Obviously it was a sad, cold day in December when Dodge finally conceded that there was no place in the world - not even in North America - for a rootin’ tootin’ V8-powered Charger. However, it had already taken the wise precaution, more than a year before, to show us what its battery-powered replacement might look like - and even the most devout lover of displacement had to concede that the evocative Daytona SRT concept certainly fit the bill.
Shown during Dodge Speed Week back in 2022, the electric Charger looked suspiciously well-resolved; evidently, there was a good reason for that. The resulting production-ready version, revealed by the manufacturer on its social media channels, is very obviously a chip off the block. Granted, some of the showier features have been softened or straightened out, but this is plainly the next-generation Charger - complete with illuminated Fratzog badge front and centre - that it has been developing behind the scenes for years.
Not that it’s ready to spill any additional beans just yet, of course. "No cameras or recording devices permitted. Pre-production model shown. Available late 2024." is all the information that accompanied the pictures, Dodge no doubt keen to build anticipation for a car that’s unlikely to reach many customers before 2025. But if the concept is to continue proving a useful guide, we can expect 800v system architecture, a multi-speed transmission, all-wheel drive (possibly) and something called ‘Fratzonic chambered exhaust’ to deliver up to 126dB of performance-orientated sound (potentially).
Also, counterintuitively, a petrol engine. The internet rumour mill has spent much of 2023 clinging to the idea that Dodge will persist with combustion power for the next generation model, probably with its new twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six and potentially by making a powertrain-based distinction between ‘Dodge Charger’ and an exclusively EV ‘Charger Daytona’. That’s all conjecture for the moment, although as Dodge’s undisguised pictures suggest, we probably don’t have long to find out.
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