Going past the 2023 model year, the fate of a couple of Detroit Three’s finest pony cars could not be more different than the two (light and dark) sides of the Moon.
As far as the Dodge Challenger (and Charger) are concerned, fate is EV-sealed. The nameplate was born in 1969 (for the model year 1970) as a pony car using the Chrysler E platform in hardtop and convertible style with lots of components shared from the Plymouth Barracuda. After a four-year disappearance from the market, the 1978 model year, second-gen Challenger morphed into a simple rebadge of the Mitsubishi Galant Lambda coupe – and most fans would like it erased from collective memory.
Luckily, starting with the 2008MY, Dodge finally did right to uphold the original’s feisty pony car legacy, and the general audience has adopted this second rebirth with open arms. As such, it has thrived ever since – and without even getting a new generation in the process. Alas, its ICE-powered legacy will cease after the end of production for the current (2023) model year, all to make way for the Banshee EV revolution and its nine levels of electron-based power.
As for the 2023 Ford Mustang, it is quietly living the last days of the (S550) sixth generation while everyone is curiously waiting to see if the ICE-exclusive 2024 iteration was the right call or not. Even the 2022 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 was killed off to make way for the new generation as well as to clear the factory path for the Predator V8-powered 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R off-road pickup truck. But does all this commotion matter everywhere?
Well, it might, but only across the real world. Meanwhile, over in the imaginative realm of virtual automotive artists, all these are just trifling matters. Especially when some folks want to express their passion for these ICE icons. Such is the case with Evrim Ozgun, a Turkish digital automotive designer, who has decided to compare two of Detroit Three’s finest pony cars - now morphed into a couple of muscled-up slammed widebody heroes (or beasts).
This CGI comparison idea comes swiftly after we have seen a sneak peek at the 2024 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat fighting off the contemporary Chevy Camaro ZL1 and we had to dismiss that as nothing but an impossible ICE dream. Now, a minty Dodge Challenger SRT (presumably also a Hellcat – or perhaps even a Redeye) has to deal with the other Detroit foe, a ‘2023’ Ford Mustang Shelby GT500.
This vision is equally wishful thinking – as there is no 2023 model year for the legendary GT500. But, of course, that does not matter much for the pixel master’s dream. Besides, it could be just a pair of 2022 model-year pony cars that were elevated to beastly CGI status, for all we know. This is because neither the fierce-looking gray Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 nor the brawny Mopar arrived in stock form!
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News