Autoblog and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article.Stellantis is embarking on a massive product offensive across all its brands, but the news that has garnered the most attention is that of the Copperhead SRT. We theorized that this could be Dodge's Viper-inspired answer to the Chevy Corvette ZR1, but on the latest episode of The Drivecast, Head of SRT Tim Kuniskis has revealed that while he has admiration for the C8 Corvette, the Copperhead SRT would fill a different niche. Instead of being a sports car, the Copperhead is being described as a "hyper-muscle car," which implies that it won't be quite as capable at devouring lap times.SRT Boss Doesn't Want to Copy C8 Corvette RecipeMecumKuniskis said that he's "incredibly impressed with the engineering" of the C8 Corvette, adding that "it's an impressive car, and the engineering in it is highly impressive," but just as the Charger and Challenger weren't designed to be direct competitors to the Mustang and Camaro, so the Copperhead won't be a C8 alternative. "I don't want to chase that," said Kuniskis. "They're a sports car. I'm very, very clearly defining this as a hyper-muscle car." He added that the Viper was also a sports car, so while the Copperhead name may imply a Viper-like approach, "it's a different thing."AdvertisementAdvertisementRelated: Dodge Charger Hellcat Is Coming Back With Over 700 HPIn the same interview, Kuniskis revealed that the Copperhead is not based on the Charger; this would have been a challenge given that the Charger was originally designed to accommodate electrification. He also hinted that the Copperhead may not have a V8, teasing new technologies and offerings to be revealed in the summer just before Roadkill Nights in August.Questions Loom Over New CopperheadChatGPT/Sebastian CenizoTo be clear, the Copperhead SRT is only scheduled for sometime between now and 2030, despite a full-size concept being shown to the media, and these comments from Kuniskis indicate that we'll have to follow a number of breadcrumbs before we can form a full picture of what the Copperhead will offer. Dodge has already put a twin-turbocharged Hurricane straight-six in the Charger and called it a muscle car, so the Copperhead "hyper-muscle car" may feature a high-performance version of that engine (or a totally new engine), maybe even with some kind of hybrid element. Whatever engine finds its way to the car, calling it a hyper-muscle car seems to suggest that it'll have more power than it knows what to do with. We assume rear-wheel drive will accompany a front-engine layout, and we assume that even if the Copperhead produces more power than the 1,064-hp ZR1, it won't be capable of the same lap times. Will the Copperhead be V8-powered, turbocharged, or both? Will it be a hybrid? Will it cost less than $100,000? Will it be relatively limited in production? We'll have to wait until August for more clues.ChatGPT/Sebastian CenizoThis story was originally published by Autoblog on May 29, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Autoblog as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
