There’s a Modern ‘Vanishing Point’ Dodge Challenger Build For Sale
It might have a smaller engine than the movie car but it makes much more power.
The 1971 film Vanishing Point is one of the most famous car-guy movies of all time. It's on pretty much every "Best movie car chase" listicle you can find. I'd personally argue that it shouldn't even crack the top ten but maybe I'm just a contrarian. The movie's star, however, wasn't its lead actor Barry Newman but instead a white 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T, so you can imagine that many modern Challengers have tried to recreate the iconic '70s movie star. If you wanna look and drive like Newman's Kowalski, then this 2012 Challenger R/T "Vanishing Point" build that's for sale should pique your interest.
To be honest, every New Balance-wearing car nerd will think of Vanishing Point whenever they see any white Challenger but this one is an actual movie-dedicated build. Not only is it white but it features wheels that try to mimic the movie car's steelies, lowered suspension to match its stance, and even the "Dodge" badge spelled out on the hood. Inside, the black cabin gets a wooden pistol-grip shifter and houndstooth fabric seat inserts. Thankfully, the manual transmission is a modern six-speed and not an ancient '70s four-speed.
Under that long hood lies a much smaller engine than the original movie car had. That 1970 car had a 440 cubic-inch engine, which roughly translates to a massive 7.2 liters. The new car's engine is only 345 cubic-inches, which is roughly 5.7 liters, which is smaller but it packs more of a wallop. Thanks to a Magnuson supercharger kit, this 2012 Challenger build makes a claimed 598 horsepower, a lot more than the 390 horses from the movie car.
There are 75,000 miles on this build but you'd never know it from looking at it. Everything is minty fresh and even its undercarriage looks pristine, with nary a drop of oil or spec of rust to be seen.
It is a bit pricey, though, especially given it doesn't even have four matching tires. With an asking price of $39,900, it's almost double what you can find used Challengers for, of similar vintage and mileage. You can even find significantly newer cars, with updated designs and interiors, for under $. But if you're a fan of the '70s classic movie and you want a replica of your favorite silver screen star car, then perhaps the asking price is worth it to you.
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