It has been thirteen years since the Dodge Challenger was launched. Yet, it is still one of FCA's best-selling vehicles today. How is that even possible? The only other performance car as old as the Challenger is the Nissan GTR, and that one is suffering from declining sales.

How has a thirteen-year-old muscle car, using a twenty-five-year-old chassis done so well in recent years? How has FCA done it? Here's why the thirteen-year-old Dodge Challenger has been a success.

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10 Constant Updates

Dodge Challenger SRT-8 Dom's Challenger Fast and Furious
Via: WallpaperFlare

Dodge has constantly updated the Challenger over the years and that's what has kept it fresh. The updates have happened every single model year, and they're usually quite slight. It's usually increased power, more options, a lower base price, etc. However, over the years, Dodge performs drastic updates on the Challenger including new engines, lights, facelifts, and new interiors.

Dodge Challenger
via Pinterest

The Challenger of 2008 is quite different from the Challenger of 2008. They may look very similar but when it comes to power things are very different. The top SRT8 model back in 2008 had 425hp. The top Hellcat model today has 797hp, which is almost double.

9 A Strong Customer Base

Dodge challenger
Dodge

Dodge, as a whole, has a very strong customer base, especially in the world of the Challenger. It is very likely that a current Challenger owner may have owned a few older Challenger models in the past. Previous SRT8 owners may have a Hellcat today or a 392. It is likely that a Hellcat owner probably would have considered a Demon too.

2020 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Swerving
via MotorTrend.com

Challenger owners are extremely loyal to the brand. They know the history of the Dodge brand very well, and if they do need to change cars, they are more likely to consider another Dodge vehicle. Despite the facts about these cars, most particularly the faster Hellcat and Demon models, people still buy them and love them.

8 They Give Consumers What They Want

Via: Motor1

Fans of the Challenger do not want a hybrid powertrain or an electric SUV model. What they want is a fire breathing muscle car that takes them back to the days when Detroit was the wealthiest city in the world and when Elvis Presley was at his all-time high. Of course, Dodge may still make a two-liter hybrid Challenger just to impress the local governments.

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carbuzz.com

The Challenger is a powerful car that uses old-school technology, and they build their cars to be drag racers from the factory. The Challenger is the most appealing car for those who want straight-line speed and all the Challenger models are built by hardcore Mopar and muscle car enthusiasts who essentially build the cars to what they want them to be.

7 They Look Awesome

via Which Car

The Dodge Challenger looks absolutely awesome. In the modern muscle car world, when it comes to looks, the Challenger has no competition. The mk5 Camaro was the last car that gave the Challenger design some grief but after that, no other muscle car has come close. The Challenger is extremely aggressive even in base SXT spec.

Dodge Challenger Hellcat
via caranddriver.com

The old school retro lines and shapes of this car are what makes it so special. It has a wow factor that no other car for similar money really has. It certainly has a presence and some of the little things like the retro filler cap really set this beast off. By far one of the best-looking muscle cars ever.

6 It's Old School

lampedodge.com

The Challenger is an old-school muscle car that takes a back to basics approach to things. When it comes to having more power, they don't fettle with the ECU or add some batteries on board. They just slap a supercharger to the engine and the job is done. The decals Dodge like to reminisce about their cars from the past and so do the names such as R/T, Hellcat, and Scat Pack.

Bright red 2019 Dodge Charger R/T front
via Motor1

The interior feels pretty old school too. Partly because it's so dated, and is in need of updates and partly because Dodge has emphasized some old-school features inside. Things like the rev counter and speedometer, the seats, and even the gear shifter.

5 The Performance Figures

via AutoEvolution.com

The performance figures of the Challenger will blow your mind. The base SXT model has 305 horsepower, which is more than a VW MK 7 Golf R. This means a 0-60 time of around 6 seconds. Not too bad. The current top model, the Hellcat Redeye Widebody, does 0-60 mph in 3.4 seconds with a top speed of over 200 mph. That car has 797hp and 717 lb-ft of torque, which is more than a Ferrari 812 Superfast.

2019 Dodge Challenger Hellcat On The Road
via DigitalTrends.com

The Demon, which is the fastest Challenger ever, does a 0-60 faster than a Bugatti Chiron at 2.4 seconds. It has 808hp and 717 lb-ft of torque. They are hypercar fast figures, which makes the Demon one of the fastest muscle cars ever.

4 The Rivalry

via Motoring Research

the rivalry has kept the Challenger alive and flourished throughout the years. Mustang owners hate the Challenger and Challenger owners hate the Mustang. The Challenger doesn't have much competition, but Dodge usually likes to compare the Challenger to its rival's cars by advertising how much better it is. Their rivals also do respond to Dodge with comments you would never hear from a German manufacturer.

The Camaro has struggled against its competitors since it's splash introduction
Via: caranddriver.com

You can tell that Dodge love making the Challenger, and they do believe it is one of the best cars out there. It's built with passion and love, and you can tell the people who make these cars probably own one or dream to own one. You don't get that with many manufacturers or many cars nowadays.

3 The Trim Levels

via FCA US LLC

There have been so many trim levels for the Challenger years, that we have actually lost count. Currently, there is the SXT, the GT, the R/T, the R/T Scat Pack, the R/T Scatpack Widebody, the SRT Hellcat, the SRT Hellcat Widebody, the SRT Hellcat Redeye, the SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody, and the SRT Superstock. That's all the 2021 models, there are also so many 2020 models on offer too.

Dodge Challenger GT AWD Snow
Via FCA Media

So much choice means so much more freedom. You can easily find the car you want in the Challenger lineup. If you want a cruiser, then the V6 and lower V8 models are great options. If you want pure speed, then the Hellcat models are best. Some of these models are actually some of the fastest Dodge cars ever to exist.

2 The Prices

Dodge-Challenger-SXT
via thepostcrescent

The Challenger is a cheap car. It starts at just over $28,000, so it is more than a base Mustang or Camaro. However, the base model comes with a V6 whilst the Mustang and Camaro come with a turbo inline-4. The V6 Camaro may be cheaper, but it's certainly not as interesting. The V8 Challenger models start at around $40,000 and the 707hp Hellcat starts at just under $60,000.

caranddriver.com

The higher models feature more bang for your buck. The top Super Stock model is literally a road-legal dragster. It has 807hp and 707 lb-ft of torque. It has one horsepower less than the Demon, and it does a 0-60 time of 3.2 seconds with a 10.5 quarter-mile time. You can have all of that for just over $82,000.

1 It's Unique

2019 Dodge Challenger srt Hellcat
Via: wsupercars

The Challenger is a unique car. Probably one of a kind. It links back to its days of the 1970s Challenger and in a world where everyone is obsessed with making everything better for the environment, the Challenger just doesn't care. It doesn't care what people think or say about it.

2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat
Via: guideautoweb

The design is different from every car out there. It is so much more retro and so much more aggressive. If the current Challenger went out of production, how could Dodge make something as unique as the current Challenger? They can't, and that's why they're keeping the current generation on until 2023. The Challenger saved Chrysler in recent years hence why they're not too quick to cut it from their lineup.

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