AAlthough after the discontinuation of the Journey, Dodge does not market any product in Argentina, the American firm continues to be very present in the local public and this week there were several novelties, starting with the new Hornet -an SUV derived from the Alfa Romeo Tonale- and the icing on the cake, the Charger Daytona SRT Concept, which will become the first 100% electric muscle car.
Beyond the controversy that it can generate among the most purists, it is clear that the future of muscle cars will go through electrification. Unfortunately, the current Charger and Challenger have their years numbered and will say goodbye between 2023 and 2024, but their legacy and essence will remain alive in this new era, as evidenced by the prototype presented by the brand.
Inspired by the original Charger Daytona, the concept takes cues from that 1969 model as well as current Charger and Challenger models and combines them with a futuristic twist. If we did not know in advance that it is an electric vehicle, we might think that a powerful V8 is hidden under the hood and that is precisely what the Dodge designers were looking for, that the prototype maintain the characteristic style of a muscle car, with straight lines. , very marked and full of references to the late 1960s model, such as the “hidden” headlights that also hide air channels and the remembered Fratzog logo, reinterpreted and that will be the brand’s electrification icon.
Its silhouette is also inspired by the ’69 Charger, with a long hood and the passenger compartment pushed further back, although in this case with a less pronounced drop in the roof, to comfortably accommodate four passengers inside. Unlike the current Charger, the concept is once again a two-door. Finally, the rear trim also pays homage to the original, with a very aggressive style that, except for the absence of exhaust outlets, could easily appear to be a sports car with a combustion engine.
Inside, the Charger Daytona SRT Concept has details that make it look like a production model along with others that remind us that it is still in the prototype phase. Everything is fully functional, highlighting the two huge displays, one 12.3” for the instruments and another 16” for the multimedia system, with the air outlets located below. The most striking and modern touch is given by the lights that set the interior and extend from the door panels to the dashboard. It also has seats with a carbon fiber structure, a material used in the central tunnel and other fixtures.
The great unknown is its mechanics: Dodge only clarified that it uses an electrical system called Banshee with an 800 V architecture capable of supporting super-fast charges, but above all it will give it impressive performance, even higher than that of an SRT Hellcat. In this sense, it will have the eRupt transmission, with electromechanical changes that will simulate the operation of a conventional automatic gearbox and the PowerShot system, which, by pressing a button, will allow the best possible acceleration to be achieved and even the Fratzonic function/system, which emulates the exhaust sound on par with a Hellcat.
Although we will all miss the V8, the future of muscle cars looks very promising and everything seems to indicate that Dodge will have the advantage of being the first brand to bet on it. Although the Charger Daytona SRT is a prototype, the production version is expected to be ready for 2024 and retain many of its features and characteristics.
Dodge Charger Daytona SRT: the concept that anticipates the electrified future of muscle cars