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Tag: Dodge

  • Dodge Unveils New Gasoline-Powered Muscle Cars, but with a Surprising Twist

    Dodge Unveils New Gasoline-Powered Muscle Cars, but with a Surprising Twist

    As with the Charger EV, the Charger Sixpack models will include a four-door sedan and two-door coupe
    Dodge

    Dodge has revealed a new lineup of muscle cars, bringing back gasoline-powered performance. The 2026 Dodge Charger Scat Pack models, branded as the Sixpack, usher in the next generation of muscle.

    Dodge designed the new Charger to launch a new era of electric muscle cars, aiming to deliver the power and speed enthusiasts crave while moving toward a low-emissions future. However, the company has learned that most muscle car buyers aren’t particularly drawn to electric power. Sales for the new Charger have been disappointing compared to the strong numbers once posted by the now-discontinued Hemi-powered models like the Hellcat and Demon.

    The middle ground between zero emissions and what buyers actually want? Apparently, it’s turbochargers.

    Turbocharged Six Takes Center Stage, but V8 Still Makes a Comeback

    The Sixpack high-output engine is a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six, first introduced in the Ram 1500 RHO as a performance replacement for the TRX. The RHO has been relatively well-received, often matching or even outperforming the deep-voiced V8 it replaced. That said, non-performance truck buyers still prefer a V8, so Ram is bringing back the 5.7L Hemi for the Ram 1500, with Dodge also planning to offer it in the mid-sized Durango SUV.

    The Charger, however, won’t see a V8 anytime soon. Instead, it will feature the turbocharged six-cylinder setup in the Sixpack models, available in both two- and four-door configurations, just like the electric Charger.

    For 2026, the Dodge Charger Sixpack will come in two versions:

    • R/T – 420 horsepower (309 kW), priced under US$50,000.
    • Scat Pack – 550 horsepower (404.5 kW), priced under US$55,000.

    Both 3.0L variants will cost less than the electric model.

    The six-cylinder engine in the Dodge Charger Sixpack models outputs 420 or 550 horsepower, depending on package
    Dodge

    Sixpack Hurricane Engines Deliver Flexible Power and AWD-to-RWD Versatility

    The Sixpack S.O. (standard output) in the R/T features a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six Hurricane engine. The Sixpack H.O. (high output) version uses the same engine but with increased turbo boost and improved torque delivery, providing more than 90% of its torque between 3,000 and 6,000 rpm. Both versions come with standard all-wheel drive but can be switched to rear-wheel drive, similar to the Challenger GT.

    Scat Pack variants of the Charger Sixpack also come with Line Lock and Launch Control. Line Lock enables effortless burnouts with a button press and throttle hit, while Launch Control optimizes acceleration off the line for drag racing, giving the Scat Pack Sixpack a 0–60 mph (0–92 km/h) time of 3.9 seconds and a 12.2-second quarter mile.

    One of the EV Charger’s biggest shortcomings has been capturing the authentic sound and feel of a muscle car. While the electric version uses a pre-recorded soundtrack and simulated seat rumble, it hasn’t connected with buyers. To fix that, the Sixpack models feature a performance-tuned, dual-mode active exhaust for a true muscle car roar.

    Visually, the gas-powered Sixpacks get a revised hood, a larger front fascia for better airflow, and rolled exhaust tips at the rear.

    The new Dodge Charger Sixpack lineup will arrive in dealerships in late 2025 as 2026 models.

    Read the original article on: New Atlas

    Read more: GAC’s Groundbreaking Ammonia-Powered Engine: A Glimpse into the Future of Automotive Propulsion

  • Dose the New Dodge Charger EV Live Up to the Brands Muscle Car Legacy?

    Dose the New Dodge Charger EV Live Up to the Brands Muscle Car Legacy?

    An image of Dodge's new muscle car the Charger Daytona SRT concept.
    Credit: Dodge

    For those lamenting the impending end of Dodge’s gas-powered muscle car, the Dodge has a message: fear not the future, for it is electric.

    At an event at its Pontiac, Michigan-based base, Dodge unveiled its first electric muscle car, the Charger Daytona SRT concept. The two-door coupe is a sneak peek at the car manufacturer’s first EV, which is to enter manufacturing in approximately two years.

    “The Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept exists because performance made us do it,” stated Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis. Kuniskis added, “Dodge is about muscle, attitude, and performance, and the brand carries that chip on its shoulder and into the BEV segment through a concept loaded with patents, innovations, and performance features that embody the electrified muscle of tomorrow.”

    Before going into the specifications, we need to talk about the sound. EVs are, in most cases, quiet due to the lack of an internal combustion engine. Therefore much of what identifies a Dodge muscle car is the distinct noise of the Hemi engine. Dodge fans would be forgiven if they found it unappealing if they stepped on the accelerator, and this was the noise it made.

    How would you define that sound? A lion that just got neutered?? An artificial engine sound is sure to be estranging amongst muscle car lovers. Some will enjoy it, while others, without a doubt, will find it leaves a lot to be desired. Dodge calls the “BEV exhaust noise” ( just an oxymoron) a first-of-its-kind. Whether it’s the best sound for this specific car is still debatable.

    The look of modern muscle

    However, the design of the Charger Daytona SRT concept is likely to be much less divisive, blurring the line between retro and futuristic while preserving a muscular and aerodynamic stance. Dodge stated the purpose is to “muscle aside” other, more boring-looking EV concepts for something more exciting.

    Design cues that point to Dodge’s legacy can be noticed all over the car– amongst the most notable is the front end, featuring a substantial opening for air to travel through, which Dodge calls an “R-Wing”.

    Other patent-pending functions that Dodge intends to highlight have just as absurd-sounding names. first is the “Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust,” which Dodge claims can achieve 126 decibels, “making it as loud as a Hellcat-powered Dodge.” And the second is a multispeed transmission with an electro-mechanical shifting experience that Dodge calls “eRupt”.

    Fratzonic” is a reference to Dodges logo back in the 1960s and ’70s called the “Fratzog,”-– a made-up word by a developer. It includes a split deltoid made from three arrowhead shapes that create a three-pointed star.

    The new system forces sound via an amplifier and tuning chamber behind the car. Speaking to CNBC, Kuniskis associated it with a wind organ with chambers and pipes.

    “We said, ‘OK, if it’s going to happen, let’s do it like Dodge,” Kuniskis informed the press. “We’re not going to go there and do the same thing. Dodge is going to get lost if we try to do the same thing as everybody else”.

    Specifications? not yet

    However, if what you seek are more relevant specifications, like range, battery capacity, or charging speed, you’ll need to wait. Dodge won’t publish performance metrics for the concept car or the yet-to-be-named production muscle car yet.

    Dodge did announce that the concept is mounted on Dodge’s 800-volt Banshee propulsion system, which, if it gets into the production model as anticipated, should enable the EV to charge at speeds of as much as 350kW at a DC fast charging terminal. Additionally, all-wheel drive will guarantee that the Dodge Charger EV performs well in all conditions.

    While EVs typically have greater acceleration than the majority of gas-powered vehicles thanks to “linear acceleration” that generates impressive 0– 100 kph times, they commonly lack the driving characteristics that many sports car owners appreciate. Dodge says it’s trying to close this gap by introducing new functions, like the eRupt electro-mechanical shifting. This function “delivers distinctive shift points, throwing shoulders into seatbacks in true Dodge style,” the firm claimed.

    Similar to Tesla’s Ludicrous mode, the Dodge Charger EV will feature something called a “PowerShot push-to-pass feature.” By pressing a switch on the steering wheel, the PowerShot provides an “adrenaline jolt of increased horsepower for a quick burst of acceleration,” Dodge says.

    Along with electric variations of Charger and Challenger models, Dodge-parent Stellantis also intends on manufacturing electric trucks, including a battery-powered Ram 1500 that would take on Ford’s upcoming F-150 Lightning. Dodge’s sister firms, like Jeep, Chrysler, and brands from the PSA Groupe, are additionally making EVs.

    Originally published by: The Verge