motorchrome

Is this the '60s muscle car renaissance? While Pontiac has had tepid response to its Nuevo GTO, Ford has hit one out of the park with its redesigned Mustang - solid rear axel and all. Looking to cash in on the stompin' V8 retro-glory, both Daimler-Chrysler and the General have introduced concepts of their own: enter the Dodge Challenger and Chevrolet Camaro. The Camaro nameplate is undoubtedly the more illustrious of the two new potential contenders, but GM has had an on-again/off-again commitment to developing a new RWD architecture for US consumption. Who knows if and when a new Camaro could materialize? The Dodge, on the other hand, is far more likely as it is built on the exiting LX platform (think 300, Magnum, Charger) and, well, the boys over at Daimler-Chrysler have a history of following through with production cars that are very close to the concepts. Plymouth Prowler anyone? Then again, the Challenger was never a wave-maker on the musclecar scene. While the fist couple years were beasts, the car arrived too late in the game and was quickly strangled by mounting emissions requirements. Few were sold, which is what leads to the stratospheric auction prices for Hemi Challengers/Barracudas.

I have a more basic question, though. Is there room for all these choices? While the boys from Michigan want to relive their golden years, I fear that there is an element that needs to be considered here. Once upon a time, a Mustang coupe was the 'it' car for a young (maybe urban, maybe not) professional, and Americans bought American cars. Now, I can tell you as much as I want that I am only interested in the car itself and not the image, but around my neck of the consulting-woods, "Camaro" is not necessarily the eye-on-the-corner-office car I would choose. My slower cousin is wanted for stealing a Camaro if that tells you anything. Will there be a built-in Skoal holder? If I had to choose, I am going jet-black Challenger all the way - but I am not sure I would put this above, say, a BMW 3 Series or Infiniti G35. They are different cars for sure. They have different images too. It is most certainly a different time. Can these muscle coupes make American cars 'cool' again?