Will Dodge Ever Return to Nascar?

WhiningSmoke

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In 2012, Brad Keselowski won the Sprint Cup Championship in a Dodge. A manufacturer, who would be leaving Nascar at the conclusion of that season. Now it is 2014, and we've always been told that Dodge wants to return to Nascar. I wonder, will we ever see them again?
 
In 2012, Brad Keselowski won the Sprint Cup Championship in a Dodge. A manufacturer, who would be leaving Nascar at the conclusion of that season. Now it is 2014, and we've always been told that Dodge wants to return to Nascar. I wonder, will we ever see them again?
They need a team and an engine builder.
 
No. I really think they are done for a long time. First, they had a sweet deal with Penske and got the Cup. Second, they wouldn't commit to Penske because I believe that Penske wanted more support. Third, the start up costs would be huge at this point. They aren't going to want to come back, and run in the back for a few years until they got competitive. If they did that, they would erase the memory of the ultimate accomplishment. I am afraid that they are kind of stuck.
 
The longer they are out the futher removed, and disconnected.

There is also a ramp up which probably makes 2016 ASAP.
 
They need a team and an engine builder.

Or they need to commit ala TRD. I know, I know, but get past my constant TRD stuff, and you get what I mean. One hell of a commitment.
 
Who?
image.jpg

:D

All kidding aside, I believe they will. I mean, who doesn't want to drive this badass?

image.jpg
 
Or they need to commit ala TRD. I know, I know, but get past my constant TRD stuff, and you get what I mean. One hell of a commitment.
They could build the engines themselves like TRD, but they would still need to lure a good team to their stable. I don't know if any of the current top tier teams would want to switch manufacturers anytime soon.
 
They could build the engines themselves like TRD, but they would still need to lure a good team to their stable. I don't know if any of the current top tier teams would want to switch manufacturers anytime soon.

It can be done. Cubic dollar$ is the ultimate horsepower and enough of it would lure a major player and their engine shop. It simply must not be in their buisness model.
 
They really did have the best looking Gen 6 car. Shame it never got to be seen on the track.
 
They could build the engines themselves like TRD, but they would still need to lure a good team to their stable. I don't know if any of the current top tier teams would want to switch manufacturers anytime soon.

Perhaps not right away, but everybody wants to be the top dog, and get the best stuff. Hence, JGR's switch from Chevy to Toyota. Coach was never going to get the top tier treatment with Hendrick in the house. I believe that somebody would bite.
 
Unfortunately we'll never see that car on the track: the Charger is being redesigned for 2015.

Can't wait to see what Calty does with the new Camry--due to be submitted in August.
 
If they start working on it now and are ready to go in 2016 with competitive equipment(like Toyota was when they first entered), I could see Ganassi and Petty all making the switch right off the bat.

With Ganassi being the 4th tier team at Chevy, I look for them to switch to Ford or Toyota in the near future anyway now that they no longer have any ties to the Earnhardts.
 
If they could put together a top notch engine program , and were willing to put in they kind of money they put into the Evernham deal , then yes , the possibilty is there . I don't think they have that type of commitment.
 
I was wondering when it was going to show up on the track.

Well, if these were the COT days, you would have the sticker package already, but now that we are Gen 6 and contours change, etc.; this is obviously a little more extensive. I can't imagine that we would see it sooner than next year, but I haven't heard a date.
 
Question is why? The company doesn't need the exposure, and expense, to stimulate sales. They appear to be doing fine without Nascar.
 
Question is why? The company doesn't need the exposure, and expense, to stimulate sales. They appear to be doing fine without Nascar.

You ask a very good question, and I would suspect that there are easier/more efficient ways to promote your product. This is the same question that could be asked of all manufacturers. Maybe a thread in itself. The best answer I have is that when you tie into an enthusiast base, perhaps they are more apt to drop coin on the higher dollar emotional purchases which nets more profit? I have always been fascinated by Toyota. They supposedly never had an enthusiast base in the traditional sense. Loyal customers? Hell yes, but they have never needed an excuse to by a Toyota. They were actually trying to stimulate an enthusiast base with their entry to NASCAR, and with the development of TRD parts and the F Line in Lexus, maybe it is actually working. Corporate feels that it is. Akio Toyoda is another piece of the puzzle. He has created a Corporate philosophy of enthusiasm. NASCAR fits into this perfectly. Back to Dodge.....Do you re-enter if that is your intention when sales are slumping? Try selling that idea to the bean counters. I can't see how Dodge gets back into this, and that's a shame.
 
Question is why? The company doesn't need the exposure, and expense, to stimulate sales. They appear to be doing fine without Nascar.
Not that I know of. More people are buying imports, Chevy hybrids & Ford has taken off. I hardly see a dodge commercial on TV anymore. They aren't exactly mpg friendly & most can't afford them in this fluctuating economy. I don't have the numbers, just what I've seen around my area so correct me if I'm wrong
 
Chrysler was bought out by Daimler (Mercedes) who sold it to Fiat, and their sum total racing program are a couple of vipers in the GT class in the ALMS series. Now even further down scaling, the SRT Vipers are not racing in the LeMans 24 this year. That Sucks and Fiats, if they are anything like the last time they imported them into the U.S., are serious pieces of junk. The Mercedes diesel engine the went into freightliners (part of the Chrysler deal) was a serious piece of junk and they are reselling for thousands less then a similar Freightliner with a Detroit diesel.
 
Most people that own or works on Dodge's for a living will tell you they have been making junk for a long time now.

It's sad that they left and I don't expect them to be back.
 
Why make what people aren't buying? Having a muscle car as a prestigious flagship model has become unsustainable.
 
Why make what people aren't buying? Having a muscle car as a prestigious flagship model has become unsustainable.
The auto company leaders are being ramrodded by this federal government administration to add EV while pushing out the biggest fossil fuel offenders (other than trucks). In some ways they are also competing with each other to get in line and have the product available. That takes capital expenditure as well as production lines, so switching capacity to EV is their only option.
Watching the video presentation about the last year for these cars also tells me they are going to make a killing on these (with various special colors and limited editions). Have your inheritance ready if you buy one!
 
The auto company leaders are being ramrodded by this federal government administration to add EV while pushing out the biggest fossil fuel offenders (other than trucks)

And the government's reasoning is a bunch of BS. They aren't doing it to save the planet. Cars nowadays, with all of their emissions and super efficient IC engines, are hardly polluting the air or killing the ozone. Hell, painting your house does more harm than a thousand cars driving down the highway. And this isn't the 1970's when we thought the supply of oil/gasoline was coming to an end.

I have nothing against electric cars, but I don't like the government forcing the automakers this direction when we clearly don't have the infrastructure to support their expectations. It's still a new technology that needs decades of refinement before we can realistically expect the majority of American households to own an EV.
 
The auto company leaders are being ramrodded by this federal government administration to add EV while pushing out the biggest fossil fuel offenders (other than trucks). In some ways they are also competing with each other to get in line and have the product available. That takes capital expenditure as well as production lines, so switching capacity to EV is their only option.
Watching the video presentation about the last year for these cars also tells me they are going to make a killing on these (with various special colors and limited editions). Have your inheritance ready if you buy one!
I think the point he's trying to make is they currently have 2 cars in their lineup and both are muscle cars. The only car that Mopar makes that's not a muscle car or SUV is the Chrysler 300. And it's not had a major redesign in almost 10 years.
 
Not to go off here but the electric car thing wouldn't even exist without the government propping it up. Have you ever looked at how much tesla makes off selling emissions credits? Probably enough that they wouldn't be in business without it.

cd9b35e7dcbfbe7c53ece0078f7b6e34.jpg


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Is that more or less than the gubmint spends propping up corn as a source of ethanol, instead of switching to any number of more productive crops? Or the tax write-offs the profitable petroleum industry gets?

I'm not making a point either way, just wondering which one is getting more help. And Dodge ain't coming back regardless of propulsion system.
 
EV technology will never be close to maximized before the next big thing/boondoggle is rammed down the American people's throats.
You read it here first.
 
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Not to go off here but the electric car thing wouldn't even exist without the government propping it up. Have you ever looked at how much tesla makes off selling emissions credits? Probably enough that they wouldn't be in business without it.

cd9b35e7dcbfbe7c53ece0078f7b6e34.jpg


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So what is the point. Tesla needs to pollute more?
 
So what is the point. Tesla needs to pollute more?
That the government gives them emissions credits, which they don't use. Instead they sell said credits to other industries. Without the selling of those credits they wouldn't be in business.

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