Carlos Tavares needed the Hemi V8 useless whereas he was accountable for Stellantis, and he just about bought his approach. Proper now, there are simply three autos constructed by the automaker that carry the engine: the Ram 1500 TRX (and HD), the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 and the Dodge Durango. That’s it. Now although, it wouldn’t be a loopy concept to assume this large pushrod engine might make a comeback with the departure of Tavares and the incoming Trump administration that’s poised to roll again emissions necessities. It’s not possible to know for certain if that’ll truly occur, however one factor is pretty sure: it received’t come again in the brand new Charger.
I simply drove the 2024 Charger Daytona – the brand new all-electric “muscle automobile” of types from Dodge. In 2025, it’s slated to get the twin-turbocharged Hurricane I6 and be referred to as the Charger Sixpack. This bought some fellow journalists and myself questioning – with all of this latest information, Dodge put a Hemi V8 match underneath the hood of the brand new Charger? Properly, people, I’m unhappy to report that, in line with one Dodge engineer I spoke to, the reply isn’t any.
There are a few causes behind this. First is a normal shift in angle about what the Charger is meant to be about. The engineer I spoke to mentioned that including a V8 to the Charger at this stage would fly within the face of what they had been making an attempt to perform with the automobile – specifically the concept it’s a muscle automobile of the longer term. To be honest, the 2 eclectic motors of the Charger Daytona Scat Pack handily outperform all however the highest-end supercharged Hemis of the previous automobile. I suppose that with Tavares’ exit, there’s some wiggle room right here on philosophy, but it surely’s too early to inform.
The opposite motive you most likely received’t see a Hemi V8 underneath the hood of the brand new Charger is a much more sensible one: it merely won’t match. This won’t be an excessive amount of of a shock to you, however the Hemi, whether or not it’s the naturally aspirated 5.7 or 6.4 or the supercharged 6.2, is a large motor. Fairly merely, there isn’t sufficient room underneath the hood of the Charger for it to suit, in line with the engineer I spoke with. It will apparently require some very main cradle and firewall modifications for it to slot in there. The STLA Giant platform the Charger runs on simply wasn’t constructed to carry such a big motor, even when the Hurricane I6 isn’t precisely compact.
Nonetheless, although, a boy can dream. I actually do respect what Dodge has finished with the brand new Charger Daytona. Certain, it’s not good, however the 110-year-old automaker is taking an enormous danger that not each different automobile firm could be keen to take. That being mentioned, it might be actually sick if that automobile had an enormous V8 underneath the hood.
Up to date Wednesday, December 18, 2024, at 1:55 p.m. EST: Jalopnik obtained a remark from Stellantis about sticking a V8 within the Charger, and sadly, my suspicions had been right. Right here’s what a spokesperson for the automaker needed to say:
“Dodge is concentrated on launching the all-new, all-new electrical Dodge Charger Daytona fashions, in addition to the Dodge Charger SIXPACK ICE-option fashions coming subsequent yr. We have now nothing further to share in regard to potential future merchandise.”
