To me, I guess I look at this way too deeply when it comes to this company and more specifically, the Dodge Charger. Call it passion or obsession, when I look at the potential of this car, I see so many things and so many ways this car could truly encompass all this car has ever been and could be along with seeing just how amazing this car can be and how profitable it could be for the Dodge brand. We've got the two six pack cars already but there is so much more this car can offer.
An AWD SXT with a Hurricane-4 non-hybrid should be the base model, sedan only variant of the 8th gen charger. Cloth, low-back seats, smaller screens, a Daytona-style front fascia, no spoiler, a flat hood and 18" wheels should set the SXT apart from the rest of the pack. Powered by the 324hp 2.0L Hurricane-4, it would offer more power and efficiency than the outgoing 3.6L and should come in around $29,999.99. Just a straight volume selling charger for those looking for the charger name but aren't worried about super high performance.
Although it's not something that may have initially been realized or appreciated by all of us, I think that Dodge was on to something by putting a bit of funding into the Charger Daytona EV and it may directly effect an affordable G/T variant very soon. While the introduction and delivery was botched, Dodge broke through into new territories with electric propulsion on this 400V system and they've been doing a lot of work with partnering companies ever since to make serious headway into this new realm. They partnered with Factorial to produce semi-solid state batteries that offer more energy, better charging and reduced weight. They also have another partner that's doing a lot with electrified propulsion and that is ZF, the company that produces the 8-speed transmission. The new Gen-4 ZF EVO 8hp transmission is a modular unit that supports conventional, Mild Hybrid, Plug In Hybrid and Full Hybrid setups. The full hybrid setup has most of the electronics for the hybrid system built into the transmission and doesn't add a lot of extra weight. There's an article about the CEO Of Stellantis mapping out a business plan that heavily involves hybrids on this website so let's look at this from that perspective. A Charger with a turbocharged-4 cylinder up front and the hybrid 8-speed gearbox behind it with all wheel drive. a very centered low center of gravity and a conventional Independent rear suspension so the car really doesn't gain that much weight. While it wouldn't set any records a GT Charger pushing a solid 385hp and 440lb-ft of torque starting in the mid to high $30K range wouldn't be a bad idea. The G/T Charger would carry the best of both worlds with the Electric motor assist on regenerative braking with drive modes like the Daytona, which as we saw in the video earlier this week, could really assist a Charger G/T in snow with traction. Hybrid technology isn't a new thing so it really shouldn't be that expensive to produce an affordable Charger G/T hybrid. Before I move on to another hybrid variant, I want to focus on the G/T trim because this particular package could serious bring Dodge a huge ROI (return on investment) and pay homage to two big parts of Dodge's performance history for small displacement turbocharged performance. The Charger G/T could be a package that is seriously customizable by the owner including a Direct Connection sourced GLH package, available from the dealership. A package that would focus on SRT chassis tuning and suspension parts, aero upgrades, graphics, an interior package and some power upgrades as well. While yes in certain setups, the power output would exceed the R/T six pack, this is something that doesn't have to be added on to the car at the time of the vehicle sale. Remember, most auto manufacturers make more money on after sales and maintenance than they do on the actual sale of the car. it's also an avenue for Dodge to extend the Jailbreak customization aspect to an affordable Charger package. Having customization available to an affordable car = $$$$$. This pays homage to the SRT4 and the GLH cars all in one shot.
There's another Charger that's actually in need of a hybrid powertrain as well and that is the Charger Daytona. While we have our R/T and Scat Pack Six Pack Chargers, Dodge could take those same two engines and put that full hybrid 8-speed behind them and have the Daytona R/T and Daytona Scat Pack back in the mix with way more power and less weight. In the case of the Six Pack cars, Dodge could have used the Outlaw name as performance packages for the the R/T and Scat pack six packs. Again, aftersales help business and it's where the money is made.
This leaves one last trim level, SRT and this car should have the Hellephant Supercharged 426ci V8 pushing over 1,000hp and it should have all of the SRT technology that has been learned from the Demons and everything else, but this time, AWD and touted as the greatest muscle car in history.
Before I end this response, something needs to be addressed. People keep bringing up the Charger's weight. No where in the history of the Charger (outside of the '80's) was the Charger a lightweight car. It's not designed to compete with Corvettes or a Miata or anything like that. It's not a Pony car like a Barracuda of the Mustang, it's a muscle car. Stop worrying about the weight
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