RE: Dodge Challenger set for electrification

RE: Dodge Challenger set for electrification

Tuesday 22nd January 2019

Dodge Challenger set for electrification

Next version of FCA's pony car will likely use a hybrid powertrain and much lighter chassis



The current Challenger has been a big success story for Dodge. In the ten years since its introduction, it's flown out of US showrooms - ranking second only to the Ford Mustang for sales in the segment- and brought global attention to the brand with its stonking performance. But even a range that is headed by the 800hp Hellcat Redeye can start to look a bit long in the tooth, so naturally conversation is beginning to turn to its successor.

"What it isn't going to be is a V8, supercharged, 700hp engine," is how FCA boss Mike Manley described the next Challenger at the Detroit motor show, which might surprise and disappoint some people. "The reality is [the current platform] and that technology we used does need to move on. They can't exist as you get into the middle-2020s."


For most of us, such statements are commonplace. But for proper American muscle car enthusiasts, the sort that don't climb out of bed for anything less than eight cylinders, that's likely to cause some hurt. Manley suggested to The Detroit News that industry pressures have encouraged a controversial switch to "electrification", but that "new technology is going to drive a load of weight out, so we can think of the powertrains in a different way", suggesting performance will at least take a step forward.

The current Challenger is based on 13-year-old Chrysler-designed LX architecture, but the next car will use FCA underpinnings that have been developed from the offset to be compatible with electrification. It's likely the next Challenger will therefore come with a twin-turbocharged version of today's 3.6-litre V6, boosted by electric power. Of course, there's still a chance a V8 will be retained for special edition models, even if only to appease the die-hard Challenger fans.

The Challenger won't be the only pony car to integrate electrification into its powertrain either, because the next Mustang is due with a hybrid four-cylinder. Given that this shift is happening across the whole automotive market, it might leave muscle cars looking a little insignificant. Don't you think?


Author
Discussion

HorneyMX5

Original Poster:

5,308 posts

149 months

Tuesday 22nd January 2019
quotequote all
Electrification will make muscle cars a styling choice more than anything, every other car will be just as good in a straight line.

It’ll be interesting to see what happens to the likes of the RS and M cars of this world and Gen we’re fully electric. Will it just be trim and suspension that seerstws them from the run of the will saloons and estates? Will saloons and estates even survive?

irocfan

40,153 posts

189 months

Tuesday 22nd January 2019
quotequote all
if they're electric you'd (almost certainly) be missing a huge part of their appeal - NOISE!

mrbarnett

1,090 posts

92 months

Tuesday 22nd January 2019
quotequote all
A muscle car without any muscle is about as relevant as an off road car without any off road ability. I'm sure it'll sell by the bucket-load mad

thebigmacmoomin

2,796 posts

168 months

Tuesday 22nd January 2019
quotequote all
irocfan said:
if they're electric you'd (almost certainly) be missing a huge part of their appeal - NOISE!
That could be faked, just like a lot of cars do now with engine sounds piped in through the speakers.

Clivey

5,108 posts

203 months

Tuesday 22nd January 2019
quotequote all
mrbarnett said:
A muscle car without any muscle is about as relevant as an off road car without any off road ability. I'm sure it'll sell by the bucket-load mad
Sadly true in today’s style over substance market. When you can’t buy a new Land Rover on mud tyres and when even Volvo are fitting dual branch exhausts to 1.6 diesels, you know something’s wrong.

Whitester

1,421 posts

155 months

Tuesday 22nd January 2019
quotequote all
No appeal for me. Sure it’ll be fast but there’s much more to muscle cars than speed.

dunnoreally

952 posts

107 months

Tuesday 22nd January 2019
quotequote all
I expect this means an awful lot of people are going to hold on to their RTs and hellcats. Will the new car be good? Maybe. Will it appeal to the same crowd? Absolutely not.

s m

23,164 posts

202 months

Tuesday 22nd January 2019
quotequote all
You'd have thought they would have done the Charger first....

unsprung

5,467 posts

123 months

Tuesday 22nd January 2019
quotequote all
more than 500,000 units sold in the last 10 years
http://carsalesbase.com/us-car-sales-data/dodge/do...

and 2018 was the bigly-est year yet -- selling on average more than 180 units per day, every day!

V8 versions have been able to outsell the V6:
https://www.torquenews.com/106/hemi-v8-outselling-...

so...

while the newfangled electrified car may prove to be fun, purists will have plenty of used inventory to consider

and let's remember: aftermarket kit for these cars is massive



Glasgowrob

3,232 posts

120 months

Tuesday 22nd January 2019
quotequote all
What idiots are telling FCA that Americans are going to ditch v8s for scaled down engines augmented with hybridisation 🤣🤣🤣


This will be FCAs Edsel moment

Shakermaker

11,317 posts

99 months

Tuesday 22nd January 2019
quotequote all
s m said:
You'd have thought they would have done the Charger first....
You beat me to that one!

irocfan

40,153 posts

189 months

Tuesday 22nd January 2019
quotequote all
s m said:
You'd have thought they would have done the Charger first....
deserves a rofl - where's the burnout smilie when you need it?

ZX10R NIN

27,494 posts

124 months

Tuesday 22nd January 2019
quotequote all
Every car will be electrified in some way as off 2025 Ford are already working on a V8 Hybrid so don't bemoan the Hybrid as the death of decent engines, even recently I just pit a family member in a Infiniti Q50 hybrid & that (3.5 V6 with 310bhp without the batteries) genuinely quick.

The biggest threat to fun is AWD becoming the norm.

irocfan

40,153 posts

189 months

Tuesday 22nd January 2019
quotequote all
ZX10R NIN said:
Every car will be electrified in some way as off 2025 Ford are already working on a V8 Hybrid so don't bemoan the Hybrid as the death of decent engines, even recently I just pit a family member in a Infiniti Q50 hybrid & that (3.5 V6 with 310bhp without the batteries) genuinely quick.

The biggest threat to fun is AWD becoming the norm.
it's not all about the performance though

mfp4073

1,940 posts

173 months

Tuesday 22nd January 2019
quotequote all
I shouldn't worry too much really, just buy a petrol V8 and look after it. There is a whole world of after market parts out there to keep them going. In theory you will be able to restore today's muscle cars just like we restore cars from the 60's and 70's.These car may out live there owners!!!!!!!

Alias218

1,485 posts

161 months

Tuesday 22nd January 2019
quotequote all
As much as I welcome electrification for the sake of the environment and for my own livelihood, I have only one thought on the matter when it comes to big, dumb, noisy muscle cars:


Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! weeping

tgx

147 posts

149 months

Tuesday 22nd January 2019
quotequote all
So basically cars are returning to the mid 80's. V6 and inline 4's with turbo garbage and some Rube Goldberg electrics.
I'd just as soon they go full on electric and be done with it. The more EV's on the road the more places to charge will pop up. A full electric Challenger I am sure would inspire a new era of electric car 'tuner' guys. It's coming, I'm just not sure if the general population is ready for it yet.


okenemem

1,353 posts

193 months

Wednesday 23rd January 2019
quotequote all
ALL I HAVE TO SAY IS LOL

rodericb

6,660 posts

125 months

Thursday 24th January 2019
quotequote all
It'd be good if they offered the Hellcat in pure V8 as per now and also a full EV like the Tesla P100D. I'm sure they could do a bit of creative packaging to have the petrol and electric versions use very very similar chassis and body to cater for both.

SydneySE

406 posts

259 months

Friday 25th January 2019
quotequote all
I don't see why a hybrid has to have a v6 or 4cy engine; Porsche has managed a hybrid with a twin turbo v8:

https://www.evo.co.uk/porsche/panamera/18933/porsc...

I could see a Blown Hemi V8 with electric drive similar to the above. Would meet the lowered emissions etc, and still be a proper V8....

With the mustang, no doubt ford will go the turbo v6 hybrid, based on the motor in the Ford GT and even F-150 raptor.... shame, as they could also do a V8 version rather than V6 (and of course Porsche offer both V6 and V8).

As for 100% EV, there. is still an issue with battery density/range, especially if used "enthusiastically"...