Dodge Charger Daytona SRT: nine different electric drive options
They are considered the icons of combustion power: the US "muscle and pony cars" Dodge Charger, Dodge Challenger, Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Mustang. V8 engines with power beyond 450 hp paired with a brawny coupé design have a loyal fan base, not only in the USA but also in this country. Ford recently relaunched the Mustang in its seventh generation - in the familiar setting with a V8 combustion engine.
The competitors Dodge and Chevrolet, on the other hand, are taking a different approach - and, contrary to expectations, are attracting a lot of interest. Dodge and Chevrolet have announced that they will only offer the next generations of their bestsellers in an all-electric version from 2024. With the all-electric Charger Daytona SRT study presented in August, Dodge has already attracted a lot of attention in the scene. At the SEMA Performance Show in Las Vegas, which starts today, new details will now be presented.
Future buyers of a Dodge Charger Daytona SRT - the name is a reminiscence of the Charger icon Daytona, which was built in the characteristic shape with the raised spoiler for only one year in 1969 - can choose from no less than nine different drive concepts. Three different power outputs and two different Dodge Direct Connection Performance Upgrades each are to be available.
The Charger Daytona SRT starts at 340 kilowatts (456 hp), the performance upgrade eStage 1 increases power to 370 kilowatts (495 hp), eStage 2 even to 400 kilowatts (535 hp). For the 440 kilowatt (590 hp) base model, the Performance Upgrades bring 470 kilowatts (630 hp) and 500 kilowatts (670 hp) respectively. The models with Performance Upgrades are to be recognisable by a "crystal key" which - very old-school - is inserted into the dashboard. An additional model with 800-volt charging technology ("Banshee") is also planned. However, Dodge has not yet published the performance figures for this.
In addition to the powertrain specifications, the concept car received some visual upgrades at SEMA: the Charger comes in a bold Stryker Red, 18-inch lightweight carbon fibre wheels and 305-millimetre drag tyres provide an even more exciting muscle car look. There will be nine different colours and tyre combinations each for buyers, which will be visualised via videos at SEMA. "We're demonstrating how old-school hot-rodding can work in an electrified muscle car future," explains Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis.
Quiet electric cruising is not the order of the day at Dodge: the prototype Dodge Charger Daytona SRT unveiled in August was notable for its unparalleled sound reminiscent of cat whistling - probably a nod to the Charger Hellcat, the most powerful standard four-door sedan in the world at 527 kilowatts (717 hp) when it was introduced in 2014. This unmistakable sound signature is now to be further optimised based on customer feedback.