THE DODGE CHARGER IS BACK

VEHICULE :

Dodge Charger

POWERPLAN :

Electric / 3l Straight six

THE NUMBERS:

670-550HP

IN SHORT :

I’ve spent the better part of my life shouting about the "good old days" of V8 thunder and the smell of unburnt hydrocarbons in a pit lane. When the rumors started swirling that Dodge was bringing the Charger back to Europe as a split-personality lineup—part electric, part twin-turbo inline-six—I braced myself for a disaster. I expected a sanitized, soulless appliance.

But after digging through the specifications for this eighth-generation monster, I’ll admit it: Dodge hasn’t just built a car; they’ve built a statement.

Let’s address the elephant in the room. They’re offering the Daytona, a 100% battery-electric machine that’s hitting 0-60 mph in 3.3 seconds in Scat Pack trim. 670 horsepower, all-wheel drive, and a "Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust." Now, I’ve heard synthetic exhaust notes before, and usually, they sound like a vacuum cleaner having a panic attack. But Dodge is promising something unique here—a sound that actually reinforces the muscle-car ethos. I’m skeptical, but I’m listening. They’ve even added a "PowerShot" button on the wheel. It’s gimmickry, sure, but it’s the kind of gimmickry that makes you giggle like an idiot when the light turns green.

However, the real surprise is the "SIXPACK." While everyone else is ditching internal combustion like it’s a contagious disease, Dodge is giving us a 3.0-liter Hurricane twin-turbo inline-six. In the Scat Pack guise, you’re looking at 550 horsepower. It’s got an all-wheel-drive system that can decouple the front end at the touch of a button, letting you send 100% of that torque to the rear wheels. That isn't just an engineering milestone; that’s an invitation to go and do something incredibly irresponsible.

They’ve built this thing on the "STLA Large" platform, which is designed to take both powertrains without compromising the car’s fundamental DNA. It’s a wide-body bruiser that looks like it’s been hitting the gym. It’s got that "R-Wing" aerodynamic pass-through on the nose—a bit of clever engineering that channels air over the hood, keeping the front end planted while looking like a proper interceptor.

Inside, they haven't gone down the "death by touchscreen" route. You’ve got a driver-focused cockpit, a proper pistol-grip shifter, and enough interior lighting customization to make a nightclub jealous. It’s a serious space designed for people who actually intend to drive.

Is it a "real" muscle car? The purists will argue until they’re blue in the face that muscle cars only run on eight cylinders and liquid dinosaur juice. But if you strip away the powertrain debate, what you’re left with is a car that refuses to be boring. It’s got the attitude, the wide stance, the launch control, and the "Line Lock" button specifically for burnouts. It’s unapologetic, it’s loud, and it’s coming to Europe with a price tag starting at €66,000.

I’m still a man who prefers a mechanical linkage to a digital signal. But seeing Dodge offer this kind of choice—the "freedom to choose your own expression of muscle"—is a refreshing change of pace. Whether you want the instantaneous, relentless torque of the Daytona or the high-revving howl of the twin-turbo Hurricane, the DNA remains the same.

Dodge isn't asking you to grow up. They’re just giving you a faster way to cause trouble.

Keep the shiny side up.

JIM KHANA

The auto

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