Why Men Revisit Their Youth With The New Dodge Challenger

Historically, there have been a class of men that were in love with the muscle car. The Dodge Challenger was the epitome of muscle cars. It was fast and powerful as well as nice to look at. In 1970, Dodge introduced its first Challenger to the world. Under the hood, they put the beefy V8 Hemi with a whopping 425 hp, which if you ask men today, was a big deal. The iconic car was used in movies like “Just Married,” where Ashton Kutcher’s character was made fun of for his love of the muscle car.

Gerard Butler drives around a 1970’s Challenger as a Bounty Hunter in the movie “The Bounty Hunter.” Yes, the iconic car holds so much muscle that film directors still use this burly vehicle in their movies today, because they hold so much nostalgia, so I guess it is no surprise that the new revival of the Challenger is making its way into movies as well. The 2012 Challenger was used in the movie “The Lucky Ones” starring Zac Efron, and the 2012 Challenger SRT-8 was used in the 2013 film “R.I.P.D.”

With all of the resurgence and nostalgia associated with the Challenger, it is no surprise that middle-aged men are coming out of the woodwork to revisit their youth. Midlife crisis or just genuine love of the muscle car, is to be determined, but it appears that the Challenger offers them a sense of their teen years, making them feel a little cooler again after perhaps years of driving the minivan around town.

This is a routine that will continue as today’s youth and 20 somethings are taking their turn in the new Challengers. They may not baby them the way the older men do and may see them as somewhat of a toy to hotrod around town in, or maybe to get the girls. If the Challenger is still a viable option of a vehicle once this generation of boys has completed their family with the standard minivan, it is sure to be the midlife crisis vehicle of their choice as well.

Whatever it may be, nostalgia, notoriety, midlife crisis, or just something new, one thing’s for sure. The new Dodge Challenger is cool. It looks cool, it sounds cool, and it runs cool. It was the vehicle I myself looked at when purchasing a new car before realizing that a two-door muscle car is not a very feasible option when toting around a 2 year old complete with car seat. In fact that was a deal breaker. But, it doesn’t mean that it isn’t a viable option in 3 years when my lease is up and the baby is 5 years old and able to buckle himself. Yes, I believe that even women should enjoy this “midlife crisis” at least once, because why? The Challenger is just cool.