Stellantisofficially confirmed that two all-new SRT models will be joining Dodge's stables alongside the Charger and Durango. The company even teased the two cars' silhouettes under covers as part of its Fastlane 2030 announcement last week – one of them seems to be a performance crossover that will bring back the GLH name, while the other is a winged coupe confirmed as the Copperhead SRT.Die-hard Mopar fans will remember that this is not the first time they've heard the name Copperhead. Dodge initially used it for a roadster concept showcased in 1997 with a design that looked like a baby Viper and a 220-hp V6 under the hood.StellantisCarBuzz senior correspondent Tom Murphy already got a glimpse of the new Copperhead SRT in person and describes it as a "mash-up between a Charger and Viper – Charger in front, Viper at the back," with a big "power dome" on the hood. Indeed, that hood bulge is so massive, not even the covers in Stellantis' teaser could hide it. It doesn't look anything like the orange roadster we remember. In fact, SRT boss Tim Kuniskis confirmed to CarBuzz that they "purposely called it a Copperhead because it's not a Viper."Tom gave us the details of what he saw while they were still fresh in his mind, describing a monster that seems closer in size and proportions to the Ford Mustang GTD than the Charger, and our render artists immediately got to work bringing it to life. Judging by what the new Copperhead SRT seems to bring to the table looks-wise, both the Mustang GTD and the Chevy Corvette ZR1X could have some serious competition. The Dodge Copperhead SRT Takes Shape Dodge Copperhead SRT HotCars render The Copperhead SRT you see here is our closest recreation based on the details CarBuzz's Tom Murphy gave us after seeing the car in person. While the car is clearly a two-door coupe, it's also immediately clear that this is not just a lowered Charger, but something much more performance-focused and capable. Tom describes it as having an angular Charger-like nose with LED headlights and a massive hood bulge.Dodge Copperhead SRT HotCars render However, the Copperhead also appears wider, with more aggressive fenders and packed with aero components such as vents and splitters all around. Its massive brake cooling vents positioned behind the front wheels are especially attention-grabbing, and so are the huge rear exhaust tips and rear wing.Dodge Copperhead SRT HotCars render Like its 1997 namesake, the new Copperhead SRT features a Viper-like rear-end. But while the original concept echoed the first-gen Viper's lines, the Copperhead's rear taillights and the swept-up tail both mimic the fifth-gen Viper models. Meanwhile, the large rear wing seems like a slightly smaller version of the absurdly massive one that kept the Viper ACR glued to the track. Dodge Copperhead SRT: Everything We Know So Far Dodge Copperhead SRT HotCars render While Dodge remains cagey about the juicy details, Ram CEO and Head of SRT, Tim Kuniskis, confirmed that the new Copperhead SRT will, in fact, not be based on the Charger's hard points, suggesting a completely clean-sheet design and platform. He added that a Charger with those proportions would be impossible due to the multi-energy design with the battery at the bottom of the car, which the Copperhead SRT will not have.Dodge Copperhead SRT HotCars render Our friend at CarBuzz also spied massive exhaust tips at the Copperhead SRT's rear, and Kuniskis confirmed that the car will indeed feature a gas engine. But whether that gas engine will be accompanied by motors remains a mystery. The current twin-turbo Hurricane inline-six is a potent mill at up to 550 hp in the HO variant, but it will need a lot more juice to go head-to-head with the Mustang GTD or the Corvette ZR1, and a hybrid powertrain is not yet off the table.Dodge Copperhead SRT HotCars render That said, the massive hood bulge screams "V8," and eight cylinders definitely makes sense – especially something like a Hellcat, which we've already seen push 840 hp in the Challenger SRT Demon on 100-octane gas or up to 1025 hp in the Demon 170 on E85.Dodge Copperhead SRT HotCars render However, it seems that Dodge may have something different in mind this time. "It could be something that you’re not aware of," Kuniskis teased when asked about the engine at last week's Investor Day at Stellantis. "It could be something that doesn’t exist today," he added. Could this mean a hybrid V8 or a completely new engine? We don't know, but Kuniskis also mentioned that Dodge is "toying around with new technology that you will see this summer" at an engineering innovation day before Road Kill Nights in August. Right now, anything is possible, but one thing is for sure: We have a lot to look forward to from Dodge in the coming months and years.
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