Dodge Challenger

The concept vehicle was inspired by the 1970 Dodge Challenger, a companion to the Plymouth Barracuda and one of the last of Detroit's original muscle cars. In its heyday, Dodge Challenger went toe-to-toe with the Chevrolet Camaro and the Ford Mustang -- a battle that is sure to be reenacted with the latter-day Mustang and the just-as-eagerly awaited reincarnation of the Chevy Camaro. While Chrysler declined to reveal many more details after announcing production of the popular concept, it is expected that the production '08 Challenger will be built on a shortened version of the rear-wheel-drive LX platform that underpins the Dodge Charger and the Chrysler 300. A Hemi V8 will be stuffed under the hood, and there is almost certain to be a performance-oriented SRT8 edition with a large-displacement, high-output Hemi. Look for the debut of the production model at the 2008 Chicago auto show.