who does retro right?

Finally, the big three here in the states are competing again in the pony car market. Ford has had all the fun since the release of the redesigned mustang in 2005 (model year). Now, every Tom, Dick and Harry has one. I was afraid of that. So, fashionably late to the party, comes the Chevy Camaro and the Dodge Challenger. Now, just to be clear, I'm not going to go over horsepower, suspension, gas mileage, or any other details that will help you decide which car is right for you. I'm just talking aesthetics here. It's kinda my thing. Who has succeeded in faithfully capturing the spirit of the original classics in new sheet metal?


We'll start with the Ford Mustang.




It's hard to pin down exactly what year in the late 1960s that this new generation of Mustang came from, and that's the idea. There's really nothing about this car that I don't like. Except that every Tom, Dick and Harry has them. I've already mentioned that. But, being that there's so many of them out there, we've seen how the aftermarket has made nearly every GT out there unique. Scouring the net for images of late 60s Mustangs, it was very hard to find one that was stock.

I give this a 9.5 in honor of the olympics.

Next, let's look at the Chevy Camaro.




It's easier to put your finger on the 68 or 69 model year, except this is a much more modern interpretation of the classic. I applaud GM for pushing the envelope on this, but why mess with a winning recipe? There were sketches floating around the web of what the Camaro might look like that were just as exciting as the Mustang, but the final product is polarizing. No one seems to be indifferent, and I for one am not a fan. It looks squished, and has some angles that seem to be arbitrary.

I'll give it a 8.7. It scores low marks in "badass"

Last, but not least, the Dodge Challenger.





Again, it's pretty easy to see that the Challenger is the offspring of the 1970 pictured here. Both cars score huge marks in "badass". Staying true to the concept as both the Mustang and the Camaro did, (don't split hairs with me here people,) the Dodge has really muscular lines, and fantastic design cues from the classic.

I give it a 9.8. Retro, badass, and great attention to detail makes the Challenger the gold medal winner.