Part 3: Challenger Designers Castiglione and Barrington
Nov 30, 2007 at 4:35PMOur running conversation with the Challenger concept designers (who, you are saying in our latest poll, designed one of the most successful concepts in modern times) continues on into Part 3…
Here we include discussion of:
–Making the Challenger concept your “mind’s eye” memory of the classic
–The influence of MOPAR enthusiasts
–Wheel design
–Alan B. talks about the modernization of the interior
–Capitalizing on the modern Chrysler sedans
(*Note: If you’d like a higher-quality version, click through the “Read More” link.)


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9 Comments
love to see plymoth jump out from retirement like Rocky/Rambo Salone and give us a v-10 viper powered carbon fibered cuda &road runner with beep beep horn of course.30% more HP & 20% less weight z-06 vette might end up with 4 doors for 09.
wonder if the general will screw up the camaro when it hits production? they usually do ,now mopar following their downhill lead. never cared for fords but i gotta give credit where its due, mustangs after 44 years finally will rulethe streets’
o well no stick shift no 450+hp might as well be a aspen remake
When I bought my 2007 Shelby GT500 I figured it would be my last muscle cAr but on December 2nd my Dodge dealer verified my order for a black Challenger and I suppose that will be my last muscle car. At least I’ll have two good ones! At 68 years of age I probably won’t need anymore muscle cars and with the current political and environmental climate, these might be the last ones. I just hope to be able to get 93 octane fuel for a few more years. Maybe when I’m in my 90s I can get the good stuff on the black market.
madcapp, these guys are designers not engineers - when they are talking about weight they are not refering to mass or the cumulative effect of gravity on mass but rather from the perspective of the weight of a line, form, and shape. One thing to watch out for - light weight aluminum wheels are often cracked or broken by potholes - There are too many potholes and rough roads near me for me to want a really light weight aluminum wheel. I’d like to see a 5 spoke chrome steel wheel.
I still think Michael and Alan rock. These guys did a great job on the Challenger. The care and attention they put into getting it right shows they were the perfect choice to bring back to life one of the most beloved muscle cars ever. Well done, gentlemen!
I’m so glad Castiglione recoginzes that weight (or rather the lack of weight) is an extremely critical element to a car like this. I hope there is extremely lightweight wheel choices for the Challenger, and the weights are given for the different wheel choices so the buyer can evaluate wheel options not just on style, but by weight as well.
HATS OFF GUYS. AWESOME JOB. CHRYSLER WOULD BE FOOLISH NOT TO PUT BOTH OF YOU IN CHARGE OF THE CUDA PROJECT. YOUR INSIGHTS TO THE DEVELOPMENT AND THINKING THAT WENT IN TO THE CHALLENGER WOULD BE THE SAME RECIPE TO LAUNCH AN EVEN BIGGER SUCCESS WITH THE CUDA. BY THE WAY, I STOPPED DELIVERY ON MY SRT8 CHARGER WHEN IT WAS ANNOUNCED THAT THIS CAR WOULD BE BUILT. I HAVE WAITED FOR THIS DAY FOR SOME TIME. I HAVE MY DEPOSIT DOWN, I AM FIRST AT MY DEALER, AND I JUST CAN’T WAIT TO TAKE THE WHEEL. THANK YOU
Metal interior trim…good idea. Ever think of using the ball burnished/engine spun style metal for the trim? And play up the Brembo brakes all day long through the 5 spoke wheels. Just be sure Brembos are at least an option on the R/T.