[Houston713]

Hello from Houston:

I'm guessing there are quite a few members who are of the same generation and life stage here. You're old enough to afford whatever you want (within reason) and you love cars and have likely owned several really nice ones already in your life.

I consider myself a fairly astute buyer. I do my research, I'm patient and I follow trends. Last year when everything was different, I was able to order a brand new 2021 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Widebody from the factory for a price that was well....long gone now....those types of incentives won't be coming back for this car.

As I said, I've owned a lot of nice cars in my life...Maserati...Audi...BMW...Cadillac...Pontiac GTO...Chevy SS...all of them were wonderful in their own way and I enjoyed my time with them.

My father was a former GM employee. I can buy any GM car I want for huge savings and two months ago, the order book opened for the 2022 CTS Blackwing. If you're familiar with the marque, you will know that it posts 1.04 on the skidpad and actually rocks the house at 668 hp. VERY refined with all of the modcons and the cabin is really nice.

...but here's the thing...this Hellcat...no it doesn't have all the modcons...WHY?>.. because the front of the car needs all the area to focus air on a 717 hp/650 lb ft. of torque engine that frickin HOWLS>>..ya know?

...and when I drive this thing...with only 859 miles....and I'm on a deserted piece of road.....and there are lots of those where I live.....where NO one else is around..and I decide to put my foot in it JUST a bit...not all the way.....Don't need all the way with this car...I look down...and I see a three figure number on the speedo...of course I immediately back off and return to normal driving....but then I hit a small curve...again....all alone on the road and I give it just enough throttle to create a small drift......but it's so forgiving...it corrects immediately when I back off a bit.

...I can't help wonder.....and don't get me wrong...my long term memory is still quite intact.....if my overall satisfaction is as high as it was when I was 40 years younger and you know what?....It IS...and it's even higher because...

...back then....NOTHING came out of the factory with this much power....nothing moved like this and nothing moved ME...like this car does.

..and so...fast forward...

I have a LIFETIME powertrain warranty on this car......for as long as I own it and maintain it.....yah...it was a part of the deal....way back last year when the world was different.

I took it out yesterday to buy gas.....four people came over to me to "discuss" my car....which really translated into gushing over the color, the stance...the whole thing...now yes I've had this experience before...but here's what's new...

When I get on the Freeway.....in my Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Widebody...and I come up behind someone in the passing lane....THEY move over...and let me by.....no exceptions....

...Respect and Recognition....are priceless sometimes.

...I won't be selling my car....ya see....it's a thing....feelings...emotions....a mixture...definitions really don't matter....

...at this point in my life...SMILES matter..and I RECOGNIZE that.

Enjoy...

 

[Ross61]

When I get on the Freeway.....in my Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Widebody...and I come up behind someone in the passing lane....THEY move over...and let me by.....no exceptions....

Does the local po-po drive Chargers in the same color?

 

[Slowpoke387]

The only way I'd ever cut my RE loose would be for another one and it would have to something pretty special because I love this car. Def wouldn't just sell it. Even if I never drive it again lol, just knowing it's in the garage for me to go visit would actually be enough for me. Really.

 

[Xylander]

I only sold mine because I wanted the upgrade to a REWB. I was in the same place, loved my car, other people liked it, it trophied at car shows regularly. However, for me, there was this Redeye-itis I had. If Dodge was going to kill them all off, I wanted to go out with the best one, rather than suffer life knowing full well there was a whole other breed of better and more powerful car I could have had. So, I sold the car I loved and am now waiting on the one I want. It's kind of like divorcing your wife and waiting on that Russian mail-order bride to show up.

Dasvidaniya.

 

[Xylander]

Does the local po-po drive Chargers in the same color?

Heh, around here, they typically drive black Chargers. However, they also have a number of Kia Souls and Toyota Camrys they use without external light bars. They're hell to spot in traffic sometimes...

We also have these:

 

[Motorcat]

Geez we sound a lot alike. I trade cars often and have owned many. Got that from my Dad. Every two years the Oldsmobile salesman would drop off a new Olds and leave it in the driveway with the keys in it. Most times my Dad would end up keeping it. Later when he could afford it he switched to Cadillacs. The salesman "Micki" sold my Dad 22 cars over the years. Not how its done these days.

I traded my 2021 REWB with less than 2K miles on a 2022 Challenger Jailbreak. Why? I moved up a year and got much more than I paid for the 2021 on trade. Changed up the options to make it
exciting and traded for a very reasonable amount.

My Dad passed away 5 years ago at 90. He would have loved the Blackwing, even if it wasn't a Sedan D'Ville or a Olds 98.

 

[ledft]

Heh, around here, they typically drive black Chargers. However, they also have a number of Kia Souls and Toyota Camrys they use without external light bars. They're hell to spot in traffic sometimes...

We also have these:

View attachment 587487

Had this guy in the neighborhood a little while back 😁😁

 

[ledft]

Think I did that wrong but you probably get it

 

[Jimmy N.]

Hello from Houston:

...and when I drive this thing...with only 859 miles....and I'm on a deserted piece of road.....and there are lots of those where I live.....where NO one else is around..and I decide to put my foot in it JUST a bit...not all the way.....Don't need all the way with this car...I look down...and I see a three figure number on the speedo...

Yep, same here. I wouldn't sell mine for $25K more. If anything, I may buy a spare while they're available.

Geez we sound a lot alike. I trade cars often and have owned many. Got that from my Dad.

And. yep again. Not sure why, but now there's nothing new out there that interests me. And I'm tired of modifying vehicles.
What I would like to do (other than getting a spare Challenger) is to build a vehicle again.

 

[hutchman]

Hello from Houston:

I'm guessing there are quite a few members who are of the same generation and life stage here. You're old enough to afford whatever you want (within reason) and you love cars and have likely owned several really nice ones already in your life.

I consider myself a fairly astute buyer. I do my research, I'm patient and I follow trends. Last year when everything was different, I was able to order a brand new 2021 Dodge SRT Hellcat Widebody from the factory for a price that was well....long gone now....those types of incentives won't be coming back for this car.

As I said, I've owned a lot of nice cars in my life...Maserati...Audi...BMW...Cadillac...Pontiac GTO...Chevy SS...all of them were wonderful in their own way and I enjoyed my time with them.

My father was a former GM employee. I can buy any GM car I want for huge savings and two months ago, the order book opened for the 2022 CTS Blackwing. If you're familiar with the marque, you will know that it posts 1.04 on the skidpad and actually rocks the house at 668 hp. VERY refined with all of the modcons and the cabin is really nice.

...but here's the thing...this Hellcat...no it doesn't have all the modcons...WHY?>.. because the front of the car needs all the area to focus air on a 717 hp/650 lb ft. of torque engine that frickin HOWLS>>..ya know?

...and when I drive this thing...with only 859 miles....and I'm on a deserted piece of road.....and there are lots of those where I live.....where NO one else is around..and I decide to put my foot in it JUST a bit...not all the way.....Don't need all the way with this car...I look down...and I see a three figure number on the speedo...of course I immediately back off and return to normal driving....but then I hit a small curve...again....all alone on the road and I give it just enough throttle to create a small drift......but it's so forgiving...it corrects immediately when I back off a bit.

...I can't help wonder.....and don't get me wrong...my long term memory is still quite intact.....if my overall satisfaction is as high as it was when I was 40 years younger and you know what?....It IS...and it's even higher because...

...back then....NOTHING came out of the factory with this much power....nothing moved like this and nothing moved ME...like this car does.

..and so...fast forward...

I have a LIFETIME powertrain warranty on this car......for as long as I own it and maintain it.....yah...it was a part of the deal....way back last year when the world was different.

I took it out yesterday to buy gas.....four people came over to me to "discuss" my car....which really translated into gushing over the color, the stance...the whole thing...now yes I've had this experience before...but here's what's new...

When I get on the Freeway.....in my Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Widebody...and I come up behind someone in the passing lane....THEY move over...and let me by.....no exceptions....

...Respect and Recognition....are priceless sometimes.

...I won't be selling my car....ya see....it's a thing....feelings...emotions....a mixture...definitions really don't matter....

...at this point in my life...SMILES matter..and I RECOGNIZE that.

Enjoy...

Well stated!

 

[NeverEnough]

I almost sold mine twice. Once for $10k in my pocket & the other time would have been $20k in my pocket.

Why didn't I? Of course, this happens the one time in my life it's my only car. Also, I'd have to spend all that "profit" on whatever I got to replace it so I don't really gain anything. If I could even swap for a CT5 V Blackwing, I'd do it right now.

I could have leased a Jetta to get me around for $300 or so a month, but I'd be miserable as hell and a Jetta is not worth $300. I leased a 2017 Jetta for $169. That price I am ok with on cars like that. $300 = NOPE!

 

[furious70]

If I could gain $20k on mine I'd have a hard time not parlaying that into a trackhawk, awd would sure be nice with all this power.

 

[Jimmy N.]

If I could gain $20k on mine I'd have a hard time not parlaying that into a trackhawk, awd would sure be nice with all this power.

Yes, the AWD is nice. But the extra weight and consequent lesser performance isn't.

Although, with one more gear, or taller axle gearing, I would've liked the Trackhawk more.

 

[coanan]

Yes, the AWD is nice. But the extra weight and consequent lesser performance isn't.

Although, with one more gear, or taller axle gearing, I would've liked the Trackhawk more.

"You can beat a Hawk red, but you can't beat a Trackhawk"

 

[HDwrenchTX]

I traded my 2021 REWB with less than 2K miles on a 2022 Challenger Jailbreak. Why? I moved up a year and got much more than I paid for the 2021 on trade. Changed up the options to make it
exciting and traded for a very reasonable amount.

Let me know how to do that on a car that hasn't even been built yet. My "trade" 21 HC Challenger 1450 miles

 

[sleeper_redeye]

Well said op. Even if I could profit 20k or more I wouldn’t do it. Not even for 100k. The car, and experience is worth much more than money to me.

I’ve got multiple other cadillacs and they’re nice. Old one FLOATS, new one breaks my back turning and accelerating.

challenger is in its own class. What fuc|<ing beasts these things are.One of the best funvestments I’ve ever made in my short life

 

[GreenMachine15]

100k........PROFIT?
That would be tough to not move along to the next one.

 

[Mattm400]

I love my car, but sure, if I could make 20K, yes I'll do it & move on to the next thing.

 

[Slowpoke387]

After thinking about it more I think I’d do it as long as they were still building them and I could order a newer version. Once they stop building them though, no way.

 

[bay_area]

Anyone who's saying they would turn down 20k or even 10k profit is a fool. You can just as easily order a new one at a significant discount. The only situation I would say it doesn't matter if you are making 10 or 20k profit is if somebody was making 7 figures a year, and most of those people would even flip these in a heartbeat.

Think what you want but these aren't one off or rare cars, the charger and Challengers have a lot of flaws and they aren't the fastest anymore like in 2015 but they were and still may be the best bang for buck when it comes to stock horsepower per dollar.

Also @Houston713 them not putting in the new features like acc, lane keep, etc etc is not because of air or anything like that, it's pure cost cutting. The trackhawk, durango, and even challenger get adaptive cruise, rain sensing wipers, lane keep assist, etc etc
if they were to add this package to the charger no doubt in my mind they would tack another $500-1000 on the base price and then charge you for a $1500-$3k tech package which would boost the price anywhere from 2k - 4k.

Seeing as how they were having to use heavy incentives to move these cars before the chip crisis it would be a death sentence. The moment the hellcat or redeye reaches 100k in normal times is the moment a death sentence is handed out, at 100-120k there are a lot more well rounded cars out there. They basically would have to throw out higher incentives thus giving them no real benefit to add these features because stellantis eats the cost anyway.

I would however like to see them try some sort of awd charger, but this late in the cycle I highly doubt it due to cost of r&d because at this point they are milking this platform for everything they can.