they abandoned the Maverick-Mustang concepts they had running around.
 
Tornado
They really, really should have (or, better, built it off a domestic version of the Capri). It would have probably been lighter, it would have handled better (even though the Falcon chassis was 14 years old by then and the Pinto platform was probably somewhat stronger, the Maverick had much better weight distribution and better tires), and it could have hit the ground with the V8 in the first year. It certainly would have been a lot cheaper to do so as opposed to all of the hoops they had to jump through to adapt the Pinto stuff. Plus it would have even been... well, a Mustang just like the original.

Who knows why they abandoned the concepts they had running around.
Click to expand...

Exactly. The car could have been so much better.
 
It's seriously uncool because of what it is. A Japanese car rebadged as a Challenger, which is one of the most iconic American muscle cars.

It's cool because since it was so terrible, everyone that bought one (my great grandmother included) got rid of them and now are extremely rare.


I want to call it cool, but calling that cool is pretty hard for me. I guess it's a meh.
 
I give it cool. Very light weight chassis, shared motor with Starion which means that turbocharging wouldn't blow it up to oyur face, and has a 5-speed manual. True, styling is quite.. nonchalant, but once you're inside the car, you won't need to look at it.
 
It has so much against it (slapped with the Challenger name while being nothing like a real Challenger, low hp, etc.), and yet...I find myself looking at it and thinking it's sort of interesting in a 70s/80s smallish car kinda way.

A solid uncool.
 
Lol, people on here tear this car apart but not the new Dart. At least these where RWD and 2 door Coupes that looked decent.
 
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Seriously uncool.

Was going to vote just "uncool" based on the quirky retro looks, but it's bumped down to the bottom for utterly failing to live up to its more famous forebear, just as so many of the fuel crisis vehicles did.
 
My dad had a few of these back in the '90s. Although they were Mitsubishis and all had turbos and I loved them.

I would vote cool for this but as it bares a Challenger badge, I'll vote Meh.
 
Antonisbob
Lol, people on here tear this car apart but not the new Dart. At least these where RWD and 2 door Coupes that looked decent.
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The original Challenger was a big V8 muscle car. This Challenger is a small 4/6 cylinder... thing.

The original Dart was an economy car. The new Dart is an economy car.

What don't you get about that?
 
xXKingJoshXx
The original Challenger was a big V8 muscle car. This Challenger is a small 4/6 cylinder... thing.

The original Dart was an economy car. The new Dart is an economy car.

What don't you get about that?
Click to expand...

Economy car with big V8s and high power.
 

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