Dodge’s Most Polarizing Muscle Car Could Spawn a Powerful New Hellcat

Following the discontinuation of the Charger and the Challenger back in 2023, Dodge accelerated its muscle car lineup into the 21st century through the launch of the Daytona EV.

Reception for the ambitious all-electric muscle car has proven to be (expectedly) highly mixed since its debut, but the brand has also been making efforts to cater to internal combustion enthusiasts. Along with adding to the available options through the six-cylinder Scat Pack, Dodge has also danced around the possibility of dropping a Hemi back in the Charger, seeing as V8 power is once again on the table.

Dodge

Still, though concepts like the Hustle Stuff Drag Pak Race Car are proof that the 5.7-liter engine will fit in the bay, there’s a lot more to consider than mere physical dimensions. According to a recent interview with Tim Kuniskis, much of the problem actually comes from within the Charger lineup, and there’s a possibility it could result in a new Hellcat.

Crunching the Charger’s numbers

“The only way it makes sense to charge for [an optional Hemi] now is I have to go all the way up to a Hellcat,” Tim Kuniskis told MotorTrend. In other words, ultimately, the rub comes down to a matter of performance.

As found under the hood of the previous generation, the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 made 370 horsepower, the larger 6.4-liter upped that count to 485 and the supercharged 6.2-liter Hellcat delivered in excess of 700.

Stellantis

With the new standard-output option coming later this year, however, even the base six-cylinder is putting up respectable numbers. Dodge rates the entry-level Hurricane-powered Sixpack for 420 horsepower and 468 lb-ft of torque.

That’s more than enough to better the 5.7-liter, and the delta between comparable options only gets larger as you move up the hierarchy. The twin-turbocharged engine of the high-output model puts down 550 horsepower and 531 lb-ft of torque, while the Daytona takes that total higher still with some 670 all-electric ponies.

Dodge

Accordingly, for the refreshed Charger to benefit from the addition of a V8, the option would need to deliver more than mere engine noise and more giddyup than the all-electric model. Even if a lack of incentives has stifled EV demand, Stellantis is heavily invested in the Hurricane inline-six, and for good reason — the engine is more efficient, lighter and more powerful.

As Kuniskis later added, “If you were to put a V8 in the car, you would probably go to [6.2] Hellcat instead of 5.7.”

Bringing something else to the table

The need for a new Charger V8 to be a Hellcat (or something equally ferocious) is all the more apparent when you consider the Ram 1500’s return to Hemi power and the state of the muscle car market at large.

That is to say, though Tim Kuniskis helped to facilitate the revival of the 5.7-liter V8 as a powertrain option for the pickup after an absence of just one year, the move has mostly been a bid to play the hits and appeal to the fanbase.

Stellantis

Even with the addition of a mild hybrid system, the Ram 1500 Hemi is short on grunt compared to its Hurricane counterpart at 395 horsepower, and the additional weight of the engine also cuts into the truck’s towing capacity.

What’s more, that doesn’t even factor price into the equation. Depending on the trim level and trucking configuration, choosing the V8 can cost a few thousand dollars.

As such, while the bark of a V8 may sound better, that exhaust note can make for quite a premium. And, seeing as Dodge is unlikely to want to undercut its Hurricane inline-six option, a Hemi would have to come in at a higher price point.

Dodge

In any event, were the brand to go fully back on its mixed-energy initiatives and give the new Charger a V8, the result needs to be something special.

Because let’s face it: Ford is currently dominating headlines through high-performance Mustangs like the Dark Horse SC, and GM has even teased the potential for a new Camaro. If Dodge wants to be heard over the roar of its competitors in the muscle car wars, it’ll have to cut through with the supercharged whine of a Hellcat.

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