Despite claims at the car's debut that the run of 6,400 2008 Challenger SRT8s had almost sold out, the truth is that many of them are still available. The problem could be, at least in part, driven by dealer markups, though the general downturn in the U.S. market is also likely playing a role.

Over 760 of the cars are still available for sale, according to Automotive News, and a fair amount of those are priced above the $37,995 MSRP. Even a few of the dedicated fans that put down $5,000 deposits almost a year ago are changing their minds about the purchase, however, due to the car's high fuel consumption and rising prices.

With EPA rated fuel economy of just 13mpg city and 18mpg highway and a combined rating of 15mpg (15.7L/100km), the Challenger is a thirsty beast - and that's before you start trying to set new record 0-60mph times. Drive the car vigorously and expect to see a significant drop in efficiency as the 6.1L Hemi V8 musters the force necessary to hurl the 4,100lb (1,863kg) chassis through the thick atmosphere.

Those figures make it understandable that some buyers would opt for more efficient cars, but the Challenger is a modern icon reborn, so it's expected to overcome such mundane obstacles as economics and practicality. Nevertheless, the reality of today's marketplace means even the larger-than-life cars are facing tough times.

Or are they? The simple fact that close to 800 of the 6,400 cars originally available are still for sale online doesn't necessarily mean the car itself is having trouble selling. Unreasonably high prices, dealers looking to squeeze more profit from the few cars that actually are selling and limited availability of data on the actual dealer stock versus sold quantities could be biasing the information.

Dodge Challenger SRT8