Dodge Challenger muscle car steals the show

Take a long hard look around the Detroit Show this year and like us, you may conclude that old is the new new, or something like that... Chevrolet showed its Camaro muscle car borrowing heavily from Camaros of old. Chevy's GM cousin, Dodge was not to be outdone, revealing the Dodge Challenger concept and pretty much stealing the show in the process.

Just like the Camaro, the Challenger draws inspiration from early muscle cars, the 1970 Dodge Challenger in particular; that car is one of the most sought after version of the Challenger series. As Tom Tremont (Advanced Vehicle Design) told us though, "...the designers endeavoured to build a Challenger most people see in their mind's eye - a vehicle without the imperfections like the old car's tucked-under wheels, long front overhang and imperfect fits." We think they have succeeded in all counts, and if the interest in the car at the show is anything to go by, the Challenger is set to be a hit.

The Challenger is another so-called 'concept' car that is set for production. We were told that it is likely that a production version of the concept is shown at Detroit in 2007, with very little changes to the car's design. Eyeball searing orange paintwork aside, the concept is true to the original design thanks to the wide horizontal cavities front and rear housing the lights. We particularly like the 'six-shooter' front lights and the fact that some of the carbon fibre on the bonnet has been left unpainted to form 'racing' stripes.