WHY THE SECOND-GENERATION DODGE CHALLENGER WASN’T A TRUE MUSCLE CAR

The American muscle car is one of the most iconic subcategories of the car community. By far one of the most famous throughout the muscle car’s history is the Dodge Challenger. Here was a car that had a great V8 engine under the hood and had a large, brash, brazen design that was a symbol for America in the 60s and 70s. Then came the second generation Challenger, built from 1978 to 1983, which didn't live up to the standards of its predecessor.

Out of the three generations of Challengers that have been put into production to date, it’s safe to say the late 70s era of the iconic muscle car name did not live up to expectations. History has not been kind to it. But why is this a forgotten generation of muscle car? And why is it contrary to the muscle car ethos that the Challenger represented? We thought it was best to explore this and provide a definitive answer.

The Second Gen Challenger Muscle Car Was A Rebranded Mitsubishi

It’s 1971. In the United States, the first generation of Challenger is a commercial success. Then, disaster. The 1971 oil crisis took the world by storm, and it affected the gas pumps terribly. So much so, a fuel shortage hit the market and people were left with no gas to fill up their monstrously powerful V8 machines. Suddenly, having the original Challenger with its nine different trim options and variety of powerful engines made no sense, both to the consumer’s wallet and the manufacturers commercial interests. Something had to be done.

Dodge responded by axing the Challenger from the market entirely. Gone was one of the pinnacle icons of the muscle car brand as it just seemed foolish to own a thirsty big-block V8 in a time when fuel either cost too much or wasn't available at all. That was until 1978, when Dodge announced the successor to the original Challenger.

However, almost immediately the differences between the two eras of Challenger were stark and too apparent to gloss over. Not only was it smaller and less brazen in its styling, but behind the closed doors of Dodge’s commercial department came a startling revelation: the new Challenger was a Mitsubishi Galant Lambada under the skin.

In order to meet the new fuel economy standards to combat the oil crisis, Dodge partnered with the Japanese manufacturer Mitsubishi to establish a new fleet of fuel-efficient vehicles. And so, when it came to relaunching the iconic Challenger name, the Japanese-made Galant Lambada was imported and modified and rebadged to become a Dodge Challenger. And that’s it. The result, though good on the bank account, was underwhelming for anyone expecting the full-roar muscle car experience.

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The 1978 Challenger Had No Power Compared To The First Gen Muscle Car

One of the principal reasons why the second generation Challenger was in no way a muscle car was simply down to its displacement and power figures (or lack thereof, to be precise). It being a rebadged Mitsubishi import meant it didn’t have the most impressive powertrain available.

To demonstrate what we mean, we must look at the stats and specifications of both the first and second generation of Challenger, comparing the highest trim option available at the time. The original 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T Hardtop Hemi 4-speed had a whopping naturally aspirated 7.0-liter V8 engine. This 16 valve block had a factory power output of 425 hp at 5000 rpm, and thanks to the enormity of the displacement it had a staggering 489 ft-lbs of torque to churn out. Even though the muscle car weighed in at 3649 lbs, the giant power under the hood meant the Challenger could shift; it was a truly fast car for its time.

Then came its successor. From the outset, the range of trim options and engine varieties were limited compared to the original Challenger. Anything between a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder (which coughed out a measly 78 hp) and a 2.6-liter engine was available, making it one of the smallest engines ever fitted to a production car at the time. Nevertheless, the highest spec available – the 2.6-liter inline-4 5-speed – only produced a dismal 105 hp at 5000 rpm. And although it weighed less than the genesis, having a curb weight of just 2725 lbs, it had so little grunt it only produced 138 ft-lbs of torque.

Late 70s Challenger Had Only Minimal Fuel Economy And A Dreary Lack Of Speed

But the worst thing by a mile was its fuel consumption. You would think that a smaller engine with less weight in a smaller body would help, but no. The 2.6-liter inline-4 version of the second generation of Challenger only had a combined fuel economy of 9 miles per gallon. It was underwhelming, and it brought into question why Dodge even made the decision to axe the V8 all together in its Challenger range at the time.

What’s clear is that the original Challenger was – and remains – the classic definition of a muscle car: it ticks the box for having huge power available with a proper manual gearbox. You, the driver, can rev and kick-down the huge displacement under the hood, and you can hear and experience the V8 roaring away. The second gen, however, did not offer anything close to this. It was slow, still too heavy, and wasn’t any better on the bank account thanks to a miserable fuel economy. But most of all, it lacked the beating heart – the soul – of a true muscle car: a V8 engine.

RELATED: 10 Things Dodge Challenger Owners Never Tell You

Dodge’s Second Gen Challenger Didn’t Have Muscle Car Styling

If the lack of power and easiness on the wallet wasn’t convincing enough, the second generation Challenger’s lack of ‘muscle car’ styling is the cherry on top. Whereas the first Challenger (and its subsequent facelift variants) had a long sweeping hood, a short rear deck, flares and nostrils in the hood to help cool down the monstrous V8 lying beneath it, its successor had none of this.

Gone was the big, brash, brazen design and in its place was a sensible, small, practical commuter car. The lack of resemblance between both the original and the late 70s/early 80s model is immense. Whereas you look at the BMW E28 and the BMW E34 5 Series (and you can identify signature elements that make it a 5 Series), the same cannot be said for this era of Dodge Challengers. It’s shorter, has a distinct lack of classic chrome (which would give it a flared look), and on the whole looks nothing like a long, swooping muscle car.

Evidently, Dodge’s commercial design was to stray away from the muscle car community and target the successor to a new audience; those who commute with a Toyota Celica or a Honda Prelude. In other words, the second generation Challenger became less of a muscle car and more of a daily practical commuter; the very antithesis of what a muscle car should be.

A muscle car, like the original Challenger demonstrated, is about brash designs, huge burbling V8s, standing-quarter miles racing away from the lights. It’s the vehicular defiance against the norm of the common commuter car, wrapped up in brazen shades of red, green, orange, and more shine than a jewelry store. This, in a nutshell, is the exact opposite of what the second gen Challenger stands for, and although it may don the muscle car emblem ‘Challenger’, nothing could be further from the truth.

2023-05-28T16:06:15Z dg43tfdfdgfd