dogde
chrager 
29 Likes
1993 Dodge Charger R/T, with Daytona package adding rear wing, tri-spoke wheels with sport tires, and quad-pipe exhausts
5 Likes
Time’s up!
I’ve already started the review process of the cars, I will (hopefully) have the results ready this week.
Right, just a follow-up that I forgot to do earlier.
I am getting the reviews ready, I’ve just been quite busy for the last little while and haven’t been able to go as fast as I would have liked. Rest assured that they are coming!
14 Likes
Reviews
After giving the design department mostly free reign to develop proposals for a new Dodge Charger, the executives have reconvened to look over the dozen proposals they received.
This meeting will mostly be led by marketing and engineering, who will be able to provide different views for what makes a successful car, with of course bean counters from each department also having a say.
Rule Breakers
Right from the start, a few of the submissions have to be discarded for not adhering to the brief.
@Mikonp7
A sleek if slightly unfinished proposal that was unfortunately dropped off after the deadline. In the interest of fairness, this proposal will be discarded. It could have been a strong contender.
@fabiremi999
An unusual approach to giving a FWD look to a RWD car, but the liftback design is not what Chrysler is looking for with the new charger.
(It’s worth double checking the number of doors on a body even if it looks like a sedan.)
@azkaalfafa
One of the most striking design proposals and the one that would have fit best in Dodge’s lineup in 1993, but a large sedan that only seats four would severely hamper sales.
@GassTiresandOil
While some nice visuals were shown for this proposal, an actual car was never sent in to be assessed.
Assessments
@the-chowi
The first proposal is a striking reddish-orange sedan with a well crafted design showcasing a potential R/T trim.
Marketing
Well this absolutely does look like a Dodge and like a Charger, with a prominent crosshair grille and indents in the doors referencing the 60s model. The rims being similar to the Viper currently in development would probably also entice buyers. That said, the styling seems overall very sharp and angular… Not something we believe buyers are ready for at the moment. We can’t help but notice the huge wheels on here as well… 275s in the back and 18" rims are both things that would likely be best toned down. The interior design is quite attractive and could work well for 1993.
(I see those references to the 1999 concept, this is a bit early for that look).
The estimated price of $28,900 is a bit steep but could make sense for an R/T model. That said, it appears this is both the smoothest driving and most comfortable of the proposals, and offers quite good practicality and estimated safety rating, all characteristics that are important in reaching a wider customer base. Fuel economy and driving dynamics are on the good side of average but nothing really outstanding. Where this one disappoints is with the acceleration being nothing special, taking 8.3s to reach 62 mph, which would be a tough sell with that R/T badge.
Engineering
Right, so the styling seems a bit far ahead of the curve for the target launch yeah, and we can confirm that some of the engineering follows the same path, which could explain the higher cost. The first thing that sticks out is the 5-speed electronically controlled automatic. It’s surprising that the acceleration is quite low with this cutting edge transmission and the huge amount of rubber it’s paired with. Also of note is the complicated double wishbone suspension and vented disc brakes all around. This is a lot of overengineering for a mass market car, and while the brakes could easily be downgraded for the more pedestrian models, the suspension would not. That said, the maintenance cost projections are surprisingly quite average, as is the fuel economy.
Final Thoughts
Styling and engineering too far ahead for 1993, but it still makes for a recognisable and attractive package that offers a lot for buyers who would be willing to pay for the R/T badge that lacks some oomph.
@nvisionluminous
The next proposal is a deep red coupe showing an R/T trim that takes more than a few cues from classic Chargers.
Marketing
This is an interesting one that pushes the Classic charger styling further than the other proposals. While that inspiration is clear, the overall package feels more like an import in proportions than something fully American. An attempt was made to mesh the classic split front grille with the modern crosshair design but we must say that it was not successful and is likely to be off-putting for customers. The rear end design is more attractive, but the horizontal slats across front and rear lights are likely to be quite dated by 1993 even if they’re popular now. The interior is pretty nicely put together, though the back seat area feels a bit spartan… We also believe that the tartan fabric would absolutely need to go, it’s very German and a Charger R/T should have nothing less than leather seats.
With an estimated price of $30,500, this Charger R/T proposal is the steepest of the lot. Practicality is lower, to be expected from a coupe, but then it just isn’t as comfortable nor as smooth in regular driving. Where this extra price is justified is in dynamic driving and the faster 0-62 mph acceleration of 7.7s, though that is still not an outstanding number for a modern Charger R/T. Fuel economy is decent while the estimated safety rating is a bit low but not quite worrisome.
Engineering
The previous proposal looked to be designed for the future, this one for the past, but that stops at the styling. This Charger R/T has an expensive full-aluminum body, which may explain the lower safety estimates but that does help to keep the weight down for a car of this size. Also driving up the costs is that 5-speed electronic transmission, which is once again underwhelming in the performance it offers for an R/T. This is also paired with rear multilink suspension with double wishbone in the front. These things do drive up the maintenance costs, as do the beefy 265 wide tires all around… Certainly overkill, even for an R/T. Some of these things could easily be toned down for lower trims, but most can’t.
Final Thoughts
An expensive R/T proposal that blends advanced engineering with recognisable but dated styling that doesn’t excel in any way to justify the cost.
@Ermie4594
Next up for assessment is a stylish black Charger R/T sedan that goes back to the muscle car roots of a performance trim of a mundane model.
Marketing
There’s no mistaking this for anything other than a Dodge, even if the styling is more conservative than our new offerings planned for the 1990s. The styling will likely be a bit dated at launch but could work well with a lot of buyers, especially those buying full-size cars from our competitors. The flair added for the R/T trim is fairly subtle but works well for the car, but we think the design could do with a little something more to better tie this to the Charger’s history.
This proposal has an estimated retail price of $28,400, which is expected for an R/T trim. What it does offer is some stellar dynamic driving, and the 0-62 mph sprint of 6.9s is quite good for a large sedan with some muscle aspirations. For the more conservative buyers, practicality seems quite good, safety and fuel economy are lower than ideal, while the ease of driving and the comfort are surprisingly low for a car that should appeal to a wide market base. The interior being fitted with some very sporty seats that don’t provide much comfort are definitely a big reason for this.
Engineering
So the engineering side of this one is about as conservative as the styling, except for those seats that are about on par for what we’ll have in the Viper. This proposal is the first so far to have a manual transmission, which is sure to appeal to many R/T buyers and helps with the performance. The service costs are about average for what we’d expect, with the staggered tires contributing to that, but those are at least fitting for an R/T. The more mundane trims can be fitted with something different. Overall, the high end parts of this car would be easy to tone down, so while not ideal it’s really quite good from a mechanical standpoint.
Final Thoughts
A Charger R/T proposal that goes a bit too far in some places and not far enough in others, it has potential but would need more work to be a truly competitive offering.
@Dog959
The next proposal to be assessed is a shiny red one with some unique white accents, and the first to not showcase an R/T trim.
Marketing
Well this proposal certainly seems quite mundane, so it’s good that there isn’t a performance badge attached to it. It is quite mundane… But also very strange, with incongruous styling all around and light designs that look nothing like anyone could imagine. The interior is just a simple mockup unfortunately, so there isn’t much to comment there. The split front grille referencing the classic Charger is a nice touch but other than that there isn’t anything to attach this to the Dodge brand. This is not a car that would catch the attention of potential buyers.
Where this proposal can be commended is the price, estimate at $23,400. That’s quite affordable and is sure to get the attention of anyone looking for an affordable V8 family car. The handling and comfort are projected to be quite average, but this proposal shines with some excellent practicality with what should be a well appointed interior. The 0-60 time of 8.4s is rather slow for a V8 Charger, while the ride really does not feel dynamic. Safety is also lacking, and surprisingly the fuel economy is as well for a car not built for speed.
Engineering
In terms of how this one is built, it’s a mixed bag of basic and overdone. Body and chassis are absolutely untreated which is less than ideal. It has a solid rear axle, nice and conventional and helps to keep the cost down, same goes with the 4-speed automatic. But then it also has adaptive components in the suspension. This is paired with some massive 265 wide tires all around on 18" rims… So this mixed bag leads to estimated service costs that are very average, but could have been lower than average. Luckily these are things that can be easily toned down should we go with this proposal.
Final Thoughts
A proposal for a conventional trim that features a low price and excellent practicality and not much else to entice buyers, while also being let down by its styling.
@Portalkat42
Next up for consideration by the executives is a big, silver, boaty car with black accents and 500 badging.
Marketing
Here’s something that could turn heads in 1993, and the 500 naming referencing the old charger is a nice touch. The styling definitely fits the Dodge image, even down to the wheels matching the upcoming Viper. As for this being a charger, there are subtle details all around that tie it to the past without being a retro design. The interior is well designed and looks quite sporty and forward thinking while nicely wrapped in leather… Maybe not ideal for the more traditional buyers but likely not something to turn them away either. The design is mostly there but it seems a bit fat, especially in the rear, while the hidden headlights design feels more fitting for the present than the 1993 projections.
This proposal has an estimated price of $28,000, which is a little pricey but there is a lot packed in here for it, so it will be easy to fit lower priced models below. This is one of the more comfortable cars, and it’s pretty middle of the road for ease of use. Practicality is quite good too, as is the fuel economy. Safety should end up on the good side of average, and the same goes for the fuel economy. Where this car doesn’t offer much is in terms of acceleration and dynamic driving, with a 0-62 time of 7.8s. This can be excused as it is a more comfort-oriented trim proposal.
Engineering
Here’s something different in terms of engineering… A Charger proposal built for comfort rather than outright performance. The projected service costs for this one are quite low, certainly to do with a lot of conventional features being used and tires that are of regular size and compound. This one has a tape deck on offer rather than a CD player, odd for a comfort-oriented proposal. Of course cassette or CD is something we plan to have as an option in the end.
Final Thoughts
Good styling, good features, and overall a proposal with a lot more positives than negatives on offer to entice potential buyers while staying true to both Dodge and the Charger name.
@TwistedUmbreon
The following proposal for the executives is a simple black coupe with no trim designation.
Marketing
There isn’t much to say about the styling for this proposal, it seems hastily slapped together and nothing about the design suggests Dodge or Charger. We can’t sell a car that doesn’t have anything to tie it into the company, and we’d ideally like to reference the Charger history in some ways with the design. The proportions work pretty well and suggest some level of performance, so it at least has that going for it. There is unfortunately no interior design provided on this one, so no judgement beyond the spec sheet for that.
With an estimated retail price of $17,800, this proposal is the cheapest by a wide margin, enough that it would easily encroach on the sales of models below it. While this might seem outstanding on its own, it ended up being easy to tell that many corners were cut to achieve it. This proposal for the Charger fared the worst for its driving characteristics, for both the everyday and sporty testing, and for driver and passenger comfort, all by a very wide margin. Needless to say, it is entirely unsuitable for production. At least the acceleration isn’t awful, with a 0-62 mph run in 7.4s, and while the estimated safety is quite low, it’s not dangerously so and appears to have to do with the car’s construction as the specs include regular safety features we’ll expect for 1993. The practicality is also not too bad, it suffers from being a coupe but is quite manageable.
Engineering
Alright, the engineering aspects of this one are uh… Quite odd. Needless to say, it seems slapped together with no sensible reasoning behind any of it. The worst part is that it has solid axles front and rear end then the car was cut up to give it a more reasonable ride height. The estimated service costs are astoundingly low, but it’s not surprising when the car is built like a tractor. Even the interior matches that, with bare hard seats and no stereo, but then this proposal is still somehow outfitted with some active suspension components. There isn’t really anything to work with for production here.
Final Thoughts
A slapped together proposal in both design and engineering that manages to excel only as an exercise in frugality.
(When a competition has a 3 week submission period, no need to submit a rushed entry in the first couple of days. You can ask on the forums or in Discord for input from other players if unsure about design or engineering.)
@IncredibleHondaFit
Next for consideration is a muscular two-tone orange R/T Daytona coupe that looks more to the future than the past.
Marketing
Now here’s a car with some wow factor. The styling is strongly linked to the upcoming Viper and that would work very well as a performance image for Dodge, especially for an R/T Daytona variant of the Charger. We do wonder if the standard Magnum engine is the way to go for such a trim, however. The subtle fender vents are a nice reference to the second generation Charger. Beyond the Viper-like styling, the big showpiece here is those clamshell doors. That’s an ingenious way of offering a coupe with additional practicality, and might even lure in some buyers who were specifically looking for a sport sedan. Unfortunately the interior has not been designed on this proposal.
This proposal has an estimated retail price of $27,400 which is rather affordable compared to other proposals, and being an R/T Daytona it leaves a lot of room for lower trims below it. Where this proposal really shines is with the sportiness of its ride, the acceleration with a 0-62 mph time of 6.6s, and somehow also the fuel economy. Safety is quite average, while the conventional driving characteristics are quite good. In terms of comfort, it’s above average but nothing crazy, clearly from being designed for performance first. What is nice here is the practicality of it, with those half doors really offering a lot of the benefits of a sedan on a coupe.
Engineering
So this Charger R/T Daytona proposal does offer a lot of features for the estimated price, but that seems to come at the expense of the service costs, which are estimated to be the highest, and well above the average. The beefy staggered sport tires on massive 19" rims are certainly a big part of this that could be toned down, even for an R/T Daytona trim. 19s are more fitting for a concept car than anything in production. While most of the technical design of this car should be quite conventional for 1993, there is an oddity… The fully clad undertray, absolutely overkill here and sure to be a pain. Luckily these are both things that could be changed for production, should we proceed with this proposal.
Final Thoughts
A compelling proposal with an innovative practical coupe design and styling that looks like a concept car and packing a lot around that Magnum V8 to live up to the Daytona name.
Nearing the end of the proposals is a deep red R/T coupe with boxy yet sleek styling.
Marketing
Here’s another more conservatively styled proposal, and another R/T trim. The styling should work pretty well for 1993, though the roofline is a bit jarring… It is quite curvy on an otherwise boxy design, and the proportions in the rear seem off. The styling at least does fit the Dodge lineup, even while being boxier than most upcoming models, while the full width tail light is a nice reference to classic Charger styling. While most of the styling is rather conservative, those 18" rims are a bit much for production. The interior styling is a rather simple proposal showing a nice black and burgundy colour scheme… It’s unfortunate that it isn’t as detailed as the exterior.
In terms of specifications, this proposal’s estimated price of $26,600 makes it one of the more affordable ones. As for what it offers for that price… Unfortunately not very much. It’s not very comfortable, standard and dynamic driving characteristics are not very good, practicality is quite low, and the acceleration is the slowest of the lot at 8.5s to 62 mph. We can at least compliment it on its safety features, with estimated rating at the higher end of the proposals. With the bog standard interior and lacking performance, this seems better suited as one of the conventional trims rather than an R/T. What is unacceptable however, is the 8-track player included in here. Those are already in the past, why would anyone want one in 1993?
Engineering
Right, so while this proposal is quite conservative for its styling, the same can’t be said for some of its engineering. This Charger R/T is outfitted with a 5-speed automatic transmission, something too pricey to develop for the time being, as well as some actuated sway bars… Those are a bit much. Surprisingly, this is estimated to be one of the cheapest to maintain cars, likely due to most other components being pretty simple. It could be possible to change the transmission and sway bars for production, so it’s not a completely lost cause. Everything else is acceptable.
Final Thoughts
A stylish and believable Charger on the surface but without much substance behind it to entice customers.
@Maxbombe
The final proposal rolled in for the executives is a big pearl white coupe with some eye catching red accents and an oddly named Albany Recipe trim.
Marketing
Now here’s another proposal with presence, though Charger Albany Recipe is certainly an odd name… One that will not be making it to production if we choose this proposal. It’s quite boaty for a coupe in a similar way to the Charger 500 proposal, but it works quite well with these proportions. There is no mistaking this one for a 1993 Dodge, with the crosshair grille and sleek styling in line with upcoming models, while the profile is a nice call back to the second generation Charger. The body kit, various air intakes, and short wing all give the car a muscular air.
The estimated retail price for this proposal is $28,000 and there is plenty offered for it, such as the highest estimated safety rating of the proposals, as well as some excellent dynamic handling. The acceleration time to 62 mph is 7.4s, among the fastest. The regular driving characteristics are quite average, while fuel economy and practicality are the lowest of the lot. This proposal is also rather uncomfortable, mostly to do with the thinly padded leather seats that feel more like those from the upcoming Viper. For a proposal that pushes performance first and foremost, this car has steel wheels with hubcaps. Those would absolutely need to be replaced with alloys for production.
Engineering
Finally at the last proposal, and the oddly named Charger Albany Recipe is ending on a high note even with some faults. One of the places it shines is the estimated servicing costs being among the lowest, certainly to do with a lot of conventional engineering, simple parts, and reasonably sized tires. The lightweight sport interior fittings are an odd choice here, as is omitting any sort of undertray. The double wishbone suspension all around is a bit much for the segment and would be hard to downgrade for lower trims. This really is a weird mix of under-designed and over-designed, though most of the car is exactly what we’d expect.
Final Thoughts
An excellent and marketable design that is almost there in terms of engineering but suffers from being overdone in some places and underdone in others.
The Winner
With plenty of back and forth discussion between the marketing and engineering executives, it was clear which proposal would be best suited for production. A car built for comfort and practicality while offering reasonable sportiness with the Magnum V8. A car that offers a lot of value. A car that is recognisable as a Dodge Charger.
That car is the Dodge Charger 500.
Congratulations @Portalkat42 on winning the first Real Design Challenge!
Final Scores
Out of a possible maximum of 80 points.
9 - TwistedUmbreon - 21.2 pts
8 - Dog959 - 39.2 pts
7 - JLKpro - 45.3
6 - nvisionluminous - 47
5 - Ermie4594 - 49.6
4 - IncredibleHondaFit - 60.2
3 - the-chowi - 62.3
2 - Maxbombe - 64.8
1 - Portalkat - 67.4
16 Likes
another reason why im quitting for good😭
Well, my first DQ… I only have myself to blame
I don’t think you’d need to quit forever, I just think you can take these sorts of things to learn about how to improve the cars in future. At the end of the day everyone here does these comps just for fun and no one is trying to make anyone feel bad for their creations.
Very happy with the win. Will probably take me a bit to get another round of this because of the entries I’m currently working on. You all can probably guess the brand though. X3
You seem to have done a grand total of four challenges, and instead of taking the criticism given by the hosts, looking at what other players are doing, even going on the discord to ask for advice, you keep slapping cars together and feeling sorry for yourself when you lose. Continuing to do that rather than trying to improve isn’t going to get you anywhere. So, take your time, look at the inspirations, carefully play around with the game to see how the systems affect each other, and don’t be afraid to ask for help.
8 Likes
I would recommend doing what “the_chowi” has said and when you are working on a car keep asking on discord what other people thing of the design and where you can improve. You’ll pick up techniques you probably didn’t even think of before.
You can’t enter four challenges and decide you will never improve. There is essentially no limit to what you can design in game now
4 Likes
I myself have had plenty of dnf and last place finishes with these challenges. I have also had some higher placed standings and even a win. And I wouldn’t have had those if I didn’t try to take the steps of reflection on what didn’t work on the entries I had made and what choices did the ones who did better than I did chose. At the end of the day these results are not a definition of who you are, but rather how you choose to act in response to them is more important.
And besides, everyone here has had their own fair share of setbacks. Hell, everyone has as well. Think of your favorite athlete, or musician, scientist, or whoever, and I can guarantee you that they have had their own challenges to overcome. If people were perfect, then there would be no progress.
I’m curious, what specifically knocked those 13 points off from maximum for my entry?
That may be the primary reason why it was marked down, but not by much - I would expect a hypothetical production version to have exposed headlights with flush-fitting lenses (which would have been more faithful to the original Charger 500).
Then again, as I previously stated, it would have left enough headroom in the range for an even more powerful SXT trim, with commensurately superior performance (at a higher price).
Anyway, the shape of the lower leading edge of the C-pillar makes it clear that you took one of the '89 Ice Cream body sets (as most of the other entrants did - a few chose one of the '87 Boat body sets) and reshaped it skillfully using body moldings to get the desired final shape. And had your proposal actually gone into production, it would have spawned a 2-door, 4-seat coupe, again echoing the original (and possibly even a wagon and/or convertible, if the other body styles sold well enough).
And last but not least, I have a piece of advice for someone:
@TwistedUmbreon, there’s no need to just throw in the towel after do many last-place challenge finishes - such cowardly behavior goes against the very spirit of competition, and I’d rather see you find (and implement) various ways to improve. To quote Thomas Edison, you haven’t failed; you’ve just found several ways that didn’t work, and if/when your skills get better, you’ll eventually find at least one way that does.
1 Like
Dont quit. At the very least, make cars for you and drive them in Beam.
But if you want to get better, enter the challenges and take whatever criticisms, ask questions.
In hindsight, my tendency to max out the options list without accounting for quality sliders seems to be my consistent downfall for these kinds of things. I could have definitely scrimped on the suspension, the transmission could have been geared better, etc.
@TwistedUmbreon I left some out-of-character helpful notes in brackets and see that others have said the same thing. Ask for feedback when you’re not sure, people are happy to help. Also useful is using the internet (Wikipedia is especially helpful here) to look up other cars from the time period to get some ideas on how to proceed with your engineering.
@Portalkat42 A lot of points were relative and run through a formula, and in those metrics there was a better car for every stat, but the best stat performers either fell flat on other stats or were builds that suffered on styling. I also didn’t quite give your car the full points for the styling and period correctness for the reasons outlined in the review. Even if I maxed out all the non-stat points you’d still barely be above 70.
@nvisionluminous Your car did very well with some of the stats. The main downfalls were the price, along with dated styling and too modern engineering. Design is definitely a skill that takes time to develop, but going with simpler more period-correct engineering would have done a lot for the value and period correctness points even if some stats would have suffered.
4 Likes
That’s fair. I guess that’s what I get for pulling cues directly from '93 dodge models and not slightly newer. Other than the center section of the grill and the less rounded shapes, the ideas for the hideaways and the lower facia come directly from the '93 Dodge Stealth. The majority of the rear comes from the '93 Dodge Daytona. Both ideas were run through the lense of the '70 charger. I do agree that the body does feel kinda bulbous and fat, but that’s '90s Aero design for you. X3
2 Likes