TriShield

DCX is planning to unveil the resurrected Challenger at NAIAS this January. It will be produced for 2008. It's the fourth LX variant based on the Chrysler 300 sedan. It shares most of its parts with the existing Chrysler LX cars. It will have the 5.7L Hemi (the 6.1L is there for show). It has IRS. It rides on a chopped 116" wheelbase (LXs are 120", Monaro is 109", Mustang is 107.1"). It will offer a six-speed manual (no idea who will supply the transmission). It's fully retro inside with tick-tock-tach and pistol grip shift handle. No V6 model planned. They expect to sell only 5,000 - 10,000 here in the US per year. I can't wait to see what Chrysler's SRT team does with it, the 6.1L Hemi may grow to 6.4L by the time it's released. Judging by the glowing reaction to the car online you can bet Chrysler will fast track it to production.

I think the Chrysler 300C was just released Down Under, it's a direct competitor to the Expensive Daewoo SS cars and XR8. Shame the latter two aren't sold here, but at least you guys get to enjoy them all together. Here are some Canadian video reviews of each Hemi car. Chrysler 300C Dodge Magnum R/T Dodge Charger R/T Chrysler's in-house tuning group, Street and Racing Technology. They're SRT8 cars would compete with HSV and FPV. Chrysler is planning to release the 300 SRT8 Down Under from what I read. Chrysler Street and Racing Technology Lineup Edmunds.com SRT8 Videos, Stock Dodge Charger SRT8 running 12s, just released here and barely broken in! (right click, save as please) Video 1 Video 2 The 300 SRT-8 in the other lane ran nearly the same time. The Hemi really sings down the quarter mile! Enjoy!

Besides the Mustang, coupes are tough sell in the US (Just ask Pontiac about the Monaro). Chrysler doesn't want to compete directly with the Mustang for that market, so we have a four door Charger. Plenty of cars evolved from coupes to sedans here like the Impala SS, Grand Prix and Marauder. It wears the name very well, afterall, they did make four cylinder, front-wheel driven Chargers not too long ago. Chrysler is manufacturing these in right-hand drive for Europe, I think they will do the same for Australia when the 300C debuts there. If it does well enough the Charger shouldn't be far behind, being they're making Dodge a global brand again. Looks like the Late model camira and Falcon will have some company.

318kW 6.1L Hemi V8 - four piston brembo brakes front and rear - 20" wheels with performance tires - deeply bolstered sport seats and carbon fibre trim - revised suspension and body work. SRT is to Chrysler products as HSV is to Holdens in Australia. Maybe they will let a few loose in Australia soon too.

It was a regular 300C against an HSV Coupe, which costs a good deal more and is built for performance. The 300 SRT-8 would be a much better fight. In fact Motor Trend tested the SRT-8 against the LS2 Monaro here and the Monaro lost in every catagory.

I'm truly sorry. Petrol isn't the only thing that's cheap in the US. :D

260kW Dodge Magnum R/T 316kW Dodge Magnum SRT-8 260kW Dodge Charger R/T (an SRT-8 version is on the way) 260kW Chrysler 300C 316kW Chrysler 300 SRT-8 Cadillac CTS (Holden's new Alloytec V6 came from this car) http://www.cadillacunder5.com - Cadillac's 300kW+ V-Series cars, VERY HOT.

The chassis is quite nice, no more a piece of lard than the BA Falcon for VY-VZ Commodore. The Cadillac CTS will steer rings around all of them though, it's really focused on performance handling. The CTS-V posted earlier in the thread would be similar to a FPV GT or HSV Clubsport, and it would probably outgun both of those as well.

The 300C has gotten rave reviews here since it was released. The other Hemi LX cars based on it drive identically. Despite it's automatic transmission and tall gearing it's as fast to 60mph as the 260kW, manual transmission Monaro we get in the US. http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?se...9&page_number=1 Even Edmunds had to really struggle to find anything wrong with it. http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drive...rticleId=102711

Uh, that's the point. It's not all things to all people, you can hate it, others love it. Chrysler has made mundane, everyday cars for decades here and kept losing to the Japanese doing it. Now with their new and very bold Hemi cars they've managed to change that overnight, and find their swagger. The 300 in particular has been a huge hit in North America. Same thing with Nissan and Cadillac in North America too, both would probably be gone had they not done something drastic to remake their images here in the world's largest auto market.

The Daytona R/T is a special edition of the new Charger and comes two classic 1970 Dodge colors, Go ManGo! and Top Banana. In addition it features retro body stripes and spoiler, body color engine cover and body color accented interior with heavily bolstered sports seats, and a louder, throatier exhaust. It features a 5.7L 260kW/530nm Hemi V8 with a five speed automatic. It should start around $39,255.55 AUD when it's released here this summer.

I'm pretty sure both are stock. The LS1 GTOs have 260kW, and it's not uncommon for them to run mid-high 13s off the showroom floor. Motor Trend also coaxed a nice 13 pass out of a brand new Mustang GT with an automatic. The weather is also cool this time of year so that could be a factor as well. Both times are realistic. The LS2 GTO (and VZ HSVs) are packing a 300kW V8 for 2005.

Right click, save target as Both are bone stock, and both have manual transmissions. The GTO went 13.56 to the Mustang's 13.76, and the GTO weighs more.

That's an incredible looking concept, I even like the color. The twin turbo engine has been rumored for quite awhile, at least for Buick and Saab.

Looking Back While Galloping Forward By John DiPietro Date posted: 10-01-2004 After reacting like Pavlov's dog every time we saw the '05 Mustang prototype at the car shows and the production version in pictures, we were beside ourselves. What a looker this car is — they could sell a million of them if they just gave last year's car these new threads. Still, we were hoping that there would be more to Ford's latest pony than head-turning retro looks. The day of reckoning came when we got to spend a full day with the 2005 Mustang, both on the road and the track, and let's just say that we weren't disappointed. A harmonious blend of the past and the present. All that's missing is a hood scoop that says "Cobra Jet" on it. As far as exterior design goes, not since the 1970 Fastback has there been a Mustang that's been so right. Like the latest Thunderbird, the designers managed to pay homage to a classic style without having the end result looking like a caricature of the original. The canted nose with its big grille and round headlights recalls the '67 to '69 Mustangs, while the side sculpting, fastback roofline and taillights recall those ponies of the 1965 vintage. Even the triangular side windows are reminiscent of what Carol Shelby did when he made the 1965 Mustang "2 + 2" (a.k.a. the Fastback) into his Shelby GT 350. Unlike the similarly retro-styled Thunderbird, whose cabin borrows its dash and console from its Lincoln LS cousin, the Mustang's interior is unique and matches the exterior design theme. Look at the instrument panel and it's obvious that the old-school influences are there — a dual-hooded dash with (optional) aluminum accent panels pays tasteful homage to the 1967-'68 Mustang, as do the big speedo and tach, circular air vents and plump, round steering wheel hub. Changeable backlighting illuminates the nostalgic instruments — a modern touch that's intriguing but a little gimmicky for a pony car. The materials and features aspects of the interior were not overlooked, either. The door panels and release handles are now more substantial in look and feel, and one-touch up-and-down power windows add a bit of unexpected convenience. The climate control setup is the tried-and-true three-knob design, which is fine with us — if it ain't broke, ya don't need to fix it. The influence of the first-generation Mustang's dash is obvious, yet it still manages to look contemporary. We're also glad to report that the sorry ergonomics of previous Mustangs, such as the "sitting on an ottoman" seating position and gorilla's-reach gearshifter location have been exorcised for 2005. With the new car, you sit more in rather than on the seats. Although they're generally quite comfortable (as we discovered on a rather lengthy ride back from the track — yes, we took a wrong turn), we still think more aggressive lateral bolstering is in order. Although the previous manual gearshifter was bolted directly to the gearbox, this year's is a remote-linkage setup that puts the stick within easy reach regardless of the driver's height. And lest you worry about the shifter's action feeling disconnected due to the non-direct design, fret not. Compared to the rubbery yet clunky feel of the 2004 car, the '05's shifter is much more precise and simply more satisfying to use whether jockeying in traffic or blasting around a racetrack. While the handsome style of the '05 Mustang is obviously rooted in the past, behind the galloping horse in the grille is a thoroughly modern source of motivation. In the GT, no less than 300 horses and 315 pound-feet of torque await the driver's command. Compared to the V8 in the '04 GT, these are substantial increases of 40 horsepower and 13 lb-ft, respectively. This 4.6-liter, all-aluminum V8 sports three valves per cylinder which, along with variable valve timing, allows for a deliciously broad spread of power. A nice bonus is that one needn't feed this steed expensive oats; 87 octane fuel is just fine. Even the V6 has more muscle this year; specs for the six-shooter now stand at 200 hp and 235 lb-ft, improvements of 10 horses and 15 lb-ft. With a hearty output of 300 horsepower, we figure this mill should power the new GT to 60 mph in around 5.5 seconds. Whether you prefer an automatic or a manual gearbox in your new GT, you'll have five gears at your disposal. The do-it-yourself version has the improved shifter mentioned earlier, and the automatic is sourced from the Lincoln LS/Thunderbird. You already know that we like the stick, but the automatic proved to be the big surprise; it didn't let us down once. Under hard acceleration, changes up through the gears were so swift and smooth that there was no letup in the gratifying shove to our backsides. Downshifts were equally eager — no annoying lag, just a quick dip down into the power to get by those semiconscious sorts who tend to dawdle in the passing lane. The V6 car comes with a choice of a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic. We drove the automatic and found it did a decent job with keeping the V6 responsive, though it wasn't quite as quick-witted as the five-speed in the GT. At the track we had the chance to sample both the base V6 and GT Mustangs, as well as a couple of 2004 GT models. Starting out with the '04 GT, we were reminded how seriously wrong the seating position is in that car. If a driver isn't completely comfortable behind the wheel (in terms of feeling secure in the seat and having vital controls close at hand), it tends to diminish the experience, especially when trying to concentrate on driving fast. And we were also reminded how that outgoing GT is essentially a straight-line car — cornering was never this Mustang's forte. Granted, Ford did a nice job with the Bullitt and Mach 1 editions in the handling department, but the base GT was hurting in this regard when compared to contemporary sport coupes like the front-wheel-drive Acura RSX or Toyota Celica. Clean, well proportioned and devoid of gimmicky add-ons, the 2005 Mustang is a huge styling success. Night and day. That's the difference between the '04 and '05 versions of the Mustang GT when the road throws you a curve. Where the '04 felt like an ornery old pony that was lazy to respond to the reins and not smooth when doing so, the new one handled like a quarter horse, turning crisply into the turns while displaying a flatter and much more composed attitude when charging through them. Many thanks go to the new suspension, which features lighter-weight components (allowing it to react quicker to changes in the road surface), repositioned and lighter coil springs, a stouter rear axle with more effective control arms and bigger brakes. The latter were noticed (and appreciated) as less prone to fading when the going got hot and heavy on the track. After the adrenaline rush of the track, we just wanted to kick back and be comfy for the long ride back to the hotel. This over-200-mile journey brought to light how easy the '05 Mustang would be to have as a daily driver. Low wind and road noise levels, a supple ride over the bumps and a much more comfortable cabin than before helped us unwind the miles with a minimum of stress. With the Mustang's competition pretty much nonexistent (those age-old rivals, the Chevy Camaro and Pontiac Firebird were no longer available after 2002), Ford didn't have to make huge changes in the already popular Mustang. But the company did — not only in terms of styling but also in performance, handling and ride dynamics and basic ergonomics. Even the V6 car gets handsome wheels. These 16-inchers include those knock-off spinners — they certainly don't look like they'd be on a base level car to us. With pricing slated to be just under $20,000 for the base V6 and around $25,000 for the GT (both nicely equipped, we might add), we expect that once these horses hit the market, the Ford dealers are going to see a stampede of a different kind, that of rabid enthusiasts eager to fill out sales orders. The classic three-bar taillights and a simulated gas cap in the center of the rear panel are a few more timeless styling cues from the 'Stang's early days. The Bottom Line: Not merely a retro reskinning, the newest Mustang improves its performance in all areas and offers V8 enthusiasts a tempting price tag.

http://www.allfordmustangs.com/images/2005Mustang.wmv A fun burnout video.

It makes the car much cheaper to mass produce, Ford will be producing thousands and thousands of them so it saves a lot of money, and keeps the price of the car down. You won't experience any wheel-hop when flogging it either. The 2006 SVT Mustang (I think they dropped the Cobra name since another car will be taking it) will have IRS and razor sharp handling. I've read SVT is using the BMW M3 as their handling target.

Pity Ford doesn't make them in right-hand drive in the first place like they do the Explorer and Escape. That would make it much more affordable for you guys. The base 2005 Mustang comes with a 150kW 4.0 litre V6 and a five-speed manual, it starts at $23,805.02 AUD.

Here the all-new V8 Mustang costs $8,628.52 AUD less than the Monaro we get. It comes with a 224kW 4.6 litre V8 with either a five-speed manual or five-speed automatic. If Ford could sell it there and maintain the price advantage I really think it would give the Monaro a run for it's money. www.fordvehicles.com/2005mustang We'll assemble you guys new Mustang GTs in right-hand drive if you build us some left-hand drive Falcon turbos and XR8s. :lol:

Motorsports: Ford launches new Mustang race car AUTOWEEK Posted Date: 9/28/04 If you plan to get into racing any time soon, Ford would like you to consider the new Mustang. Even as the new production car hits showrooms, Ford is getting ready to launch a race version, and is studying running it in Grand-Am as a factory effort. Internally known as Boy Racer, the car is powered by a 5.0-liter crate engine producing 313kW and 502 newton meters. Dan Davis, Ford's director of racing technology, said the Mustang racer is aimed at drivers interested in showroom stock-type series.

A turbocharged V6 is likely for Holden. The new V6 is going to be used in Buick and Saab vehicles, and turbocharged variants of up to 3.8 litres are planned for both of those brands so I don't know why Expensive Daewoo would opt out. The LS2 V8 and it's variants will also start appearing in Holdens as well. But fear not Ford fans, Ford is working on a new V8 here in the US to debut in the F-150 next year. It's called the Hurricane, and it's supposed to be around 6.1 litres like Chrysler's upcoming Hemi. I'm sure the Hurricane will find it's way Down Under to battle the LS2 when the time comes.

I wish we had it instead of the Monaro. Don't get me wrong, I do like the Monaro but I happen to like turbos better.

Not so, the Union didn't even blink when the Monaro came here because at 18,000 units it's a mere speck compared to what they assemble here in the US and Canada (millions of units). The fact is Expensive Daewoo and Ford AUS don't possess the production capacity to threaten the Union or US/Canadian jobs. GM selling the Monaro here was simple, all they had to do was federalize it (pass emissions and crash tests) and that was that. It was already engineered for left-hand drive. GM has sold the Opel Omega here for Cadillac and currently imports a ton of Daewoos for Chevrolets with no Union balks. The only thing standing in the way is GM and Ford themselves.