Photo: Stellantis
The Dodge Charger is dead. Long live the Dodge Charger. On Wednesday, Dodge wrapped three days of reveals at its Speed Week event with the unveiling of the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept, the much-anticipated first peek at the muscle brand’s electric future.
Thinking About Making a Change: Get a quick and easy trade-in estimate with data from Kelley Blue Book
Charger concept features unique R-Wing, first-ever EV exhaust
Part of what makes the Charger Daytona SRT Concept so exciting is the fact that it doesn’t reinvent the wheel. Instead, it advances your muscle car hallmarks, giving it an edge and character that fits right in with the Chargers folks have come to know and love. The profile, the low and wide stance, the beefy 21-inch wheels it rides on — it’s a Dodge Charger through and through.
Photo: Stellantis
That’s not to say that there aren’t new tricks here, and one of the most intriguing is the patent-pending R-Wing. This hood element increases aerodynamics and downforce by letting air flow through. The R-Wing works in beautiful concert with simple and stylish carbon-fiber air intakes to create a symphony of muscle.
Photo: Stellantis
Speaking of symphonies and new features, the Charger Daytona SRT also debuts a Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust, the first-ever exhaust system for an electric vehicle. Why have an exhaust system if there are zero emissions? The sweet sound of muscle, of course. Dodge says that the Charger Daytona SRT Concept can hit 126 decibels with its artificial exhaust note, which makes it as loud as a Hellcat.
Dodge Charger Daytona SRT “faster than a Hellcat”
Photo: Stellantis
So how does it rank compared to a Hellcat in terms of performance? Dodge didn’t put specific numbers to what the Charger Daytona SRT can do, but it does give name to the battery propulsion system that succeeds the HEMI and Hellcat: Banshee. And per Dodge, the 800-volt Banshee system is a real screamer that allows this EV “faster than a Hellcat in all key performance measures.” Oh. Well then!
For context, the new Durango SRT Hellcat is stupid fast, going 0-60 mph in just 3.5 seconds with its 710-horsepower supercharged V8. So it’s a reasonable assumption that the Banshee system’s numbers are straight-up unreal.
It delivers that power to all four wheels with a new multi-speed, electromechanical eRupt transmission, and it’ll be even quicker off the line with the PowerShot feature that debuts in the freshly unsheathed 2023 Dodge Hornet R/T.
Future of Dodge eMuscle looks bright heading into 2024
Photo: Stellantis
If you were one of those who approach the idea of electric muscle cars with a healthy dose of skepticism, the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept should be a nice spoonful of sugar. Folks have unsurprisingly been concerned since Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis announced that the Charger and Challenger would die by 2024 to pave the way for eMuscle. But it’s also not surprising that the death of the Charger and Challenger names was greatly exaggerated.
“The Charger Daytona SRT Concept can do more than run the car show circuit; it can run a blazing quarter-mile. And when it comes to product cycles, it outruns Darwin,” said Kuniskis. “Charger Daytona does more than define where Dodge is headed, it will redefine American muscle in the process.”
And as for when Dodge gets there? 2023 marks the last run of the current-gen Dodge Charger and Challenger, which means the Charger Daytona SRT’s production equivalent should be along by 2024.
Kyle S. Johnson lives in Cincinnati, a city known by many as “the Cincinnati of Southwest Ohio.” He enjoys professional wrestling, Halloween, and also other things. He has been writing for a while, and he plans to continue to write well into the future. See more articles by Kyle.