“Mustang Is All That Is Left”- Racing Fans Heartbroken as Dodge’s Iconic Charger & Challenger Meets Chevrolet Camaro Fate

Unfortunately, it’s the end of the line for the ever-so-popular Challenger and Charger models. In a significant milestone for the automobile industry and a bitter farewell for the fans, Dodge finally pulled the plugs on the iconic cars, ending the era of muscle cars. Amidst the rising environmental concerns and the growing popularity of EVs, the American manufacturer, following Chevrolet’s footsteps, has drowned its offspring with the curtains closing on the revered model.

End of an era – Racing/NASCAR fans get their hearts broken as the curtains finally fall on Dodge’s muscle car duo

Name another car that could quite literally pull off a wheelie other than a Dodge model, of course. No manufacturer has perfected the art of lifting the front like a motorcycle when you slam the throttle, throwing you back in the seat as it whooshes like a bat out of a cave, getting you across a quarter mile in under 12 seconds.

No matter how one cuts it, it is indeed a bitter turn of events no ardent enthusiast wants to come across. Back when the slick Japanese and over-engineered German manufacturers were giving American models a run for their money on their own turf, Dodge pulled off the veils on its brainchild that would reshape the entire automotive industry forever, giving us the muscle car cult.

Following Chevy’s decision to kill its brute machine next year, the Chevrolet Camaro, Dodge rolled out its last Charger and Challenger models at the Brampton Assembly Plant in Ontario on December 22. This is essentially the end of the Chrysler LX platform that breathed a new sign of life for the struggling manufacturer in 2006.

Designed by Freeman Thomas and Ralph Gilles at Dodge, the Charger and Challenger were a perfect answer to detractors who deemed American cars to be too bland and lacking character. Talking about character, which other car gets your heart racing, throwing you back into the seat only to take you to triple digit speeds ripping off tires and tarmac as it goes? With a humongous Hemi V8 hurling horsepower into the rear wheels, the Dodge manufactured model was definitely one of a kind!

In fact, the models were so successful that the cars literally started a new cult following for muscle cars. Soon, enthusiasts and adrenaline junkies started tuning these machines with aftermarket parts to set new records on the drag strip. However, that era is at its conclusion, it seems.

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Now all that remains for a pure enthusiast who isn’t even looking in the direction of a hybrid/electric power train is the Ford Mustang that is still being widely used in racing(NASCAR, Supercar series). The All-American manufacturer is now left alone on the road with Dodge and Chevrolet succumbing to the changing times. Fans, however, did not hesitate to let their emotions spill out, taking the discussion to Reddit and speaking their minds.

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Fans left “sad” as manufacturers including Chevy and Dodge took the EV route, killing its burly V8 platforms

Electric vehicles are a need of the hour as automobile emissions are the leading cause of global warming. However, the approach OEMs are taking has caused a widespread backlash from car enthusiasts and environmentalists alike. Following the trend of electrification, American manufacturers like Chevy, Dodge, and Ford have taken the EV route.

But unlike Ford, the other two have outright killed the IC engine platform for a new electric power train, essentially taking out the burly V8s that bring smiles to drivers’ faces. With the last one of the Charger/Challenger model rolling out of the production, fans were literally ailing with a lump in their throats realizing that this was the end of an era.

“And now Mustang is all that is left……again,” noted an ardent enthusiast indirectly thanking Ford while another user commented, “Despite all the jokes about Mustangs and Mustang drivers, it has truly stood the test of time;” “MOPAR fans in shambles”, commented another.

Another enthusiast noted the ill fate of the Chevy Camaro which was shelved earlier this year, “Pretty sure the Camaro is still in production, but it is marked for death…” On the other hand, another fan expressed his thoughts, commenting, “Sad day. Maybe cool cars will comeback one day. This EV push is kinda unprecedented. Rarely do you see manufacturers go all in on technology that is not better than what it is replacing and is not exactly what the consumer wants to buy. Lots of risk for manufacturers.”

What do you think about the new EV revamp? Let us know!

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