We recently covered the inevitable end of the Dodge Challenger and Charger muscle cars, but we had a feeling Dodge wouldn’t let that be the end of their performance hijinks. Enter: the Charger Daytona SRT Concept.
The Daytona SRT Concept looks like a retro-future reprisal of the classic Charger two-door styling, backed up by a battery-electric (BEV) powertrain. While the sounds and smells of a petrol powerhouse will be missed, it should pack plenty of punch as Dodge brand chief executive officer Tim Kuniskis claims this prototype exists because “performance made us do it.”
“The Charger Daytona SRT Concept can do more than run the car show circuit,” Kuniskis said. “It can run a blazing quarter-mile. And when it comes to product cycles, it outruns Darwin. Charger Daytona does more than define where Dodge is headed, it will redefine American muscle in the process.”
That’s a series of bold claims, for sure, but the supplied specs seem to back them up. At its electric heart is an 800 volt “Banshee” propulsion system, sending power to the all-wheel drive system and making the Daytona SRT Concept the brand’s “first electric vehicle faster than a Hellcat in all key performance measures.” Unfortunately, no exact performance figures were provided, but faster than a Hellcat? Sign us up.
That power is sent through an “eRupt” transmission. Yes, a transmission in an electric car; the eRupt uses electro-mechanical shifting to deliver “distinctive shift points.” Similar to the recently unveiled Hornet, the Daytona SRT Concept has a “PowerShot” feature; a special boost button on the steering wheel which delivers extra power for temporary acceleration boosts.
And if a transmission in a BEV wasn’t wild enough, what about an exhaust system? Yeah, Dodge did that, too. While some may groan with memories of speakers pumping fake noise into the cabin, this isn’t quite that. The “Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust” is said to deliver 126 decibels (rivaling an SRT Hellcat’s roar) through an amplifier and tuning chamber located at the tailend.
All of this is wrapped up in an exterior package which, while distinctively modern, pays homage to its forefathers. The Daytona SRT Concept is a two-door model with a long and wide presence, spearheaded by a 68’-inspired grille texture and a special “R-Wing” said to pay tribute to the original Daytona’s namesake while achieving aerodynamic efficiencies. The interior is driver-centric and connected thanks to the inclusion of a 12.3-inch center screen, 16-inch instrument cluster and an 8×3-inch head-up display. And the classic styling carries into the cabin with a pistol-grip shifter, among other features.
Keyword: Dodge Flexes Electrified Muscle with Charger Daytona SRT Concept