This 1999 Charger concept was the very first thing Dodge created when given access to Mercedes-Benz rear-drive sedan platform. It shows where the brand wanted to go and what it wanted to be, even while the production Dodge car lineup of the time was all front-drive and had been for two decades.

This concept is really gorgeous, even today. The nose is a bit unpleasant with that grille and the oversized lamps of the day, but the proportions are to-die-for. Low and lean, in profile it looks like a real coupe on first and second glance. It is only when you see the rear door shutlines that you realize this is indeed a four-door.

The tail is particularly stunning as well. Ultra-slim lamps and a layered, beveled edge on the tail from all sides. What really sticks out? The 1999 Charger from the back is a dead ringer for the Lamborghini Estoque from a full ten years later. 2009 Lamborghini Estoque Concept

The concept ran on CNG, but its engine was irrelevant. The car was a firm market signal of Dodge’s intentions, even if indecision via DaimlerChrysler management meant that a Charger production sedan was not introduced until the 2006 model-year.

1999 Dodge Charger R/T