The fact that the Big Three US (I know, the American identity is debatable on many fronts) automakers have embraced their pony car past is quite interesting to me. Yes, even given the fact that by and large prospective car buyers want the latest tech and decent fuel economy when looking for a new car, the firms believe that their product lines are big enough to allow the likes of a retro hoopty like a Camaro, Mustang or Challenger in the mix. I’m old enough to remember the originals in their heydays (although I wasn’t old enough to drive them just yet; only later did a sample some used units) and it became clear that I never really had the pony car gene. While the Camaro SS, Pontiac Trans Am and Ford Mustang GT where lusted after by most males when I was a teenager, my tastes gravitated toward Datsun Z cars and International Scout IIs. Weird, I know, but that’s what I was into. Motorcycles came later, and totally have dominated my ideas about street performance. That said, these days I do enjoy a fast, great handling sports coupe as much as anybody.

But in terms of these new retros, it’s an interesting choice these days. Time has marched on, and sports cars in general offer the kind of overall performance (especially in terms of handling and braking) that the old pony cars couldn’t get near, with the exception of pure, straight-line standing-start acceleration. So the resurgence of the Mustang, Camaro and Challenger is really fascinating to me, because I’ve always wondered who these cars are really built for. It seems a person that wants to recapture that original pony car magic would likely be in their mid 50s at least, and yet there’s no denying that if you’re behind the wheel of any of these retro runners you get noticed everywhere you go by folks in every age group. Both Ford and Chevy sold around 7,500 of their pony cars in July, which some auto analysts have described as hot sales. I guess that is good, but Toyota sold 5 times as many Camrys. Different animals, I know, but when you consider how badly Detroit needs to sell a lot of cars to get back on their feet, do these trophy cars make any sense from a production standpoint?

I know, who cares? People like these things, at least to look at, and the Camaro/Mustang grudge match is back on after decades of dormancy. The thing is, after having sampled the Camaro SS and RS, the Mustang GT and the Dodge Challenger SRT8 and SE, I have to give the clear nod to the least popular of these cars, the Challenger. There’s something about this car that seems to work much better in its retro muscle car mission than the other two, especially the Camaro which is surprisingly claustrophobic and just generally not much fun to drive. The Mustang has kind of a cheap feel to me, and c’mon, a live rear axle? It’s like it’s part F150.
The Challenger is a big ol’ lump that is entertaining, and actually handles well (although the steering on the SE I have right now is light, and the V6 a tad weak. Anybody who buys any of these things w/a V6 doesn’t get it). The bottom line here is, in my most humble opinion the Challenger is just more fun that the other two by a margin, and that’s why you’d buy one of these cars after all. There’s also room for actual adults in the rear seat, the front buckets offer superb support, it seems well-built and even the trunk is excellent. It has also got this genuine Mad Max persona, although the Road Warrior drove a Ford Falcon. Times change, mate.

Chrysler has had a pretty rough time with the pretty rough times the auto industry has been dealing with. What with the bankruptcy, alliance with Fiat and associated complications the fact that, yes, they build and sell cars you can get a dealership down the street has almost been overshadowed.
So it was a very pleasant surprise that a new Sebring Limited Convertible rolled into the Top Secret Area Fiddy-one Test Facility last week, because what I thought was going to be a kludged-out yawner has turned out to me a very pleasant experience. The cloth convertible top (a folding steel version is also available) is unusually stout with two thick layers and is quite quiet at speed. When you hit the button to put said top down, it folds neatly into the trunk in the fashion similar to the steel units and even leaves a bit more trunk space that usual for a bit of practicality (with the top up trunk room is generous, with outstanding access thanks to the clamshell trunk lid). There’s a lot less cowl shake with the top down than with a lot of other convertibles out there, and overall the sucker feels very solid and well-built. A product of the state of Michigan (imagine that), I also discovered a smooth, refined powertrain, great brakes, supple ride and an overall enjoyable driving experience. You can also fit actual adults in the back, provided they’re not Ents. Pretty dadgum decent car, this ‘Bring. Consumer Reports hated the one they tested, but that was in 2008 and they seem to have experienced a very different car compared to the one I’ve got. That certainly happens, and I in no way impugn their authority as overall they really are the the best out there. But who knows? As for me, we likes this one, a lot.