Topic: Dodge Challenger

[double d]

My brother just bought one of these, I live in Manitoba, he lives in Alberta, came to visit and went home with a new car. He said they were going for up to $90,000 where he lives, not sure what he got this one for but his last bid was $64,000. Took her for a spin, thought I'd give a few impressions.

Car is black, exterior is gorgeous, interior is typical Dodge but looks good, seats are very comfortable, seems to be a reasonable amount of room in the back. In town suspension was a bit rough but handling was tight. on highway another story. Couldn't really wind her up as his 2 kids were in the back, only got her up to 150, handles like a dream, nice throaty growl when you punch it.

All in all a beautiful car, only complaint are the frameless windows, ala Subaru, however Dodge that of that too, when you touch the exterior handle to open the door the windows roll down about 1/4" and close after you get inside and shut the door, keeps the windows from being slammed around everytime you open the door.

Needless to say heads turnt everywhere we went.

[Ex-airbalancer]

sounds nice

"Dodge that of that too, when you touch the exterior handle to open the door the windows roll down about 1/4" and close after you get inside and shut the door, keeps the windows from being slammed around everytime you open the door"
Same has a 2000 BMW

[von_khan]

Congratulations to your brother. But $64,000?

Im assuming that is for a SRT8... Yikes thats a ridiculous dealer markup given that they MSRP at 46 on Dodge Canada's website. Your brother just suffered 20K of real world depreciation just driving that car off the lot.

 

To each his own I suppose. Me personally I'd get a slgihtly used 335i and slap the slew of mods from Dinan on it (bmw warranty holds with those given that they're dealer installed). Smoke pretty much anything shy of the supers in terms of handling and performance.

[My Old Buick]

The 2008 Challenger is a collector car, You can't compare that to an everday Dodge.  The 08' models are limited to 500 in Canada, and they also come with an authenticity letter documenting the production number. Over the years if that's a low mileage car with all the  proper documentation kept, that car will go up in value. When the 2009's hit the road they'll make the 08's worth that much more solely because they are the first. It's a limited market for those and the enthusiats that buy them know their value, in the GTA the minimum is 5k over list, and everyone is paying it with a smile.  Your brother got a special car, and man that 6.1 is soo much fun..   Congrats on the purchase...

[ArticSteve]

They wanted $62,000 firm plus PDI/Freight and all taxes at Fox Chrysler for an orange SRT in Owen Sound last week.  It was a 5 speed auto at that.    I just had to laugh.  It's gone now.

[rrocket]

The 2008 Challenger is a collector car, You can't compare that to an everday Dodge.  The 08' models are limited to 500 in Canada, and they also come with an authenticity letter documenting the production number. Over the years if that's a low mileage car with all the  proper documentation kept, that car will go up in value. When the 2009's hit the road they'll make the 08's worth that much more solely because they are the first. It's a limited market for those and the enthusiats that buy them know their value, in the GTA the minimum is 5k over list, and everyone is paying it with a smile.  Your brother got a special car, and man that 6.1 is soo much fun..   Congrats on the purchase...

Please....that 2008 SRT8 Challenger being worth anything in the coming years is a joke.  There will be fewer Skylines than SRT Challengers coming to Canada in 2009....is that car collectible too because it's the 1st year?  And that car actually is a "real" sports car and something very unique and special.

Sorry to break it to you...the SRT Challenger (2008 or not) is just an everyday car.  Nothing special.  The only thing that makes it special is the dummies who will pay more than MSRP for it...

[ArticSteve]

I betya that 5 speed auto is the very same they Chrysler puts in all their vehicles.  It won't last.  The 6 speed for low 40's is probably an OK price for what ya get.

[rrocket]

IIRC I didn't think they were available in 2008 with a stick....So only Autos.  (correct me if I'm wrong)

[ArticSteve]

Yes, that's right. No 6 speed in 2008.  Can't see the 08 being a collectors item with an automatic.

[toolatecrew]

The 2008 Challenger is a collector car, You can't compare that to an everday Dodge.  The 08' models are limited to 500 in Canada, and they also come with an authenticity letter documenting the production number. Over the years if that's a low mileage car with all the  proper documentation kept, that car will go up in value. When the 2009's hit the road they'll make the 08's worth that much more solely because they are the first. It's a limited market for those and the enthusiats that buy them know their value, in the GTA the minimum is 5k over list, and everyone is paying it with a smile.  Your brother got a special car, and man that 6.1 is soo much fun..   Congrats on the purchase...

HA HA HA good one. Collectors car.

Only 500 in Canada. Are you a Dodge salesman?

How many identical 08 Chargers will be sold in the US? 1000s. How many identical 09s will be sold in Canada and US 1000s.

Any Mustongs or VW Bugs from the first year in Canada that were sold at silly markups in the first year worth MORE now? Didn't think so.

Nice car. But if you think its a collector car the jokes on you.

[My Old Buick]

Most of you guys are making good points  . But to me and some others buying the first one is part of the "history" of buying a car like that. When the 09's hit the road to most muscle car guys they'll make the 08's worth that much more because they are the first ones. In parking lots car show's etc the guy that has the 08 will always get to say " but i have the first one". It seems like a stupid argument to some but some of us (me included) buy muscle cars for not only the car, but the history. Whether it be right or wrong will we have the same discussion about the Camaro? Yes.. Will people pay over the Sticker?...Yes.. It's a limited car and limited market for them so those that can, will buy and buy with a smile. The new Godzilla is a nice car, same argument there, people who want one will pay the sticker or over, in the first production run if you don't someone else will. The first run is always special and in resale value (low mileage original car) will be worth more than the 2nd third years etc. There's nothing wrong with paying for something if you want it. (If there was a new Grand Nat i'd pay over list  )


Consider I own a 42 year old car, and It's been in my family since 1972, I guess i'm a different type of customer than the typical 5 years and out crowd. Part of the value in if I ever chose to sell it is I can also sell the history plus documentation on the car.

As far as the Challenger goes I inquired on one, but for someone like me that cuts cars up, it's worth financial sense to me to buy a manual 09 and cut that up.  There's only 500  SRT 8's available for sale in Canada this year. There are around 7500 that went to the US, the Canadian cars have a limited edition 500 Badge opposed to the regular US Cars, Srt badge. From an "driver's" point of View the 09 is the one to get with the 6 Speed tremec and pistol grip shifter, but if you wanted something special you got the 08"s. They great thing about here is to each his own, To Muscle car fans it is a collectors item, The car's in the sixties were nothing special but look at them today, I guess we'll have to see in a few years what a true low mileage car brings...

[DriverJeff]

One other large consideration when comparing the original muscle cars of the 60s and early 70s is that they were also affordable and bought by the youth of the day.  Today, those same people that sought them out then are seeking them out again now for nostalgia sake, and driving the prices up.  Many of the people climbing over themselves for a first year Challenger are probably the same group of Baby Boomers wanting to have the old Hemi Challenger but can't afford it -- so they snap up these new beasts to fill that desire.

HOWEVER... in order for these cars to go up in value, they need to be not only something rare and special, but obviously there must also be a strong demand for it.  If it's primarily old guys buying the new Challenger now (with the interest of it being an investment), they'll be long dead (or at least too old to drive) before they're worth that proposed fortune 40 years from now.  It's not to say that the Challenger isn't a cool car, nor that there isn't a large contigency of younger drivers that like them -- but do we lust after them enough to want to pay insane prices for them in our older age?  I doubt it.  There are other cars (like a new GT-R or a Supra Turbo from the mid-90s) that likely hold greater appeal.

One of the very first ones off the line, in a desirable colour, barely driven, kept in original condition for the next 30 - 40 years will likely hold or increase its value as a historic piece.  But to buy number 3284 off the line in '08 and expect it to be a valuable car in less than a couple of decades is pretty foolish, I'd say. 

[tpl]

Can younger drivers  afford to insure these cars nowadays?    Surely back in the late 60's before the insurance companies got wise, these cheap domestic cars were also cheap ( by the standards of the time) to insure 'cos they were also cheap to mend.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Basic versions of Chevelles, Camaros, Mustangs and Challengers were affordable and bought in droves back in the late Sixties, early Seventies. The high performance versions could well double the base price, and were too expensive for youth buyers. With rising insurance and fuel costs, their resale values tanked. I remember a near mint 1970 440 six pack ‘Cuda, four speed, offered for $5k in 1982 or so, about what an Escort was selling for. It sat on the lot for months.

Once the Yuppies were truly absorbed into the workforce, and earning decent money they started going after the high spec cars they couldn’t afford then. So the prices for used muscle cars started creeping up. What accelerated the rise was that cars offered new from the early Seventies onward didn’t come close to matching the performance of the earlier cars. It hasn’t been until recently that similar performance could be had at reasonable prices.

So looking at the current cars, it depends on what happens next really. If performance numbers keep improving at the rate they have so far this century, then current performance cars won’t be anything particularly special. If, however, new emphasis on fuel economy and emissions, not to mention the insurance issue, guts the performance of cars over the next decade or so, the performance cars of today will be remembered as a high water mark and valued accordingly.

If the numbers are true, and only 7500 SRT-8 Challengers are offered in the US (population 301 million) for their first run in the US, they will very likely appreciate quite nicely in time.

[von_khan]

Good lord, whoever sold the car must be laughing all the way to the bank! It's a Dodge for criminy's sake! 

 

[Snowman]

  Why is it that people who can’t afford a $64k car laugh at people who can? It’s the other way around.

[wing]

I saw one yesterday  looks sweet!

[The Mighty Duck]

Why is it that people who can’t afford a $64k car laugh at people who can? It’s the other way around.

They're laughing at people that pay $64 000 for a $44 000 car.  That has nothing to do with what they can or cannot afford...  but hey, a lame accusation of jealousy is easier, right? 

[Arthur Dent]

saw my first one the other day in a parade of all places

[von_khan]

Why is it that people who can’t afford a $64k car laugh at people who can? It’s the other way around.

Because the alternatives of what one can do with that money; both financially and in terms of choice of vehicle are much better. I'd leverage that money in a series of hedged investments and set up financing on the side for a newish car that's at a good point on its depreciation curve.

64 for a 44k car.. which like most domestics on the market will rapidly lose value (as per historical trend)... You got 20K to just throw into the dumpster, why not give it to me.  ... Right, didnt think so... lol.

There's no accounting for taste or fiscal choices. 
No wonder I'm laughing, sure eat your cake.. its your choice.