It’s b/c the challenger isn’t trying to be anything it’s not, it’s an unapologetic midsize (think gm a body style) muscle car, lots of awesome noise and tire smoke, big hp numbers good in a straight line and fun on a windy road at 7/10ths but no more. Oh, and burnouts.
Mopar has always had a Fvck you type attitude about there offerings and they build what they are passionate about and believe in.
Camaros and stangs are trying to be sports cars, and they turn incredible lap times, but almost no one is buying one bc of that bc the buying public will always view them as muscle cars, (yes, technically they’re pony cars, but that’s an academic argument). The arguments on this board about camaro and stang vs the z prove that.
And from a muscle car buyers perspective, no one out muscle cars the challenger.
It’s proof that if you make passionately inspired products that aren’t designed to appeal to everyone you can be successful and authentic and trying to be something you’re not or trying to be everything to everyone is a losing strategy. Just ask Nissan about that last point.
I’d take a challenger over either a camaro or stang any day, but if I want a sports car, the only American offering worth my time would be the vette, but I don’t like vette so it’s out, I’ll stick with the Germans thank you very much.