Victoria, I think you’re looking at it the wrong way.

I think the point is just flying above your head. The paragraph you quoted is a great example of the authoring acknowledging she knows exactly what the car isn’t

This car embodies the American tradition of Good Enough until it isnt.

Where in the article did you get the impression the author thought this was a ZL1 or Mustang competitor?

Yes, I do own one, even bought it after reading all the reviews about how slow and heavy the R/T is.

This is a commentary on what the Challenger represents and exudes in its existence.

Jason Cammisa was getting a 5.6 0-60 time out of the new GR86. 5.7 is almost embarrassing for a V8.

I do *understand* the appeal, but I also think that with just a 5.7, this thing doesn’t offer enough whatsoever, and even he, six years ago, admitted it was already outdated. Time has made it worse.

I have the cloth seats in my R/T track pack, and I could agree that they’re not the most comfortable seats. Some of the padding doesn’t seem to hit right, and I don’t remember feeling that on the base R/T I test drove.

Representative of an antiquated mindset, stuck in a past that others have worked hard to move beyond, that mirrors our nostalgia-obsessed culture

I once rode 3 hours in the back seat of a Foxbody hatch. It wasn’t roomy, but I had my knees on either side of the driver’s seat, so I fit. (I’m 6'2", my dad was driving and is 6' tall). Head and shoulder room was OK, but the hatchback gave a ton of utility that no trunk could match.

I loved the Challenger R/T I test drove so much, I ordered one from the factory as my first brand new car purchase. Every review bitching about how it doesn’t handle well or it’s “underpowered” is pointless, because it still is a damn fun car.

If anything, and I think you hit on this at the end, the Challenger represents faded glory.

This car is preoccupied with its own past in a way that will prevent it from ever being a road tripper, or a tourer, or a sports car, because its entire design ethos is simply unvarnished nostalgia for the ‘70s,

Funny thing is, the mystery brakers are often driving 5mph under the limit with hands at 10 and 2 and a fierce concentration on the road.

I hate mystery brakers.

I’m not sure what I’m looking at there. I see two graphs, one with a flatter torque curve, but I have no idea what engine each one shows and if there are any mods or tunes or what is going on for each car. I’d love to see dyno graphs for each engine, but it’s difficult to find 100% stock and trustworthy engine…

Ford has proven time and time again that they’re not interested in any enthusiast vehicle that isn’t the Mustang or truck based.  

I disagree, the Marauder was an awesome car.

But it was overpriced for what it provided, and underperforming for they hype they tried to give it.  

Panthers are great. But to get the most enjoyment out of them, you have to lean into the indestructible feel. Take them places you wouldn’t take a Golf, and you’ll have a lot of fun knowning it’s a car that isn’t going to fall apart and is cheap to fix if it does break.