2010 Dodge Charger Review

Charger, not as amped up as it sounds. In this week's post I am going to take a different approach to reviewing the car and labeling it as a successful remake of a older iconic car. This week I am just going to review the remake only. I am doing this to go in more depth with the newer version and still rate it. This week I am going to review the remake of the infamous Dodge Charger. I am going to decide wether I like the remake and does the remake do any justice to their older counterpart.

In the last 5 years the Dodge Chrysler Corporation has released their new rendition of the Dodge Charger. When you here Dodge Charger I think of Dukes of Hazard, jumping bridges and outrunning cops all while sporting the rebel flag on the roof. The 2010 however I don't get so much excitement, but get more limp. This car is very disappointing. At the first glance I see my grandmother driving this car to church on Sundays, and no my grandmother is not a hot Roding, tattoo-wearing grandma either. I feel that the crushed '70's Chargers are rolling in their car graves. Dodge remade an iconic muscle car into a sedan, seriously?

The exterior is mainly disappointing because it has four doors. The '70's models had two. The front grille does not look bad but it does not scream muscle car power like the Charger name does. The '70's grille had hidden headlights that rotated out when the driver decides to. The '10 version has headlights similar to a Toyota Camary, which is what my grandma drives. Dodge tried to redeem themselves by offering different exterior badges that say HEMI that are flat black that extend to the rear spoiler. The wheels are all right, like I said before nothing special just a 5-spoke design that Dodge could have slapped on any car. The taillights barely emulate the iconic version but Dodge missed by so far on this car so what the hell, throw whatever on it. I feel like dodge completely failed with this remake, put it in the trash, F.

The poor craftsmanship carries over into the interior. The interior looks exactly out of Chrysler's PT Cruiser. I mean it look nice and everything but this is supposed to be a sports car. The seats are one color, high-back design for support but I think every car has that now. Other muscle car remakes have custom designed seats and upholstery throughout the vehicle, but no the Charger. I do have to say that the special edition cars come with a little fancier interior but nothing like a Camaro, Mustang, or '70's Charger. The dash is nothing special either; it has white-faced gauges and a regular steering wheel. The only real improvement from the '70's Chargers and the new ones are airbags and better air conditioning. I really did not like the lack of attention to detail that Dodge has done.

The performance aspect of the '10 Charger does not disappoint as much as the interior and the exterior. I was actually impressed with the performance packages that Dodge offers. They offer anything from a semi-powerful V6 to a pavement pounding V8 Hemi. The V8 Hemi option is called the SRT8 package. The SRT package comes with 425 horsepower and 420 foot pounds of torque. It is very impressive but, they also throw the same packages in trucks, so its not unique to the Charger which is disappointing. To sister up the engine Dodge only offers an automatic engine, which is also disappointing to all the people who like to slam those gears. The appearance of all the engines is very good, and there is nothing out of place, at least in my opinion. The 2010 Charger also gets reasonable gas mileage depending on the package, ranging from 18 in the city and 26 on the highway. Overall I'll be nice to this area of the remake and say that Dodge did alright.

My whole conception of the 2010 Dodge Charger is that it sucks compared to the iconic one that we all know and love. I feel and wish that Dodge would start over but they won't because it is a hot seller to all the soccer moms and the dads who have kid to transport in a sporty kind of way. I did not like their four door design or the copied design from the PT Cruiser. In my book Dodge failed to meet the expectations of the older counter part. Dodge gave the old counterpart a kick in the nuts, or in this case the tail pipe.

'73 Pontiac Trans Am vs. '11 Pontiac Trans Am Concept

The Trans Am carries a name and a history that is famous throughout the United States. To decide which Trans Am to compare with the concept was very hard. There are so many different Trans Ams that help define muscle cars, so I decided to choose the 1973 Trans Am because it closely related the concept version.

We are going to start with the concept this week unlike the previous posts. I stumbled upon the Trans Am concept car in Hot Rod Magazine, February 2010 issue. The picture immediately caught my idea and is what sprouted the ideas of my postings. The '11 Trans Am concept is a '11 Chevrolet Camaro with extreme modifications, to get things straight. Pontiac does not make any Trans Ams anymore and I far as I know it is not on the drawing boards, but may be after they seek their eyes on this one.

The exterior of the '11 Trans Am is very similar to the Camaro. The first thing that catches my eye when I look at it is the gigantic firebird on the hood that was popular in the '70's models. The whole exterior fits with the Trans Am history, down to the spoke rimes and blackout lights. Another unique feature is the functional shaker hood. According to an article in Hot Rod Magazine, that the front upper and lower grilles were made from a truck and a Pontiac G8, talk about innovation. This car is amazing on the exterior and will only get better with time because it is a concept. It deserves nothing less than an A+.

Once again the interior is similar to the Camaro's but it has a lot of Trans Am labeling throughout. The seats are leather that has the Trans Am badge in the headrests. The doorsill plates have been converted to resemble a late '70's Trans Am. There are gauges everywhere, from behind the steering wheel to next to the shift knob. Each car has different accent panels that are usually painted to match the exterior. I think the interior is custom and gets the grade of an A.

Now the engine is the exact same as the Camaro. What the consumer bought from the dealer is what the consumer gets after the facelift. The consumer can get a V6 or V8 engine, with an automatic or manual transmission. The horsepower ranges from 275 to almost 500 depending on modifications. The only real modification done to help the engine is the functional shaker hood that might boost performance. I think that they could have upgraded the engine a little more since your spending so much but it gets an A.

There is only one company that builds the Trans Am concept, and they are named Trans Am Depot in Tallahassee with the help of Otto Body Company and designer Kevin Morgan. The team commented on the Hot Rod Magazine website about the process.

The first car was built to make it 3-D and see what worked and what didn't. You know, so we could step back and look at it and see how it looked," Tod says. As soon as the first car was done, the team began refining the design on a second car.

Now, we can compare the legend and see if the concept lives up to its name. Starting off with the exterior the first thing I notice is that big flashy bird that breathes fire, again. But the '73 have a great stance and present it very well. The grille is a big two-part split fiberglass bumper painted to match. The color schemes of the Trans Am vary depending on the consumer. The color of the bird decal on the hood depends on the color of the car. History lesson, the bird on the hood is a Firebird; the Trans Am is an upgraded version of the Firebird for those people who did not know. I give the exterior a grade of an A+.

The interior is a very simple. At this period the seats evolved into a more supportive and safer seat. The seats and door panels in some cars offset the carpet and dash by being different colors. The gauge cluster is completely chromed out and includes a tachometer and speedometer, and more. The shifter and console area are very simple but elegant. This Trans Am was around the time that electric widows were invented so some were equipped with them. The door panels are also simple and plain but work well. I give the grade of a B, because the lack of special touches likes badges.

The engine in the '73 is powerful and can melt tires with the slightest touch of the gas pedal. The engine on the Trans Am was a 455 cubic inch engine rated out of the factory at 310 hp only to help consumers with the insurance companies. It was really rated around 370 hp. The transmission options include automatic turbo 350 or a manual "Rock Crusher M22" with a Hurst speed shifter. I give the grade of an A.

To conclude the thought of what was presented, I hope Pontiac comes out with Trans Am or Firebird version. I do not see why the Trans Am concept has attracted a lot of attention. I think any enthusiast will agree with me in saying that the builders of the Trans Am concept did an amazing job and hopefully we'll see a lot more in the future. Yes, this was a good remake.

Check out T\the whole article about the Trans Am concept by visiting http://www.hotrod.com/featuredvehicles/hrdp_1003_2011_pontiac_trans_am/index.html

'64 Ford THunderbird vs. '04 Ford Thunderbird

Two classics meet up for the ultimate showdown. We are going to take an in depth look at the Ford Thunderbird from the '50's and the one released six years ago. I would first like to start out by telling you that this week is different than the previous weeks because we are dealing with a classic car instead of a muscle car. The grading scale this week will have more emphasis on looks more than performance. Anyways who cares about how your car performs when carries so much class and style with it.

Let's explore the 1955 Ford Thunderbird first. At first glance of this car I just think its a little old lady car. That is because I could see my grandma driving this car while listening to some Frank Sinatra. Now how much more class do you need? I find this car so intriguing because the design is one of a kind. The thing that catches my eye the most has to be the headlights. Theses headlights look like the car has eyes with eye lids. The front grille also makes this car look like a face. You have the eye headlights and the mouth looking grille now thats unique. The hood has a sporty non functional hod scoop for styling. Another styling feature is the removable hard top convertible, so there are no worries about a soft top convertible falling apart. The tail lights also have a unique look to them. They are circular with accent silver pieces in it. The Thunderbird has white wall tires with smooth chrome hubcaps. The bumpers are a one piece chrome bar across the front and back. The elongated body of this car is what defined the '50's culture and to how people perceive it. There are no special color schemes for this car, its just to classy. The grade that the Thunderbird deserves is an A.

The interior does not disappoint either. The Thunderbird's interior comes in many different colors such as red or green with accent colors like white or black. The popular '50's theme carries over into the interior. It has a large steering wheel with a chrome horn button.. The dash is one color but has a brushed aluminum center piece that goes across the middle of the dash horizontally. The gauges are very basic. There is only a speedometer that is the shape of a half circle in the center of the dash. There is a temperature gauge as well as a gas gauge and that is it. It has a basic radio with turn dials to tune in to your favorite station. The Thunderbird theme is also carried throughout, all the way down to putting the logo on the mats. The door panels match the interior with accent pieces inserted as well as the brushed aluminum pieces. The seats are a low rise, mid back seat with not a lot of support. And these seats do not decline, so if your taller than 5'5" your going to have some comfort problems. But I still give the grade of an A to the interior.

Now a quick look at the engine. The only option of the '55 is a V8. However, the factory option were a 2 barrel or 4 barrel carburetor. But if your like me I would get the 4 barrel supercharged option for some extra power. Like most cars you can get an automatic or a manual transmission. The engine is covered in chrome and very stylish. Overall an A grade.
I found an excerpt from Ford-Forums.com about the Ford Thunderbird:

Ford thought they'd take their own stab at the nostalgia business. There are quite a few last-century icons that wear the blue oval. For a revival subject, why not use a car famous enough to have been the subject of Beach Boys songs, starred in George Lucas movies, and has been gone long enough to be missed? Why not indeed. In 2002, the Thunderbird was reborn, as stated on the site.

The 2004 Ford Thunderbird is also unique. The '04 look almost exactly like the '55 but has smoother lines. By smoother lines I don't mean that it is a good thing or a bad thing. The Thunderbird has similar headlights but without the eye lid like the '55. It also has the front lower grill that looks like a grate just like the older version. Unlike the '55 the '04 has a soft top convertible option as well as just a hard top. the tail lights are round and nothing special. There are no chrome bumpers here only fiberglass for styling. The hood scoop was carried over to the remake as well. THe wheels are just a plain spoke wheel with black tires. The color options are only plain colors, no stripes or custom colors. I was really never impressed with this car ever since is came out in the early 2000's. So the grade I give the exterior is a B-.

The interior picks up some of the slack that the exterior created. The interior has all the basic amenities of a newer car would have, CD player, cup holders, and electric windows. The color scheme is similar to the '55 with the accent pieces and chrome. The steering wheel is a modern looking steering wheel with airbags. Who needs them, right? The seats are where Ford improved they are much more comfortable and supportive. The car seats only two passengers as well. The Thunderbird interior look good but not as good as the '55. The overall grade I give the '04 is a B+.

Spoil alert the 2004 Thunderbird does not have a supercharged option. Even though there is no supercharged option, the power is very good. The engine puts out 286 hp and it is a v8 and fuel injected. So no more of those cold starts on a cold mourning. The transmission option is only an automatic. The engine performs well for what it was equipped with, so I'll give it a B.

It is very tough to do a remake of a car that defined an era in American History. The 50's was defined as the baby boomer generation and a generation with big flashy cars. So I think Ford failed in the remake of the '55 Thunderbird. They probably agreed with me because they n longer produce them. So they'll just go back to the drawing board for this one.


From: http://cr4.globalspec.com/blogentry/4253/December-13-1957-The-Last-Two-Seat-Ford-Thunderbird

"Instead of decorating the T-Bird's exterior with shiny but gaudy chrome, Hershey drew simple, tasteful lines that ran from fenders to fins. The real story, however, was under the hood. Whereas Corvette engineers had struggled to modify GM's stovebolt six, Ford designers simply dropped in their big V-8 engine."

'67 Shelby Mustang GT500 vs. '10 Shelby Mustang GT500

I collected hundreds of Matchbox and Hot wheels cars when I was a child but that was only the beginning of a passion that has room to grow. Here is a back round on why I am so passionate about cars. For starters I have always loved cars. What really started my obsession was the movie Gone in Sixty Seconds and the ’67 Shelby Mustang featured: Eleanor. When I was 15 I bought my first car a ’69 Mustang. After a while I upgraded to a ’79 Camaro, which I still have, was in a lot better shape than the Mustang.I now know why the mustang got the nickname of "Rustang" for the ungodly amount of rust everywhere. All of this is only the begging because I aspire to restore classic cars in my future.

This week we have the infamous matchup between the 1967 Shelby Mustang GT 500 and the 2010 Shelby GT 500. Let’s start with the legendary 1967 Ford Shelby Mustang GT 500. This car is my dream car. Ever since the I saw it in Gone in Sixty Seconds, I have always wanted one. I would probably give up a limb for one. This car is wanted by all enthusiasts, the design has never been replicated to matched. The exterior of the Shelby is very amazing. The lines are perfect. I think the most legendary part of the Shelby is 1. The grill, 2. The door scoops and 3. The Window Levor. The Shelby’s paint scheme is also something unforgettable, it comes with a base color such as red, blue or green, and comes with two racing stripes down the middle. There are also stripes on the rocker panels underneath the doors which is a 3 stripe concept which labels it a GT500 or GT350. The overall grade I give the ’67 Shelby is an A+++.

The Interior is almost as flawless as the exterior. In my opinion the dash stands out the most to me. It has everything. The steering wheel is a beautiful wooden wheel with chrome accents. Chrome accents are followed throughout the dash. The gauges are big and bright with a race car feel. The carpet is simple as well as the other panels. The seats are leather usually coming with a Cobra badge on it. And if your lucky Carroll Shelby, the designer, himself gives his stamp of approval with a signature on the dash. The interior receives an A+ as well.

The engine is also legendary. The Shelby comes with a 429 cubic inch Cobra motor. This is anyone’s dream engine because of so much power. Out of the factory it came with 355 hp and 420 foot pound of torque. It would go fro 0-60 in 4.8 seconds and a top speed of 133 mph. The Shelby comes with a manual transmission or for the women an automatic C-6 transmission. The overall grade is also an A+. Some of these cars go upwards of $300,000 dollars of value. So the total grade of the car I would give is an A++.

Now the 2010 Shelby Mustang. There is nothing yet legendary with this new car because it has not been in any feature roles in movies or guest appearances. The exterior of this car is good, just good. I think it looks a lot better than the base model Mustang but nothing special. Everything matches up very well, the lines, paint, etc. This car does not get me that excited to talk about it. Unlike the Camaro remake this car does not mix in all of it’s counter parts just a few. The stance is aggressive and the car gives the vibe of “let’s race”. The paint is exactly like the ’67, a base color with stripes. Oh yea you could get the option of a convertible or a glass roof. The overall grade I five the exterior is a B+.

The interior however lives up to the name. The dash is very similar to the ’67 even down to the Mr. Shelby signature and badge. The seats come from a later model Mustang because it performed better, with more support and stability. The seats also have accent stripes down the middle of them that give the ’70’s feel to it, with the Cobra Badge. The door panels have all the bells and whistles that are expected in a new car and have accent pieces on it as well. I give the interior remake and A, a much better improvement than the exterior.

The under the hood goods also do not disappoint as well. The engine is 5.4 liter supercharged engine. This engine puts out an optional 540 hp and 510 foot pounds of torque. That takes the Shelby to “Tire Shredding Status”. An owner of t one of these will either need to get new tires every month or caught speeding at least once a week. The transmission comes as an automatic or a manual. The look on the compartment is very sleek and clean, with no loose wires or clutter. The over all grade is an A+.

Now the comparison, I think that this is a good remake of the ’67 but some tweaking is needed in my opinion on the exterior. Everything else lived up to expectations. It is hard to live up to expectations when they are set so high and are so legendary. Ford needs to keep up the good work for the future.

Stangnet.com blog: racin' randy (February 6th, 2010 at 1:56 am)

“Whoa is someone carrying a little grudge? Shelby has more than his name on it, he has lent his expertise and design ideas. It just wasn’t put together at his factory in Las Vegas, which saves us a lot of money. Check out his additions to a regular GT Mustang and you will see how much more you get by having Ford do it.”