Tons of used-up vehicles are sent to the great junkyard in the sky every day courtesy of huge hydraulic crushers. We collectively shed a tear whenever a desirable old classic meets its maker before some enterprising soul is able to save it from this unfortunate fate. All of the Mopar fans waiting patiently in line for a new Dodge Challenger may want to look away for a moment, though, as we have pictures of quite a few new Challengers headed for a horrible flattening. These vehicles are either preproduction models, test mules or cars with some sort of major defect that could not be rectified. So, to the boneyard they go.
Despite the fact that this happens every single day to less interesting cars, seeing photographic evidence of a desirable model such as the new Challenger being pancaked makes us wonder if there isn't something else that these vehicles could be used for. We'd gladly take a shell or two off their hands... perhaps make a desk out of the front clip, a couch out of the back seat... you get the idea.
Fans of going as fast as possible in a straight line, which includes some of us at Autoblog, have reason to rejoice. Chrysler has officially announced that the drag package for its upcoming Challenger, initially shown at SEMA in late 2006, will be released on an unsuspecting public. Previous rumors have the drag pack getting hi-po versions of the 5.9-liter Magnum and Hemi V8's, while jettisoning around eight-hundred pounds of dead weight unnecessary for mass-acceleration. The National Hot Rod Association is said to be going through the package as we speak in order to certify it for racing duty. After all of the necessary paperwork is complete, the Challenger is expected to race in the Stock Eliminator class. According to Chrysler spokeswoman Patricia Georgevich, Chrysler is looking at a possible introduction in July.
Just over two years after debuting as a concept at the 2006 Detroit Auto Show, the Dodge Challenger is now ready to hit the streets for real. The Challenger is reviving a name last used in the late '70s and early '80s on a compact, four-cylinder Mitsubishi-built coupe. This time, though, Chrysler is going back to the roots of the brand with a big muscular rear-wheel-drive coupe, initially available exclusively with a 6.1L HEMI V8 that will power the new Challenger 60 mph in the low 5-second range, according to a very conservative Chrysler. It shares the automaker's LX platform with the Charger and Chrysler 300, and in final form, the car has changed remarkably little from the concept. The most noticeable differences are up front and include the loss of the cross-hair grille and a slim black air dam at the bottom of the bumper. Other changes are pretty subtle, such as some reshaping of the lower air intake.
Out back, the rear bumper is now more prominent and the detailing of the taillights has been revised. A flat black lip spoiler is now mounted on the trailing edge of the deck lid while the Challenger badges on the rear fenders have been dumped. The rear driver side fender now also features a prominent chrome fuel filler cap. The wheelbase of the LX platform has been shrunk from a gargantuan 120 inches for the sedans to a merely large 116 inches for the Challenger. That puts the span between the axles at 9 inches longer the Mustang, which aids interior volume. Read on after the jump for more.
