Is there a such thing as a concept car?
Chrysler 300C…Dodge Magnum… Dodge Caliber… Dodge Nitro… Dodge Hornet (pending partner match)… all concepts green lighted or soon to get the green light to production in their true concept form. The days of the Tomahawk and the ME 412 concepts are gone. Chrysler concepts are now being modified LX platforms, or existing Caliber platforms. No more custom platforms where the business case justification is too unreasonable. Look at the Dodge Rampage… is it too unreasonable of a concept to make it into production? Chrysler is done making pie in the sky concept cars. The concepts we see today will make it into production in one form or another in the coming years. What do you guys think? The stakes are too high to waste money on cars and trucks that end up in some museum or scrapped completely. You see the Dodge Rampage concept… I see the 2009 Dodge Ram.
May 16th, 2006 at 5:34 am
True, there really havent been very many “out there” concepts from Chrysler. But remember the Super 8 Hemi (the car the magnum, 300 and charger all came from)? That thing was ugly, real ugly. And some concepts have not been green lighted yet. The fire power might not make it through the bean counters. From what I remember Chrysler made amazing concepts when their actual cars were lackluster. The Chronos, Phaeton, original Charger concept, etc where all released when the best we had to hope for was a 250 HP Dodge Intrepid/300M and what would become of the SRT shop was still only making Vipers and Prowlers. In the 90’s a Chrysler exec saying “HEMI” would be like Cadillac exec saying “Rear wheel drive,” but look how things have changed. I’d rather have good concepts that make it into production than incredible machines that are released to tease the Mopar fans and then collect dust. Just my 2 cents.
May 16th, 2006 at 8:01 am
Re: Brian Miller’s statement that he’d “rather have good concepts that make it into productin that incredible machiens that are released to tease theMopar fans and then collect dust.”
SECOND THE MOTION!
May 16th, 2006 at 1:58 pm
Flexability is the key for profit…
May 16th, 2006 at 2:15 pm
when i see the rampage, i see the 2010 dakota…
May 16th, 2006 at 10:50 pm
When i see Rampage,i see something that will not be produced,the front wheel drive and unfinished suspension come to mind and not being able to mix with anything produced on a line…..The only thing i take from Rampage is body sheetmetal design,especially the front clip.
Your concepts today have to revolve around what you produce at the factories in one way or another,for the use of the under lying platform.Its about making money,selling a product,yet captureing an audience with that product and units sold….the 300c comes to mind.