Concept Dodge Demon ?

[TreeFrog]

Dan, you are the man!

there is truely a difference between the designers concept and what the boss will let be deisigned.  As I have been in the deisgn world in one way or another since 85 I truely understand.  we may have been deisgning different products the bottom line it the same thing...desgner, the boss, the owner, the investors, and everyone on the outside.

no comment I made was intended as an insult...I just see afew basic needs these days...a good strong dependable vehicle with a bottom end price tag.  And true that has little to do with the Concept Demon, but we are getting back to old school names...I just wonder were the simplicity went...the hidden technology is one thing...I was thinking a basic muscle look with good performance that anyone could tweek and let the frills fly..

BUT My hats off to you and yours...you guys have a dream job, and all the BS that goes with it...I still stand behind my Mopars!

[IMNCARN82]

The ONLY reason the Challenger has created such an interest is it's common looks with the original!  Any car sharing a name with a legendary musclecar that doesn't keep the integrity of the styling of that original musclecar is doomed. It's been proven time and time again.

[Super Blue 72]

I think they're a lot of car for the money.  the base model is about the same price as the Chevy Malibu and Ford 500.  Which would you rather have?

None of the above. 

I agree that it is a lot of car for the money.  Large size, RWD, V-8, 4 door convenience, but there's nothing wrong with getting a better price! 



"Where are the Carroll Shelbys, and Zora Duntovs of today? The guys that were in love with automobiles, and their performance and design? There are none. They've been replaced by a bunch of Harvard yuppie business majors, and that's why all the vehicles look the same."

I agree with both jeryst and Dan.  We would want people like that but there's such a big corporate influence on these designers that it stifles thier creativity.  The cars produced by these guys (Shelby and Duntov) are beautiful creations but they aren't what keeps the automakers afloat unfortunately.   

I'm sure that there are some awesome designs sitting on the cutting room floor.  It's just that after the execs/marketing/finance dept/who ever else gets through with it it ends up looking like a Hyundai.

[DMZ73]

You guys rock.

We take the enthusiasts to heart, and try to speak to your needs when we design a vehicle.

I know you guys understand. Life is full of comprimises. Some turn out for the better.

I love hearing your opinion on this stuff. Beleive me, it counts.

Y'know, you guys have really been speaking to the exterior. I want to know what your thoughts are about the interior.

Dan

[71bigblock]

Y'know, you guys have really been speaking to the exterior. I want to know what your thoughts are about the interior.

Thats exactly what I was thinking.  My thoughts are that it is pretty cool.  Nice plain look, no chrome, just looks business.

[Oldschool]

I want to know what your thoughts are about the interior.

Dan

To me the interior is ok. Nothing that grabs you and demands attention.  I think the overall look of the car is ok, but you gotta do something about that grill.  Maybe keep the crosshair idea and shrink it and lay it back into the hood some. It is way too much "in your face" for a sporty car.  I gotta tell you, if I saw that car from the front first, the grill would be enough to keep me from even walking over to see the interior.  

While I have the floor.  It also seems to me that Chrysler is always behind the curve when getting cars designed and sold.  An example is the current Challenger.  This would have been a great car to have had on the market all along, like the Mustang, with base 6 cylinder models right on up to the SRT's.  But the initial excitement of the new Chally is wearing off before it even gets to market.  When it does get to market, gas could be back to $3.00 a gallon. Timing the release when middle east oil is at $60.00 a barrel and gas prices are fluctuating wildly is wrong.  Seems to me that taking so long to get the car to market and allowing the intial excitement to die away, combined with poor timing in regard to current oil/gas markets will doom the car before it ever has a chance.  Where are the forward thinkers at Chrysler?  They know these things run in cycles, they always have.  Why can't they have some models designed/approved and ready for manufacture in anticipation of the next up or down cycle?  If they had been thinking ahead back 6-7 years ago, the Chally could have already been in the marketplace and established itself BEFORE gas went sky high.  I realize that you (DMZ) have absolutely zero to do with this, it isn't directed to you.  I was basically just wondering out loud..........

I hope it all works out, but I am skeptical from a timing standpoint.
Sorry for the rant................      

[DMZ73]

I'm not sorry about your rant. It is completely warranted.

timing is ALWAYS a tough nut to crack.

Damn fossil fuels.... All expensive and diminishing.... 

Dan

[Super Blue 72]

Y'know, you guys have really been speaking to the exterior. I want to know what your thoughts are about the interior.

The interior looks like one from a production car, very reproducible.  Looks nice.  Not too freaky looking like some concept stuff.

Does that steering wheel have the slightest hint of a Tuff Wheel or am I a squirrel on crack? 

[TreeFrog]

Interior I am cool with ... except ONE thing...that lil feminine style gear shift gives me the willies and brother I mean in a bad way...otherwise I am totaly cool with the interior...even a place for my beer to ride...love the steering wheel ...

[360 'CUDA]

I would like to see a more upscale version. Kind of like the Z4 BMW but maybe a little bigger.  I think the whole miata/Z3 thing has been done to death.

How about something that comepetes with the Cadillic XLR ?   With a 6.2 HEMI and a Viper 6 speed.  I took a couple of pics off the Demon site and played with the photochop.Bigger wheels, longer wheelbase and smoothed out the boy racer scoops ect

And then make it for under $33,000 ?  

Original pic first

[Jacksboys]

Since you mentioned interior, I had to respond.

The interior is the last thing I look at when I see a new car.  As long as it has a comfortable seat and heat for the cold days, I could care less about all the other stuff that is in there.  Out of all of the cars I have owned, only one of them has had a working A/C.  I would rather take it off and let the engine put a little more power to the ground. 

For example, I have a 2000 Dakota which I bought new in 1999.  I have used the A/C maybe a total of 30 times over the years.  I would rather roll the windows down and feel the wind passing by.  I live in Georgia, so yes it does get hot in the summer.   The main reason I bought the truck, was because I wanted a fairly small, cheap, V-8, 5-speed truck that would fly when I floored it, and I was not disappointed.  I got it for under $18,000.

The funny thing is that I did not even notice all of the extras in the interior until I had already bought it.

In order of importance to me:
1. Engine/Transmission
2. Exterior
3. Fuel mileage
4. Interior

Just had to put in my 

[jeryst]

Y'know, you guys have really been speaking to the exterior. I want to know what your thoughts are about the interior.

Dan

I think that if you're going to do a retro car, the interior should resemble the original as well as the exterior. Retro cars sales are fueled to a large part by nostalgia, so the interior needs to further the illusion. It doesn't mean that therer can't be some sophisticated electronics or other options, it just means that they need to be blended into the original theme to make the illusion work.

"What you are missing to the equation is that marketing, product planning, engineering, procurement and the financial group have some veto power to counter & support what design office does. It's a huge chain, and as I said before, you can't make everyone happy."

I realize that the designers have their hands tied to a large degree. But what always gets me is the same scenario that gets repeated over and over again: A concept car is released. Rave reviews and tremendous public support. Then nothing. Car never gets produced, or the production model barely resembles the concept, or only a few design cues get used. Do you have any idea how frustrating that is to the automotive enthusiasts? I absolutely love concept cars, but I am also always saddened because I know their chances of ever being born, or becoming available to me as a consumer, are slim to none.

[Andrew]

I like the interior - I think it looks great (better then the challenger concepts interior)

[Ghost]

I think that if you're going to do a retro car, the interior should resemble the original as well as the exterior. Retro cars sales are fueled to a large part by nostalgia, so the interior needs to further the illusion. It doesn't mean that therer can't be some sophisticated electronics or other options, it just means that they need to be blended into the original theme to make the illusion work.

You keep talking like this is a retro car.  It is not.  It's a modern, 2 seater sports car.  The only thing "retro" is the name, which used to be on a car that was made for 2 years, back in the 70s.  Not a whole lot of history behind that name, if you ask me.

[MJS73]

You keep talking like this is a retro car.  It is not.  It's a modern, 2 seater sports car.  The only thing "retro" is the name, which used to be on a car that was made for 2 years, back in the 70s.  Not a whole lot of history behind that name, if you ask me.

  Most people don't know what Demon is and the car has no history to build off.  They could come out with an exact copy of a '71 Demon and there would be no reaction to it, because the Demon has no nostalgia factor.  It IS a cool name, however.

I realize that the designers have their hands tied to a large degree. But what always gets me is the same scenario that gets repeated over and over again: A concept car is released. Rave reviews and tremendous public support. Then nothing. Car never gets produced, or the production model barely resembles the concept, or only a few design cues get used. Do you have any idea how frustrating that is to the automotive enthusiasts? I absolutely love concept cars, but I am also always saddened because I know their chances of ever being born, or becoming available to me as a consumer, are slim to none.

Car makers can take fewer chances because of $$$ and increased competition, so it's not so easy to decide to build a car today.  They can't just start building it to see if it sells.  EPA certification alone takes over a year.  Also, designers put these exotic touches on the car that are too expensive to produce, so they scale it back to keep costs down. But the real reason is that there's a huge difference between positive public reaction and people actually walking into the dealer to buy one.  I, for example, love the new Challenger and always thought they should build it, but i won't be buying one.  It takes more than people saying they like it, it takes people putting their money down.

Mike