New EV Muscle Car May Have F1 Suspension

The September 2022 issue of Motor Trend had a well-written article, "Future Cars." It gave capsule summaries of all of the EVs that are coming from the various manufacturers.

Although there wasn't much new information, I thought you would like to read what they said about the 2025 Dodge Electric Muscle Car:

"What It Is- A fully electrified hellsled from the automotive industry's gas-chuggingest, tire-smokingest, hair-on-your-chestiest brand, Dodge.

Why It Matters- When even Dodge prepares to transition to EVs, it's time to accept the inevitable. Of course, that doesn't mean abandoning heritage. So Dodge, the marque behind the Challenger, Charger, Hellcat and Demon, and myriad other badass badges, is spinning up an electric muscle car as a bridge between its fully electrified future and is Hemi-powered past.

This car's retro flavor will help that mission. Its boxy nose will ape those of classic Chargers- wouldn't that be an appropriate name for an EV?- from the golden age of muscle in the late 60s and early 70s. That era's Fratzog logo returns, too, and is expected to appear on all future Dodge EVs.

Platform And Powertrain- Carlos Tavares, CEO of parent company Stellantis, has called the car, 'so brilliant that it is shocking,' and teasers confirm it will have AWD, showing smoke billowing from all four tires. AWD means the car will pack at least two motors, and Stellantis has said the car's STLA Large platform will offer motors that make as much as 443 hp. each. That means it could have nearly 900 hp. But this is Dodge we're talking about, so it's entirely possible the car gets three or even four motors to help it achieve 60 mph. in a rumored 2.0 seconds.

'If an electric motor will make it quicker, we will do it,' Dodge chief Tim Kuniskis has said. The battery packs for STLA Large will range from 101 to 118 kWh in size with up to 500 miles of driving range, though surely not in this beastly machine. Worried about doing burnouts in silence? fret not- Dodge wants the car to be loud and has created a muscled-up sound that intensifies based on how you are driving.

Estimated Price- The sweet spot for muscle cars is from $40,000 to $50,000, Dodge says. So figure the production EV muscle car will land in that zone- at least to start. As with the Hellcat models and the Demon, you'll pay a premium for more performance.

Expected On-Sale Date- 2024"

Artist Rendering

 

You may be on to something. Why not call the new Dodge muscle car the "Electric Eel?"

 

I think Electricus sounds better.

 

Jalopnik is reporting the following about the future of the Hemi engine:

"A story published late last week by Motor Trend cited anonymous sources claiming that Dodge planned to deliver a next-generation Charger and Challenger on a new internal-combustion, rear-wheel-drive platform with space for a V8, perhaps after the existing models rode into the sunset in 2024. That isn’t happening, and we know because Dodge just said so.


Whatever follows Dodge’s current enthusiast offerings will be exclusively battery-electric, one of the company’s spokespeople has confirmed to Motor1:

“The [Motor Trend] story is incorrect,” said the spokesperson. “The Hemi in that platform, as well as that platform, are going away. The next generation will be BEV.”

In this case, the “platform” the spokesperson is referring to is actually two: the LD for the Charger and LA for the Challenger. Both are heavily derived from the Bush-administration LX, introduced in 2006 alongside the Charger, Chrysler 300 and Dodge Magnum. (Oh, the Magnum. Never forget the wagon they took from us.)

Anyway, Dodge’s rejection of that too-good-to-be-true report certainly tracks, because brand CEO Tim Kuniskis already told Motor Trend last November that “these cars that you know today will go out of production by the time we get to 2024.” Kuniskis related this without any mention of an ICE successor to the existing duo, powered by either V8s or Stellantis’ new Hurricane turbocharged inline six. It was pretty clear that Dodge’s first all-electric muscle car, also planned for 2024, will inherit all of the attention that previously belonged to the Charger and Challenger.

Speaking of, where is that mythical EV, exactly? In that November interview, Kuniskis told Motor Trend that we’d get to see a fully operational prototype of the vehicle no later than the second quarter of 2022. We’re now in the third. Something held it back — something “outside [the] industry” — and the CEO admitted that in April to Muscle Cars & Trucks:

“TBD… we argue about (the reveal timeline of the electric Dodge muscle car concept) a lot,” said Kuniskis. “I’m pushing really really hard to get this thing out and into public view, and show you what we’re doing and how we’re doing it different as fast as I can. It drives me crazy that other people are way out in front of their headlights and I’m not.”

Tim also hinted that there’s another component to the vehicle’s reveal that needs to get in sync, but didn’t fully elaborate what that was.

“There’s one really important piece that goes with (the reveal) that’s outside of my control, and it’s outside our industry quite frankly, that I want the two to be together when I show you this car. And I don’t want to do it disjointed,” he said. “When that pieces comes together we’ll decide when we’re gonna show it. It will be sooner rather than later. My hope is that you’ll see this car well before we get to that Speed Week, so well before we get to August is my hope.”

Speed Week is a string of Dodge-themed events in Pontiac, Michigan. The brand has scheduled three days of reveals between Monday, August 15 and Wednesday, August 17. One of those is sure to be the new Hornet crossover, based on the Alfa Romeo Tonale. Another — a nameless “future muscle car” — sounds a lot like that long-awaited Charger/Challenger sequel. Whatever you’re expecting, just don’t expect a Hemi.


The Hemi-Powered Dodge Muscle Car Is Dead (jalopnik.com)

 

Racer X has been selected by Dodge as a You Tube influencer, to cover Road Kill Nights and the August 15, 16 and 17 reveals. His reporting will be streamed live.

Dodge Wants Me!! RacerX Live - YouTube