I keep hearing rumors about the new Charger being tested and fitted with a Hemi V8 and other rumors about a new V8 along with the Rumors of a new sport compact along with articles like this showcasing just how much potential is in the Hurricane 3.0L TT I-6 and the possibilities of a street performance truck. It still frustrates me to see this company tripping over itself and wasting so much time and money trying to get itself together. But let's really look at this again and really keep it simple.
Let's look at what affordable performance really should be for the brand, because that really comes in a few different tiers to be honest. With the talk of the return of a sport compact car. When I look around, there aren't many sport compacts left. You have the Civic Si/Type R and the Integra Type S. That market it actually not what it used to be so the only thing I can really see is making a GLH Hornet and an 330+hp SRT4 Hornet but that's about it. Next, let's talk about this upcoming Charger and accept the fact that it is the only muscle car that is going to be in Dodge's stable and the fact that a V8, while possible, is not probable for it in the near future or any car for that matter. While I am excited about the new Hurricane coming because I see this as a modern Buick Grand National/GNX, Regal T-Type, I also understand that most people want a V8 of some sort in an American performance car. I get it. It's also clear that alot of us don't want electric anywhere in the lineup at all but we need to understand it's going to be the EV's hybrids and Hurricanes that allows Dodge to even think about moving forward with new V8s or even upgrading the current ones. Let's be honest, if a V8 will fit in the new car, that's what most people are going to want. Sure a Gen-4 Hemi 5.7L would be nice, but at this point, to be honest, I think a V8 in any capacity may hurt Dodge more than it would help. While alot of us want that, the money that it would cost them to try to do that this far into what they are already doing would potentially sink them and trying to do all of these new models and new powertrains and all this other stuff right now isn't going to help them and we all out here need to understand that the damage done by Carlos Tavares is going to take at least 10-years to fix. While our current government isn't forcing EV mandates down our throats, which is a positive, it still doesn't mean Dodge can financially afford to just about face and march back to having a big bore pushrod V8 under the hood of everything. Ram is about the only brand under the Mopar umbrella that may be able to get away with a Gen-IV 5.7L Hemi V8 just like they did in the 70's with the little red express. Trucks will always have that loophole that cars and SUVs may not always have and a Gen-IV 5.7L with a 6.1L crank and a 392 top end pushing out 450hp isn't bad for a V8 powered pickup truck and a Tahoe-fighting Ramcharger SUV as it's STLA: Frame stablemate. If they need more power add a fully forged internal and a Redeye top end and put out about 750hp and be happy. Doesn't mean that the two Hurricane engines go away, but the choice is there for the people who want a V8. I'm not going to act like the Hurricane 3.0L is as melodious as a 2JZ-GTE from a MKIV Supra or as exciting as an RB26DETT from a Skyline R34 because it's not. It's about as annoying as a BMW but understanding who was running Stellantis when it was designed, I don't wonder why. The issue lies within the integrated cylinder head/exhaust manifold design that messes everything up when it comes to sound. it's the same reason the 3.6L Pentastar sounds like garbage no matter what you do to it. Now, there are companies out there that make these equal-length exhausts for the new BMWs and it brings the sound back closer to that of a 2JZ or RB26 so that's something to look forward to when the aftermarket gets a hold of the new cars. The potential the powertrain has is truly undeniable though but another issue is going to be price. These cars need to be between $32K-$45K all day along with a GT trim that never leaves the $20K range even fully loaded. Honestly, I don't think anyone would be mad with a GT Charger (coupe or sedan) with a 375hp/470tq 2.0T hurricane-4 Hybrid setup with a hybrid version of the 880RE and AWD with a track pack and some Direct connection upgrades available for this car with an exhaust tuned like a Hornet GT or better. Dodge could even pay homage to the GLH Charger of the 80's with a special edition package on the 4-cyl turbo hybrid variant at $29,999.99. GLH could literally be Dodge's way of bringing back affordable performance on their base model options. You take that same 375hp 2.0L Hurricane-4 Hybrid and put it in a new STLA Large Durango 3-Row SUV the rumored upcoming 2-row Stealth SUV, and Dakota Pickup and no one will complain. Especially if they cost less than something like an Explorer ST. Now keep in mine I'm using the numbers from a non-performance tuned variant of this car. Tune the powertrain to be slightly more aggressive and we can say 390hp with the same 470tq but with a broader powerband and tuned for more aggressive acceleration. That's your base and it's running better than a 5.7L Hemi Gen-III!!!!! You want a V8 coupe? Bring back the Viper. A mid-engine two door, two-seater sports car with two variants. The R/T with an A30 Hellephant crate engine and a T/A with a A170 Hellephant, both with AWD. That should knock the new Corvette down a notch. The Hurricane-6 is more than a match for the Mustang, even the dark horse and there are rumors of another Hurricane-6 variant coming with over 630hp along with the Hurricane Cat-X rumored to be available with over 1,000hp. If they need more power slap a hybrid transmission behind it and call it a day. But you take these cars and then you have Direct Connection there where the enthusiast can customize and personalize their cars even further with suspension upgrades, cosmetic upgrades, brake upgrades, performance upgrades, stereo upgrades, etc. This is where you make alot of that money from the aftersales of these cars. Jailbreak upgrades and things like that to really drive people into their local CDJR dealerships because now there is something exciting there. Every CDJR dealership should be a Power Brokers dealership. It should be fun to walk into you Dodge dealership and feel like your walking into a speed shop. That's what Dodge and Ram are about. This is how you make affordable performance. Offer the performance as an option! let customers customize their cars and not just their top of the line models!
What makes this even nicer is the fact that this is only half of the Mopar umbrella. As much as I talk about repurposing the Mopar brand, maybe I haven't really looked at the big picture the way I should have. Jeep and Chrysler both share a spot in the luxury market but not quite in the same way as I viewed it previously. I still stand on the fact that the Wagoneer and the Grand Wagoneer should be rebranded as the Chrysler New Yorker and Chrysler Imperial but to me there is still something else that the Chrysler brand can offer that Dodge can not. Now, If Chrysler had brought out an STLA Large sedan with the 400V electric powertrain from the Charger Daytona or the 800V system and 3-speed gearbox from the upcoming Charger SRT Daytona Banshee and named it the Chrysler 300E and marketed it at the same price point the Charger is at, NO ONE WOULD HAVE BATTED AN EYE!!!! If Chrysler Revised a Chrysler 200E on the STLA Medium Platform and went after the Tesla Model-3, no one would have been upset. If Chrysler had said they'd be offering a Chrysler 300H with a 420hp Hurricane and a Chrysler S300H with a 550hp Hurricane and a Chrysler S300M with a 700+hp hybrid version of the Hurricane H/O with a design on the Electric 300E or the Hurricane powered 300H sedans that hearkened back to the sleek 300M (that looks alot like a Tesla Model S) No one would have been pissed off at all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Same thing with the Airflow crossover or a Pacifica minivan. Chrysler has that kind of platform that it can go after vehicles like that. Jeep has that same kind of Platform but in a different direction. Let Jeep say, Okay we're replacing the 3.6L with a 420hp Hurricane I-6 to pay homage to the I-6 Jeeps of yesteryear. No one would have been upset at all. Same with the Cherokee and Grand Cherokee on the STLA Large platform. Everyone would have been perfectly fine with the 4Xe becoming the base engine and the two Hurricanes going above them in these vehicles. The Jeep could say we're bringing out something to go after Rivian and Scout for the off-roading EV market and we're going to have our own gas powered range extenders in them on both the 400V and 800V systems, with the Jeep Recon and the new Jeep EJ-10 Honcho, both with 400V systems producing up to 600hp and tri-motor 800V systems with the 3-speed gearboxes pushing upwards of 800hp. Still have the lesser Jeeps as the volume sellers with hybrid systems like the one in the Hornet R/T or other hybrid systems so this way there are choices and options and everyone is happy. The great thing about this side of Mopar is that aftersales for customization is still a big thing and has tremendous opportunity here. Especially with Jeep. You take a new STLA Large Cherokee and Grand Cherokee. There are major opportunities that range from trail options, to beach options, to street performance options and even more of the upscale on-road after sale items and that spills right over into the Wrangler and the Gladiator and into the Electric Jeep ideas as well. Even the compass has potential from some off-road goodies on a trail hawk package to some styling options for the other on-road trims. The Chrysler 200 & 300 cars should not only appeal to the people cross shopping Tesla but also to people cross shopping the E53 AMG and even the BMW M5 as it wouldn't be the first time a Mopar bested or competed with the BMW 5-series including the M5.
Long story short, there is alot going on right now with the Mopar brands but it's not all bad and it won't be all bad without the V8's for a few years while the brand gets itself back on its feet. This truly is history repeating itself in a way because it's like we're again standing at the end of a muscle car era and now certain other cars are taking center stage. However, this time, performance is still increasing and the brands are having to rediscover what allowed them to survive after the late '60s and early '70's and it opens up the floor for us to see the other special things that the Mopar brands did after 1973. The eras of the "Adult Toys" from Dodge where it was all about trucks, off road SUVs and Street Vans. The GLH cars of the '80's, the birth of the Viper in the '90's, the Durango/Dakota R/T 5.9L duo in the late 90's and even the birth of the SRT4 Neon in the early 2000's. Dodge is more than just the Hemi V8. Dodge went alot of years building performance machines that were small displacement turbo cars than it did with big V8s and the brand has done well either way. Yes, we may see some V8s pop back up here and there but not like what we just had where everything was a V8 and if the Mopar brands keep their full heritage in front of them. I think we may be just as happy with what comes down the line from them. I think, we're going to be okay, it truly do.
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