- Charger Daytona SRT Concept will make up to 670 hp
- Hi-po ‘Banshee’ trim not yet rated, could top 1,000 hp
- Two new crate engine families are on tap for hot rodders
The slow burn of Dodge’s switch to electrification continues this week at SEMA, with the hairy-chested brand letting loose some horsepower specs for its all-electric Charger Daytona SRT Concept. Oh — and someone finally saw fit to give it the coat of paint it deserves.
More on that in a minute. First: power numbers. The gates will open on a 400-volt architecture with 455 horsepower in a so-called “340 base trim,” with upgrades available in the form of eStage1 and eStage 2 bumping things to 495 hp and 535 hp, respectively. Since the company has yet to detail any outputs lower than these figures, it is reasonable to think they can be drawn in equivalent to the SXT or R/T 5.7 trims, which make 300 and 375 horses, respectively. Not bad.
But, wait, as the man said, there’s more. A further variation of the 400-volt architecture will be called the “440 base trim,” good for 590 ponies. From there, eStage 1 and eStage 2 will juice output to 630 hp and 670 hp, numbers which rapidly encroach on the almighty Hellcat and its tremendously snarly 707 horsepower. According to top brass at Dodge who spoke on a call attended by Driving, the eStage upgrades will be available through the brand’s Direct Connection speed house and are going to show up in the form of a ‘crystal key’ which is matched to the car’s VIN and plugged into the dash.
The electrified Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept, shown in a new Stryker Red exterior color, will once again use a respected gathering of automotive builders and tuners, SEMA, to offer a peek at the future of the Dodge brand Photo by Stellantis
The electrified Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept, shown in a new Stryker Red exterior color, will once again use a respected gathering of automotive builders and tuners, SEMA, to offer a peek at the future of the Dodge brand Photo by Stellantis
The electrified Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept, shown in a new Stryker Red exterior color, will once again use a respected gathering of automotive builders and tuners, SEMA, to offer a peek at the future of the Dodge brand Photo by Stellantis
Potential Direct Connection Stage 1 and Stage 2 performance upgrades for the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept use a “crystal” key that plugs into the dash Photo by Stellantis
Potential Direct Connection Stage 1 and Stage 2 performance upgrades for the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept use a “crystal” key that plugs into the dash Photo by Stellantis
Highlighting the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept’s SEMA visit is the announcement of nine possible powertrain outputs for the all-electric muscle car concept: three different battery-electric power levels will be shown at SEMA, as well as two levels of Dodge Direct Connection performance upgrades for each power level Photo by Stellantis
The electrified Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept, shown in a new Stryker Red exterior color, will once again use a respected gathering of automotive builders and tuners, SEMA, to offer a peek at the future of the Dodge brand Photo by Stellantis
The Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept, shown in a new Stryker Red Photo by Stellantis
Readers who have been paying attention will notice no one’s yet mentioned the Banshee, a trim bragged about by Dodge spox when the Charger Daytona SRT Concept was shown earlier this year. As the presumptive successor to Hellcat, it will utilize an 800-volt architecture, meaning its power levels are likely to be sky-high if the 400-volt figures are any indication. Of course, one can’t simply double the number of horses between the two architectures, but if Dodge can belt 670 horses out of 400V, this author really doesn’t think it’ll be a stretch for them to crest the four-figure mark with the roartiest 800V tune.
While no one was willing to say it aloud, we think calling the two 400V trims by digits which old-school gearheads may associate with a cubic-inch displacement (340 and 440) is a shrewd move. So, too, is the decision to fit an exhaust system to an EV in an effort to create a bit of noise — literally and figuratively. At SEMA, Dodge will be soliciting feedback from show-goers, giving them an opportunity to evaluate and rank unique tuning versions of the Charger Daytona SRT Concept’s exhaust note.
The concept on display at SEMA has been slathered in a new tri-coat Stryker Red paint, said to be chosen as a way to celebrate the Stage 2 Banshee performance upgrade. Methinks it is also an opportunity to show the thing off in something else other than dour industrial grey. This show car is being touted as a Banshee with the eStage 2 package, a configuration which surely makes devastating horsepower numbers — but they are numbers Dodge is not yet ready to reveal.
Elsewhere in the Dodge SEMA booth, the Direct Connection hot rod arm has gone ahead and announced a series of performance parts. On tap are the Hellephant series of crate engines; and an all-new HurriCrate series of crate engines which use the just-introduced turbocharged inline-six family of engines.
The Hellephant lineup’s C170 crate engine, which will deliver over 1,000 horsepower with E85 fuel, based on preliminary estimates Photo by Stellantis
The all-new Direct Connection HurriCrate series of crate engines will offer a lineup including a Cat 1 crate engine that delivers up to 420 horsepower; and a Cat 3 engine that reaches up to 550 horsepower, based on preliminary estimates Photo by Stellantis
The Direct Connection supercharged Hellephant series of crate engines boast the most powerful lineup of GEN III HEMI®-powered cast iron and aluminum engines to date, ranging from approximately 900 to over 1,100 horsepower, based on preliminary estimates Photo by Stellantis
Specifications for the Direct Connection family of crate engines, including the Hellcrate, Hellephant and HurriCrate series of engines Photo by Stellantis
The Dodge Direct Connection Grudge Race, part of the MotorTrend Presents Roadkill Nights Powered by Dodge event, pits online automotive builders in head-to-head drag-racing competition Photo by Stellantis
The latest evolution of the engine that won the 2018 NHRA Factory Stock Showdown and NMCA Factory Super Car championships, the 354 Supercharged HEMI® Drag Pak engine features numerous upgrades Photo by Stellantis
The Hellephant can now be had with a cast-iron or aluminum block, with the latter making slightly more power thanks to magical properties in the periodic table which you should have learned about in high school but have since forgotten. The Alumi-phant can deliver over 1,100 horsepower on E85 in max attack, with the pig-iron variant down about 100 horses compared to that number. Sitting atop both engines is a supercharger with far more displacement than the entire engine of most European city cars.
Standing pistons in a line gets gearheads up to 420 horses out of a HurriCrate engine in, ahem, Cat 1 state of tune. Predictably, a Cat 3 blows more air, increasing output to a suggested 550 horsepower. Titling the upgrade path of an engine called the Hurricane as ‘Cat 1’ and ‘Cat 3’ proves the marketers at Dodge haven’t lost their sense of adventure. Residents of coastal towns will either chuckle or weep at this nomenclature.
The SEMA Show in Las Vegas runs from November 1 to 4, 2022.
Keyword: Dodge's all-electric Charger Daytona SRT makes up to 670 hp