Do not go gentle into that good night, or anywhere at all. That's (probably) Dodge's internal motto. To wit: Our sources tell us that a brand-new generation of V-8-powered, rear-wheel-drive muscle machines are coming, and coming soon. Here you thought Dodge was going fully EV, and turning its back on the burning of gasoline. Not yet, bro! Yes, everyone knows that the current generation of Charger goes back to the year 2005 when it was introduced as a 2006 model, making the Dodge's bread and butter almost old enough to buy a gun. The Challenger went on sale in 2008. Both were updated in 2011. While the future is InEVitable, and there will be a time when electric cars will represent the bulk of new car sales in the U.S., that's still a decade (or more) off. In the meantime, Dodge is electing to make a little hay while the sun is shining. Meaning profits on the backs of many burnouts.
Yes, really. Dodge has said that fully 50 percent of its product portfolio will be BEV by 2030. That's only half of the lineup in 8 years. Until then, most of what Dodge sells will be internal combustion, and even by 2030, half will still burn gasoline. Dodge is reaching (or has long ago reached) the limits of what's possible with ye olde LD platform, which is actually a slightly refreshed-in-2011 LX platform, which as every single 14-year-old on the internet will tell you, dates to the 2002-era W211 E-Class and W220 S-Class, as if that's some sort of bad thing. DaimlerChrysler, remember? Let's not forget the 900-pound cash cow in the room: Since 2006 Dodge has sold more than 2,156,000 Chargers and Challengers, and that's not counting 2022. Don't forget, sales jumped in 2015 when the Hellcat models were introduced.
A new, large Stellantis rear-drive platform is coming and can fit a V-8. This platform will be separate and unrelated to the EV skateboard chassis that will underpin other large Stellantis EVs. This vehicle architecture will underpin a new Charger, a new Challenger, as well as possibly a new Chrysler 300, and the next-generation Maserati Quattroporte. Any chance a large Alfa Romeo could come along to fight the 5 Series or 7 Series? Nope, as Alfa Romeo has announced its going all-EV by 2027. Opel? Vauxhall? Could either of those brands get a gas-powered, V-8-capable chassis. No clue, but hey, why not?
The new Charger and Challenger will be lighter than the cars they replace and they will handle better—probably much better. The designs are currently being finalized, so our sources haven't seen anything yet. We do hear that Dodge is aware that looks played a big part keeping both models alive for this long, so don't expect anything too radical. Expect ZF's ubiquitous (and excellent) 8-speed automatic to remain the transmission of choice, and of course for our friends in the Northeast there will be an AWD option.
We don't know which engines specifically will show up in Dodge's new muscle cars, but you don't need to be a scientitian to guess, with an asterisk. Currently, the 392 V-8 puts out 485 horsepower. Not bad for natural aspiration. However, Mopar's new 3.0-liter twin-turbo Hurricane I-6 pumps out "more than" 500 horsepower. It's a tough intellectual conundrum for the muscle car fan, take the less powerful V-8 or go with more power but fewer cylinders. We're betting that Dodge decides to offer two flavors of Hurricane I-6 (standard will be more than 400 hp, high-output will again top 500 hp) and save the V-8 for the all-powerful, all-profitable Hellcat variant. Figure 800 hp minimum for the next-gen evil kitty.
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