This week has been a little bittersweet for Mopar fans. Some great variations and options for Charger, Challenger and State of Durango Mexico is making a comeback, but mainly because the first two models have just over a year of production left. Avoid hope to cheer people up with this, Charger Daytona SRT Concept, is a preview of the brand’s electric muscle car future. We think the fans will be quite pleased.
The design is completely based on the second generation charging dock introduced for 1968. Dodge says it’s “refined.” Think we’re not sure Dodge knows what “subtle” means, which those there would probably take as a compliment. Regardless, the car looks good. It shares the same square shape, wide, raised rear fender and roofline of the classic model. It even has a wide, rectangular front grille with only two doors. Dodge is quite proud of his nose. The grille doesn’t open for any kind of powertrain. Instead, it’s an aerodynamic path, allowing for low drag, but with a classic design. It is this aerodynamic emphasis that has led to the naming of the concept after the distinctive name similar to the aerodynamic Charger Daytona. And the front bridge gives a classic look called “R-Wing”.
Outside there are some very sleek 21-inch central locking wheels with turbine-inspired details. They are wrapped in 305 mm tires at the front and 325 mm tires at the rear. And they are stopped by six pistons brake callipers. The Charger Daytona also hides a hatchback, making it highly practical.
Moving inside, the design is actually quite grounded in practice. There are some strongly developed concept-y designs such as the highly sculptural texture with ambient lighting surrounding the doors, as well as the ribbed and flowing center console, which is actually a bit reminiscent. about Chrysler Turbine Car’s. But the large screen (16 inches for the equipment, 12.3 for the infotainment and 8.3 for the HUD), the leather trim and the general layout are all extremely reasonable for a production car. Some other interesting touches that also make sense are the modern design on the pistol grip lever and the start button placed under the jet fighter-like safety cap.
Dodge has remained silent about the details of the powertrain, but it did share some interesting things. The powertrain uses an 800-volt electrical system called “Banshee”, inspired by the “screaming banshee” badge on the fenders. That will allow it to handle fast charging up to 350 kW. Dodge also says the Charger Daytona is all-wheel drive and faster than the current Hellcat. It has a PowerShot overboost button like The newly revealed Hornet, can be used at any time and the vehicle has driving modes named Slam, Drift, Drag and Donut.
Dodge boss Tim Kuniskis notes that the concept is “not a science project” and is previewing future models that will launch in 2024. Dodge reps also note that there will be Multiple output versions of this powertrain, along with possibly 400-entry volt versions. There are plans for Direct Connect after-sales upgrade, too.
Aside from those important details, there are a few mechanical features that are unusual for the Daytona SRT Charger. One of them is the inclusion of a multi-speed line. No details on how many ratios or how the transmission works were given. It is not the first multi-speed transmission in EV, because Porsche Taycan there is a two speed setting, but it still won’t be normal. And Kuniskis says the only real reason for this is because the team likes the feel of shifting when the steering wheel is strong.
Continuing with that topic is the Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust system. Kuniskis emphasizes that this is more than just an external speaker system. It’s actually a system of pipes with various chambers tuned to make noise, presumably with air being pumped through it. Basically like a brass instrument or as Kuniskis likened it, a pipe organ. It is tied to information such as speed, throttle input and others. The Dodge proved it for us, and it sounds surprisingly good, with hints of turbo and V8 hum, with a hint of sound in the high end. It’s also very loud, with a volume of up to 126 decibels, like the Hellcat’s exhaust. And like the multi-speed line, it’s just there to add to the experience.
Dodge won’t say if the Charger Daytona SRT will enter production as its own model that looks like this. It implies that this is a preview of a few muscle car variants that will launch in 2024. We would imagine that it will be a split product that is essentially the same as the current Charger and The Challenger, with one being four doors, and the other two doors. And we expect those products to be inspired by this concept, which doesn’t seem far away from production feasibility. We’ll definitely be excited to try them out over the next few years.
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