2009 Dodge Challenger Drop-Top

Today, Chrysler announced that, contrary to earlier plans, they will not be offering a convertible option for the 2009 Dodge Challenger. The announcement follows yesterday’s similar announcement by cash-strapped Detroit brethren, GM, that plans for a mid-engined C7 Corvette were scrapped for going over budget. According to Mike Accavetti, director of brand marketing for Dodge, the reason for Chrysler’s decision was twofold: a direct result of Detroit’s current economic situation as well as engineering discrepancies. “We considered a convertible when we were developing Challenger, but the extra weight needed to beef up the car when the top was removed was too much of a penalty,” Accavitti explained to Kicking Tires. “And that was with a manual soft-top. A power-retractable hardtop would add even more weight.” Accavetti also explained that a convertible Challenger would have been a niche market vehicle, and given Detroit’s current financial woes, it’d be next to impossible for Chrysler to recoup the cost of development.

[Source: LeftLaneNews]