The first
Dodge Charger since the miserable attempts to bring back the
60's muscle car in the 80's, the Charger Concept is a "
return to roots" for
DaimlerChrysler-owned
Dodge. The
Dodge Charger concept car follows on the heels of the
Pontiac GTO Concept -- almost as the Charger's
introduction in 1966 came during the
muscle car craze started by the original
GTO in `64.
First unveiled to the public at the 1999 Detroit International Auto Show, the Charger R/T (for "Road/Track", of course) is a sleek, aggressive rear-wheel drive sedan with a pleasant blend of exterior and interior styling reminiscent of new and old Dodges alike. The legendary 426 Hemi that made the Charger famous is unfortunately not found in the Charger concept: however, it does boast a moderately large (by today's standards) 4.7-liter V8 outputting 325 hp, thanks to the standard supercharger.
Interestingly enough, the Charger runs on CNG, compressed natural gas, instead of petrol. It produces extremely small amounts of smog -- so little, in fact, that it meets California's Ultra Low Emission Standards, along with hybrid vehicles such as the Honda Insight and Toyota Prius. It is unclear whether the CNG system will make it to the production Charger -- if it makes it to the market at all.
If the Charger ever hits the streets, Corvette drivers take heed -- the Charger is back, and it just might have your number.