The Dodge Challengers seat belts are proof that we almost got a convertible version

"LJ909" (lj909) 05/15/2019 at 11:05 • Filed to: Dodge, Dodge Challenger

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Let’s be honest: it would be nice to have a convertible that actually had room for the family. But right now the only options for something like that would be to spend big money and go for something like an S Class convertible or even higher than that with a Rolls Royce or something. There aren’t any sedan based convertibles anymore and it sucks. Cars like the Chrysler Sebring, Toyota Solara were sedan based. And while boring they at least offered convertible fun at prices most people could afford because they were sedan based. The Challenger would have been the perfect convertible. But it never came

Out of the 3 American muscle cars, the Challenger is the only one who never saw a convertible version. The Mustangs backseat is so small that when my son is in the back of mine, the passenger seat has to go so far forward that its almost dangerous, and the Camaro’s backseat is even smaller and makes you wonder what’s the point?

A Challenger convertible was rumored about for years, almost since the cars inception. But it never came about. Allpar, pretty much the go to for information regarding anything FCA related, along with various forum post research shows that Dodge did indeed make Challenger convertible mules through an aftermarket company called Drop Top Customs. Apparently FCA engineers work with outside custom companies to do prototype work for them and they partnered on these convertible mules. They built some although I couldn’t find how many were built.Apparently this engineering was done back in ‘08 and its evidenced by the unusual placement of the front seat belts. Its unusual in that, unlike most hard top cars, the seat belt isn’t built into the B pillar, but protruding from around the head rests. Something you would see in a convertible. And they just kept it.

This is an actual Challenger Scat Pack that was sold on this site Volocars.com. The Conversion cost $18k

Sadly though the Challenger convertible didn’t come to fruition for one simple reason: muscle. The chassis being weakened because the lack of a roof couldn’t hold up to the power of the engines Dodge wanted. So instead of simple giving us base V6 and standard Hemi power, they just felt they’d do without. Also the high costs that would have come with it as well as weight were big factors. Reportedly it was heavy with a manual top and even heavier with a power folding top . All the mules were ultimately scrapped sometime in ‘09 due to not having VIN #s. You can always go it yourself to get a convertible conversion. But with the amount of money these aftermarket companies charge, if you were wanting a convertible Hellcat for example, you’d be driving around in a 6 figure muscle car with the price of the car + the conversation.

Supposedly a Challenger convertible is coming when the next gen LX cars debut sometime this century. Hopefully it retains its room of being pretty much a 2 door Charger/300. It’ll make the perfect convertible.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > LJ909 05/15/2019 at 11:21

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$18K to make a shitty car a convertible ? Gonna save that for when people give me shit for spending so much on the ST.

adamftw > LJ909 05/15/2019 at 11:23

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Funny how these Challengers weren’t stuff enough for a drop top, yet that was one of the selling points of the originals... the body was stiff enough that it required no extra bracing or stiffening.

vondon302 > LJ909 05/15/2019 at 11:25

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I think the 2009 bankruptcy killed any hope of that ever coming out. FCA has been so tight on development money they probably figured hellcat development was probably a better use of funds.

LJ909 > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 05/15/2019 at 11:27

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You know it was some boomer with too much money and not enough sense who drove it a few thousand miles. And when he did probably didnt even put the top down enough.

LJ909 > adamftw 05/15/2019 at 11:30

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Its what makes me think the LX platform never planned to have the Challenger come about originally . Had it been designed from the ground of to be a coupe/convert, I think we would have seen a convertible years ago. Well maybe. The Recession wouldve put a damper on it.

jimz > LJ909 05/15/2019 at 11:39

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no, it’s like that because the B-pillar is further rearward than it would be on a 4 door sedan. the retractor is still anchored in the B-pillar, the loop on the seat back is there to make it easier for shorter drivers to reach it. that’s really the only place they could put it, it’s not evidence that a convertible was in the works.

WilliamsSW > LJ909 05/15/2019 at 11:41

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I guess we all should have bought the Cascada when it was alive. /s

Really though, I lament the loss of the true 4 (or 5/6!)  seat convertible.   I would love to own one.

LJ909 > vondon302 05/15/2019 at 11:54

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The BK I think killed a lot of stuff we didn't  know about, including this. I think it also killed the first gen 300 coupe because I remember this render used to float around C&D and Motor T rend about 10 years back with they would do their annual review of future cars:

LJ909 > jimz 05/15/2019 at 11:56

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Makes since.But from what I read,  t he placement largely came from the fact that a convertible version was planned. This came from a source who was either an engineer with knowledge of it.

LJ909 > WilliamsSW 05/15/2019 at 11:58

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Same here. NOT the Cascada though. that thing screams Hertz fun collection so loudly it should have been their official car. And not in a good way.

WilliamsSW > LJ909 05/15/2019 at 12:01

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LOL those are indisputable facts about the Cascada.. I wouldn’t even want one as a rental.

412GTI > LJ909 05/15/2019 at 12:13

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For some reason I’ve seen quite a few of the aftermarket version in my college town when I was in school. Idk if it was because that town was very country working class and the people who “made it” wanted a unique convertible or what. Saw one last year when passing through that had a hellcat logo on the side. I laughed at the thought of spending over 100k on that if it was actually real. 

LJ909 > 412GTI 05/15/2019 at 12:17

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Thats really crazy. I have never seen one in person outside of the net. But yea the kind of money that would go into making a Hellcat a convertible is crazy. Better money is spent either elsewhere or actually saving it and using it on something that makes mor sense. 

nerd_racing > LJ909 05/15/2019 at 12:49

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I saw a conversion one at the Home Depot in Lakewood NY over the weekend. I had to double take a nd drive around it a lot.

FLmanisback > LJ909 05/15/2019 at 12:58

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I was all in for one of these when they were in the planning stages. They were also talking about a 300 convertible, a true four door version. Never came to fruition. There is a company here in FL that does conversions, I believe it’s the 18k people. If I remember, they stiffened the chop top by adding carbon fiber across the floor pan. Not sure 100%. Would I have paid 5-7k premium for ragtop? Sure. But not 18k.

I’ll just keep buying jeeps for now. I do like the camaro convertible, but really, I feel like I’m driving a chopped mercy when the top is up  

BoDarville77 > LJ909 05/15/2019 at 13:35

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Those people driving around in the convertible Challengers are doing it because THEY CAN. No matter the price, if you have the $$$, and you want it, all I have to say is God Bless. Maybe we can try to look at things not just as it pertains to our little world. Yes, in your little world you can’t imagine spending over $100k on a Hellcat because you don’t already have a $1mil lion home, a boat, and a couple of SUVs. I nstead of being a hater, give the guy a “thumbs up” and be happy. Maybe when he gets tired of the Hellcat convertible, you can maybe buy it after the depreciation. Also, I’m not even gonna get into how many “ mouths” were fed because of that money wasting Mopar loving enthusiast. Live and let live and thank the guy for driving it around.

LJ909 > nerd_racing 05/15/2019 at 13:40

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Thats crazy. I have never ever seen one. I would like to though. 

LJ909 > FLmanisback 05/15/2019 at 13:42

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Yea I remember that company. They were called MSC or something like that? I know they were pretty big in that they had worked with a few other auto companies before on factory versions as well. I remember the rumors of the 4 door 300 convertible. People were saying it was going to be killer because nothing like that in the price range had been done before.

The Camaro convertible is good. My sis has an RS convertible. But the visibility with the top up is trash and it really should have been a 2 seater. Its a 2+2-2.

Mane > LJ909 05/15/2019 at 15:12

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Jeep W rangler U nlimited for you!

LJ909 > Mane 05/15/2019 at 15:51

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Yea...but I would want something that gets better than 14-16 mpg. A Challenger can get shitty mileage too. But its a muscle car and you have to be doing some hard driving for that. 

Kiz > LJ909 05/15/2019 at 16:22

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Doesn't look good in a convertible 

daender > LJ909 05/15/2019 at 18:22

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An official one did exist before being scrapped. Jalopnik posted about it 10 years ago.

https://jalopnik.com/dodge-challenger-convertible-spotted-on-way-to-scrap-ya-5171914

hike > LJ909 05/15/2019 at 19:14

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A local Dodge dealer bought a conversion at auction and had it for sale for a while. It’s not on their site anymore so I guess they finally sold it.

LJ909 > daender 05/15/2019 at 19:44

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I feel like I remember seeing this years ago. This was probably one of the very mules I mentioned that was destroyed because of no VIN.

LJ909 > hike 05/15/2019 at 19:47

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This actually looks good from this angle and in this color combo. You know how much it went for?

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > LJ909 05/15/2019 at 20:10

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But right now the only options for something like that would be to spend big money and go for something like an S Class convertible or even higher than that with a Rolls Royce or something. There aren’t any sedan based convertibles anymore and it sucks.

Audi A5 Cabriolet:

ranwhenparked > LJ909 05/15/2019 at 20:49

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I remember the convertible discussions, but I recall that the financial issues surrounding the 2008-2009 market collapse and Chrysler’s subsequent bankruptcy had a lot to do with it, combined with lack of capacity/flexibility at Brampton to add another model (they already had to drop the Magnum just to make room for the Challenger coupe ).

ranwhenparked > LJ909 05/15/2019 at 20:52

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Chrysler did have a pretty ambitions EV/hybrid plan around the time of the bankruptcy, and its basically taken them 10 years to get back on track with that.

Also, they were working on a new RWD midsize car for Chrysler based on a cut down LX platform, I think the name Nassau had been floated for it. Built some development mules, but it had a lot of cost and weight balance problems that were difficult to solve and ultimately was just more time and money than they could afford. 

LJ909 > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 05/15/2019 at 21:00

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Thought of both the A5 convertible and the E Class convertible. But they both to me, fall under spending big money. The A5 Convertible starts at almost $52 grand and he E Class convertible starts a damn near $70k. Not cheap. 

LJ909 > ranwhenparked 05/15/2019 at 21:39

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I figured as much. Bringing a convertible to market in the middle of bad recession WHILE the company is on the verge of BK is just common sense bad business. So it makes sense a Challenger convertible didnt see the light of day. Didnt know they had to drop the Magnum for it though. That sucks.

LJ909 > ranwhenparked 05/15/2019 at 21:45

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Yea but even now their hybrid plans , whatever they are are slim to none. Outside of the Pacifica EV , they, and I have said this before, have thrown all their eggs into the performance and suv/truck basket. When gas goes back up, it will hit them hard.

Also, they were working on a new RWD midsize car for Chrysler based on a cut down LX platform, I think the name Nassau had been floated for it.

This pains me so much to see something like this was being developed and it didnt come. they would have beat to the market both GM and Hyundai with their small rwd platforms. Something like this is badly needed for Chrysler which is just a 2 car lineup. Im going to have to do some more research into this and maybe write about it. Thanks for this.

ranwhenparked > LJ909 05/15/2019 at 22:02

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Well, this was the concept version shown at Detroit in 2009.

This was a PHEV, but regular ICE-only 4-cylinder and Pentastar versions would have happened as well.

For all the bad press they got over their ca. 18 month stewardship of Chrysler, Cerberus actually was on the right track with a lot of their thinking - refreshed/better quality interiors, new V6 engine family, new premium midsize Chrysler, hybrid and electric offerings, etc. I sincerely believe that if the bottom hadn’t dropped out of the economy, their turnaround would have worked - at least well enough to cash out in an IPO around the 2015-2017 timeframe. 

2014Challenger > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 05/15/2019 at 22:03

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There  is 0 backseat room in an a5

pip bip - choose Corrour > LJ909 05/16/2019 at 05:56

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Daend er b eat me to it

pip bip - choose Corrour > LJ909 05/16/2019 at 06:09

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here’s the only other pic i can find online

LJ909 > ranwhenparked 05/16/2019 at 11:15

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I remember this concept. Didnt the design inspire the 200 or something like that?

And yea Cerberus was trash but they were on the right track Chrysler wise, especially with this and the Imperial concept.

ranwhenparked > LJ909 05/16/2019 at 13:09

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Stylistically it did, though the 200 took a different path on everything else. I guess this was the start of Chrysler's current design language, if it still counts as a design language when only two production models have used it and not at the same time. 

hike > LJ909 05/16/2019 at 13:38

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I think they had it listed in the 60s. It was under 10k miles on it and a loaded SRT with the 6.4 V8. 

Mane > LJ909 05/16/2019 at 13:47

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Truth.