Dodge is ditching the HEMI V8, but they will reportedly continue to offer ICE-powered muscle cars despite announcing that the next-gen Challenger and Charger will go fully electric.
The automaker has prepared the Stellantis twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter Hurricane inline-six as a consolation for all those HEMI V8 die-hard fans out there. The power plant made its debut under the hood of the 2023 Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer, churning out 420 horsepower and 468 lb-ft (634 Nm) of torque in base guise or 510 horsepower and 500 lb-ft (678 Nm) for the high-output variant.
Both engine options should be available in the next-generation Challenger and Charger muscle cars, but with more power than in the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer, as a consolation to fans crying over the HEMI.
In another attempt to solace those V8 enthusiasts, Dodge promises the multi-speed electro-mechanical eRupt transmission, specifically designed to provide drivers with the feeling of a mechanical-driven car.
The model will also come with the Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust. As bizarre as it sounds, considering that we are dealing with an EV, it is not an actual exhaust, but a system that integrates an amplifier and a tuning chamber, mounted at the rear of the car. It generates up to 126 decibels of noise and is specifically designed to mimic the sound of the SRT Hellcat V8 engine.
Dodge is also planning to come up with a new generation of engines under the Dodge Direct Connection HurriCrate series. They will be derivations from the Hurricane power plant, Mopar Insiders reports.
There will still be electric variants for the Challenger and Charger as originally promised, and they will be marketed as Daytona versions. Unofficial sources claim that they will be available in different guises with different output numbers.
Photo: Dodge
The designation is carried over from the Charger Daytona SRT Banshee Concept, that Dodge unveiled exactly one year ago. The production model will reportedly look very much like the concept car. The two-door model paid tribute to the 1968 Dodge Charger Daytona and hinted at the design of the future electric lineup.
It sported an R-Wing at the front, reminiscent of the rear wing of the original Charger Daytona, which had an aerodynamic purpose and allow greater speeds. This time, it is designed to increase front downforce and channel air to the carbon fiber intake. Mirror caps in carbon fiber, flush door handles, and LED lights connected with a thin light bar both front and rear are on the menu for the upcoming Dodge Charger Daytona EV.
The panoramic glass roof of the concept car should also make it to production. The concept car rode on 21-inch wheels and sported Brembo brakes with red calipers and center caps with graphics in black and red.
The Dodge Charger and Challenger EV should arrive sometime in 2023 as 2024 model years.
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