Why We Can’t Stop Talking About The Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Electric Muscle Car Concept

2022-09-10 03:34:00 By : Mr. Allen Hu

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A Dodge muscle car EV that hasn't been designed and developed to disappoint. The Charger Daytona SRT EV Concept includes an exhaust note too!

Dodge may eventually do an EV, said no diehard muscle car enthusiast - and yet, here we are! Dodge has taken the wraps off what most enthusiasts would never have seen coming: the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT, a re-imagined EV concept that puts all the misconceptions to rest. This is a Dodge that doesn't create boundaries; it breaks them.

With this concept, Dodge wants the upcoming generation of enthusiasts to know what a muscle car will look and drive like - but more importantly - sound like. This is not just-another-EV-introduction in the market; you could probably call it an iconic car for the future, or an iconic car reinvented for the future. Whichever way you look at it, it's darn cool.

A new propulsion system powers the Charger Daytona SRT Concept - and this is a setup that power betters the outgoing SRT Hellcat engine, supplemented further by what is an industry-first BEV exhaust sound. Mark this page, or take a screenshot, because this is where all EVs from other manufacturers are about to learn and incorporate into their models. This is huge.

Looking at the Charger Daytona of tomorrow, we're not gutted. The signature design cues from the past have time-traveled to the present and all the better for it. Dodge isn't forgetting aerodynamics with this one, and the interior promises to be a driver-centric environment, letting you experience sounds, lighting features, and displays - all at the dab of a button.

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The R-Wing is a direct throwback to the original Charger Daytona design, which lets air flow via the front opening, improving downforce. It adds drama to the overall design and is expected to be aerodynamically efficient. But for now, it is a pending design element, as Dodge is awaiting patent approval.

There are carbon-fiber intakes found tucked away neatly into the front and rear lower half of the car, giving way for an air curtain. Its wide, long, and low stance are typical of the Dodge Charger from the 1970s. The grille looks nice with its illuminated lighting running the width of the front, and there's a white illuminated Fratzog badge in the center.

The three-pointed Fratzog badge was featured for the first time on Dodge muscle cars made between 1962 and 1976. The new logo represents the American brand's fully-electric future and, no matter what, Dodge will continue to focus on performance, but with the latest technology that will give other cars a bit of anxiety, not range anxiety.

The vertical details on the grille bring the original Charger back to life, and the color you see is 'Grays of Thunder', giving the paintwork a glossy, graphite feel with deep textures. The headlights are barely visible because they're hidden beneath the R-Wing. The rear end, like the front, features a full-width lighting design with a 3D illuminated Fratzog badge.

The flush door handles look beautiful and the brushed aluminum 'screaming' Banshee fender badges hint at the new propulsion system. Those painted-pocket 21-inch wheels with diamond-cut faces are gorgeous, and again, the center locks feature a Fratzog logo. The hatchback design is a functional feature, so here's a Dodge with a touch of practicality.

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The Charger Daytona's cockpit is modern, classy, and tech-laden. It features a 12.3-inch center screen, angled towards the driver in the same way the outgoing Dodge Challenger is - and the delicately curved 16-inch instrument cluster is a thing of beauty. The ultraviolet color you see can be found on the console, doors, and seats that create a halo that works with the Attitude Adjustment Lighting.

The parametric texture found on the outside - particularly on the grille - is found inside as well. The pattern has a sculpted look to it, and the dynamic interior texture comes with a three-dimensional quality that 'bounces' light and is reactive to the environment.

The flooring is made of carbon fiber. The lightning bolt detail on the accelerator pedal hints at what powers the car, and so does the Blue Plasma and Silver stitching that's found all over the interior. The carbon fiber door sills get illuminated white Daytona lettering - so cool!

Like all the Lamborghini supercars, there's a jet-fighter-inspired cap for the start button that flips over - we definitely want to see this on the production car. The pistol-grip shifter looks modern but is a nod to the past.

The thin steering wheel has a flat top and bottom, and the center spoke doesn't join with the rim. The race-inspired seats at the front and rear scream supercar, not muscle car - and then, there's the panoramic glass roof that's unlikely to make it to the production car.

Dodge wants its cars to be the fastest and most powerful, and that's exactly what the all-electric Charger Daytona SRT Concept is aiming to be, and knowing Dodge for its history, we know it's going to be a cakewalk for them. Like the HEMI, Hellcat, and Redeye, the latest to join the bloodline is the Banshee: an 800V propulsion system that's destined to push this car to a higher top speed than any Dodge before it.

Power is sent to all four wheels via Dodge's new eRupt multi-speed transmission with electro-mechanical shifting. The 'PowerShot' feature we mentioned earlier on in the article, delivers a sudden boost of horsepower, with explosive acceleration.

No gasoline-powered exhaust note for this one, but the Daytona Concept gives out a 126 dB roar through a Fratzonic Campbered Exhaust system, that's said to be just as good as the outgoing SRT Hellcat. The sound is pushed via an amplifier and tuning chamber at the rear of the car; it sounds like a robot gargling its throat at a high pitch!

Rehan got published for the first time at the age of 17, having written a feature on a Triumph Herald in print. He uses his writing as a tool to express his fondness for all things automotive even today, aged 28. Collecting scale models is a hobby close to his heart, and he wishes to sprinkle pixie dust on them only to see them grow into full-sized cars. He now represents HotCars.com.