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2020 Dodge Challenger celebrates 50th anniversary with a golden special edition

Next year will mark the 50th anniversary of the original Dodge Challenger. And obviously Dodge wouldn't let that significant date go by without a special version of the 2020 Dodge Challenger. Meet the limited production Dodge Challenger 50th Anniversary Edition. The package is offered on the V6-powered GT with rear-wheel drive, as well as the R/T, R/T Scat Pack and R/T Scat Pack Widebody. The Hellcat and Hellcat Redeye are left out, but every 2020 example will get special 50th Anniversary badges to make up for that. On the outside, the package features a matte black hood, roof and trunk lid. V8 models get a body-color Shaker scoop. This marks the first time the Shaker scoop has been available on a Widebody Challenger. Despite having a Shaker scoop, the special edition cars also get the air intake headlights pioneered by the Hellcat, and they have a "50" printed on them to go with the other 50th Anniversary badging. All models get 20-inch wheels. These are finished in what Dodge calls "Gold School." These Challengers can be painted in one of seven colors: Frostbite, Hellraisin, Sinamon Stick, Go Mango, TorRed, F8 Green or the all-new Gold Rush. Inside the Challenger 50th Anniversary Edition are Nappa leather and Alcantara-covered seats and "Sepia" stitching and embroidery. It's all matched by carbon fiber trim with copper threads woven into it. The instrument cluster and the air vent badge are finished in the car's exterior color. Dodge will build only 70 of each model in each color as a tribute to the original car's 1970 model year. This means that there will be 490 GTs, 490 R/Ts, 490 R/T Scat Packs and 490 R/T Scat Pack Widebody models for a grand total of 1,960 cars. Each model has a different price for the 50th Anniversary package. It costs $4,995 for the GT, $5,495 for the R/T, and $5,995 for the Scat Pack models. The cars go on sale this coming spring.

1985 Dodge Omni GLH | eBay Find of the Day

Cars from the 1980s weren't exactly known for performance. The muscle car days had ended a decade prior, and computer controls and precision engineering standards were still in their infancy. But that doesn't mean the decade was a complete loss for automotive enthusiasts. For proof, take a look at this 1985 Dodge Omni GLH that's currently for sale on eBay. Carroll Shelby's affiliation with Ford was in hiatus (and under litigation in court), but the legendary tuner wasn't content to sit around and do nothing. Shelby turned to Dodge right around the time that the American company was dipping its toes into turbocharging. The partnership led to several interesting vehicles, but perhaps none of them were as unexpected as the Shelby-modified Omni hatchback. The '85 GLH you see above is powered by a turbocharged 2.2-liter four-cylinder engine that sends 146 horsepower to the front wheels through a five-speed manual transmission. These days, that might not sound like a lot of power. But when you consider that the base LG4-code 305-cubic-inch V8 in the Chevy Camaro Z28 spun out 155 hp that same year, you start to understand why the Shelby Omni was a big deal. Suspension changes to the Omni GLH included stiffer springs, firmer shocks, and a lowered ride height that dropped the bodywork closer to its 15-inch aluminum wheels. GLH badging — which, in true Shelby fashion stood for "Goes Like Hell" — and blacked-out bodywork rounded out the updates. Dodge sold 6,513 Omni GLH models in 1985, and just 3,509 were equipped with the turbocharged engine. You'll have to look long and hard to find one that's nicer than this on eBay. The seller claims it's mostly in original condition, and its low odometer reading of 15,901 miles seems to back that up. It's located in Wixom, Michigan, with an asking price of $18,900.

Are supercars becoming less special?

There's little doubt that we are currently enjoying the golden age of automotive performance. Dozens of different models on sale today make over 500 horsepower, and seven boast output in excess of 700 hp. Not long ago, that kind of capability was exclusive to supercars – vehicles whose rarity, performance focus, and requisite expense made them aspirational objects of desire to us mortals. But more than that, supercars have historically offered a unique driving experience, one which was bespoke to a particular model and could not be replicated elsewhere. But in recent years, even the low-volume players have been forced to find the efficiencies and economies of scale that formerly hadn't been a concern for them, and in turn the concept of the supercar as a unique entity unto itself is fading fast. The blame doesn't fall on one particular manufacturer nor a specific production technique. Instead, it's a confluence of different factors that are chipping away at the distinction of these vehicles. It's not all bad news – Lamborghini's platform sharing with Audi for the Gallardo and the R8 yielded a raging bull that was more reliable and easier to live with on a day-to-day basis, and as a result it went on to become the best-selling Lambo in the company's history. But it also came at the cost of some of the Italian's exclusivity when eerily familiar sights and sounds suddenly became available wearing an Audi badge. Even low-volume players have been forced to find economies of scale. Much of this comes out of necessity, of course. Aston Martin's recent deal with Mercedes-AMG points toward German hardware going under the hood and into the cabin of the upcoming DB11, and it's safe to assume that this was not a decision made lightly by the Brits, as the brand has built a reputation for the bespoke craftsmanship of its vehicles. There's little doubt that the DB11 will be a fine automobile, but the move does jeopardize some of the characteristic "specialness" that Astons are known for. Yet the world is certainly better off with new Aston Martins spliced with DNA from Mercedes-AMG rather than no new Astons at all, and the costs of developing cutting-edge drivetrains and user interfaces is a burden that's becoming increasingly difficult for smaller manufacturers to bear. Even Ferrari is poised to make some dramatic changes in the way it designs cars.