Muscle cars are going electric.
Well, maybe not across the board. The internal-combustion engine Mustang seems safe, at least in the short term. That said, there will be at least one muscle-car EV on the market soon: The 2024 Dodge Charger.
The Charger won’t only be available in all-electric models. The new Hurricane twin-turbo inline six-cylinder engines will be part of the picture, as well.
Here’s how it breaks down: Select the Charger Daytona in either R/T or Scat Pack trim, and you get a battery-electric vehicle. The R/T will offer a base of 456 horsepower/340 kW with up to 496 ponies/370 kW on tap, while the Scat Pack will put out 630 horses/470 kW and up to 670 hp/500 kW. Peak torque for the R/T is 404 lb-ft and 627 lb-ft for the Scat Pack. Both cars will be all-wheel drive thanks to front and rear electric motors (250 kW each). The front motor can disconnect for improved efficiency while the rear has a mechanical limited-slip differential.
Range is listed at 317 miles for the R/T and 260 for the Scat Pack. Charging should take 6.8 hours from 5 percent to 80 on a Level 2 AC (5.4 hours 20 percent to 80), with DC fast charging offering 50-ish minutes 5 to 80 and 42 minutes 20 to 80 on 175 kW and about half an hour from 5 percent to 80 on a DC 350 kW. Shave a few minutes off that for 20 percent to 80 percent on a DC 350 kW.
If you’re not ready for electric, you can get 420 ponies from the standard-output 3.0-liter twin-turbo straight six, or 550 from the high-output version of the same.
Dodge is quoting a 3.3-second 0-60 mph time for the Daytona, along with an 11.5-second quarter-mile run for the Scat Pack.
The extra horsepower on the R/T and Scat Pack models come from stage kits that will be standard at launch but will later need to be purchased separately.
Standard on Daytonas is a PowerShot button that will give you up to 40 more horsepower for up to 15 seconds.
Available drive modes will include Donut, Drift, Sport, Track, Drag, Wet/Snow, Auto, Eco, and two race modes. Gauges will change appearance based on the selected drive mode, and there will be an available recording system that drivers can use to record their on-track exploits.
Speaking of track-friendly features, line lock and launch control will be available. A Race Prep system will be available to optimize the battery for drag-racing and road-course running. As with other Dodge/Stellantis performance vehicles, Performance Pages that give in-depth info via the infotainment system will be available.
Oh, and of course, the Daytona gets a fake-exhaust system that will make it sound like an old-school V8 muscle car.
The car rides on the new STLA Large platform, and available brakes include 16-inch vented Brembo rotors with six-piston calipers in front and four-piston units in the rear. Available rubber will include staggered Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperCar tires (305 in front, 325 out back) that mount on 20-inch wheels.
Drivers will be able to use paddle shifters to control regenerative braking, and the braking system is said to use computer wizardry to figure out the best way to optimize braking force and pedal feedback.
There’s a multi-link suspension up front and an independent rear suspension with four-link geometry. An adaptive damping system that uses dual valves will be available.
Another key feature is the standard front wing on Daytonas that is intended to improve aerodynamics.
Other key standard or available features include LED front and rear lighting, Fratzog logos, 18- and 20-inch wheels, a glass roof, 10.25- or 16-inch cluster screens, interior ambient lighting, pistol-grip shifter, leather seats, fold-flat rear seats, premium Alpine audio, head-up display, wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, UConnect5 infotainment, satellite radio, navigation, digital key, and a button that can change the car’s “personality”. That last bit means that with one press of a button, the driver can change not only the information displayed but also the driving dynamics.
Active safety systems available include forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, active driving assist, adaptive cruise control with stop and go, blind-spot detection with rear cross-path detection, traffic-sign recognition, drowsy-driver detection, turn-signal-activated cameras, and a 360-degree camera.
Two-door coupe versions of the Daytona will go on sale in the middle of this year, with four-door versions following in the first quarter of next year. Gas-powered Six Pack Chargers will likewise go on sale, in both coupe and sedan guise, in the first quarter of 2025. The car will be built in Windsor, Ontario.
We’ve seen this car in concept form for quite some time. It seemed like it might never launch. Well, it’s finally here. Or will be soon, anyway.
For better or for worse, get ready for a muscle-car experience sans the V8 soundtrack and, in the case of the top-dog version, the scent of gasoline.
Then again, rubber can still burn no matter what’s under the hood.
[Images: Dodge/Stellantis]
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