THE END IS NEAR!

[Brandy]

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Dodge's Gasoline-Powered Muscle Cars Are Truly Dead​

Adam Ismail - 1h ago
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For a fleeting moment, it seemed that Dodge’s Hemi-powered coupe and sedan might live on through the beginning of the “eMuscle” era after all. A story published late last week by Motor Trend cited anonymous sources claiming that Dodge planned to deliver a next-generation Charger and Challenger on a new internal-combustion, rear-wheel-drive platform with space for a V8, perhaps after the existing models rode into the sunset in 2024. That isn’t happening, and we know because Dodge just said so.

© Image: StellantisImage: Stellantis

Whatever follows Dodge’s current enthusiast offerings will be exclusively battery-electric, one of the company’s spokespeople has confirmed to Motor1:

“The [Motor Trend] story is incorrect,” said the spokesperson. “The Hemi in that platform, as well as that platform, are going away. The next generation will be BEV.”

In this case, the “platform” the spokesperson is referring to is actually two: the LD for the Charger and LA for the Challenger. Both are heavily derived from the Bush-administration LX, introduced in 2006 alongside the Charger, Chrysler 300 and Dodge Magnum. (Oh, the Magnum. Never forget the wagon they took from us.)
Anyway, Dodge’s rejection of that too-good-to-be-true report certainly tracks, because brand CEO Tim Kuniskis already told Motor Trend last November that “these cars that you know today will go out of production by the time we get to 2024.” Kuniskis related this without any mention of an ICE successor to the existing duo, powered by either Hemi V8s or Stellantis’ new Hurricane turbocharged inline six. It was pretty clear that Dodge’s first all-electric muscle car, also planned for 2024, will inherit all of the attention that previously belonged to the Charger and Challenger.

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Speaking of, where is that mythical EV, exactly? In that November interview, Kuniskis told Motor Trend that we’d get to see a fully operational prototype of the vehicle no later than the second quarter of 2022. We’re now in the third. Something held it back — something “outside [the] industry” — and the CEO admitted that in April to Muscle Cars & Trucks:

“TBD… we argue about (the reveal timeline of the electric Dodge muscle car concept) a lot,” said Kuniskis. “I’m pushing really really hard to get this thing out and into public view, and show you what we’re doing and how we’re doing it different as fast as I can. It drives me crazy that other people are way out in front of their headlights and I’m not.”
Tim also hinted that there’s another component to the vehicle’s reveal that needs to get in sync, but didn’t fully elaborate what that was.
“There’s one really important piece that goes with (the reveal) that’s outside of my control, and it’s outside our industry quite frankly, that I want the two to be together when I show you this car. And I don’t want to do it disjointed,” he said. “When that pieces comes together we’ll decide when we’re gonna show it. It will be sooner rather than later. My hope is that you’ll see this car well before we get to that Speed Week, so well before we get to August is my hope.”

Speed Week is a string of Dodge-themed events in Pontiac, Michigan. The brand has scheduled three days of reveals between Monday, August 15 and Wednesday, August 17. One of those is sure to be the new Hornet crossover, based on the Alfa Romeo Tonale. Another — a nameless “future muscle car” — sounds a lot like that long-awaited Charger/Challenger sequel. Whatever you’re expecting, just don’t expect a Hemi.

 

[Roger63]

Why is every manufacturer putting the cart before the horse?

 

[Budnicks]

 

[Runcharger]

They're dead to me anyway.

 

[khryslerkid]

(I have another thread to use this)

 

[CoronetDarter]

Just six months ago Stellantis released info on their new I-6 twin-turbo Tornado engine to replace the V8s. I wonder if its just 1 or 2 year stepping stone towards the EV.
Oh well, there's still the used car market.

 

[biomedtechguy]

Does anyone know if the block and crank, rods, pistons, heads of the inline 6 "Tornado" happen to be "overbuilt" like the Toyota 2JZ or the RB26 Nissan I-6 that came in the Skyline?
I'm asking because I have experienced the joy of turbo performance in my 89 Conquest TSi, and that was a small turbo on a rather large (2.6L) inline 4 cylinder. Now I had done some well known basic modifications to the engine and drivetrain, and I regret that my circumstances didn't allow me to install a bunch of stuff I had bought for it like a popular bigger (16G?) turbo, cyl head, and so on.
My best friend and MOPAR brother is at the final stage of the 2JZ install he did on a Conquest, and it's already drivable, he has some loose ends to tie up, but at 500 some horsepower, that engine will lose NO longevity, can go another several hundred more horsepower, and is going to be quite the experience to ride in.
So IF the new 6 cylinder is "overbuilt" that would be very special. I doubt it's going to be, as these rare gems, these 2JZ and RB26 engines are often "mistakes" in being engineered with the design and materials that turn out to allow for them to reliably produce 3 to 5 times their original output.

 

[gkent]

Why is every manufacturer putting the cart before the horse?

Because dinosaurs like us don't live forever. Furthermore, if you're last through the gate you have a hell of a battle to catch up. Best to embrace the technology now and be a leader not a follower.

 

[Cheapsunglasses]

 

[Roger63]

Because dinosaurs like us don't live forever. Furthermore, if you're last through the gate you have a hell of a battle to catch up. Best to embrace the technology now and be a leader not a follower.

NOEV4ME

 

[SRT_Blubyu]

I'm not so sure EV is really the way the car industry is heading permanently. Dont get me wrong.. they’re gonna be making more.. and teh % on the road will increase from its current 5%. However, if they were truly better they wouldnt need to be legislated into existence or need $7500 rebates to entice buyers... thats the key metric. Demand. They admit as much with Tim saying its like 1972 and we have to play by thier rules... etc.. Although somehow other car companies are managing to keep building ICE.

heck look at cellphones.. those didnt have to be legislated into popularity.. they were just better. Same with streaming TV..

With that metric it seems like they might not truely be ready for primetime.. EVs now are basically early adopter beta testing.. if these things tank, dodge will be scrambling to make something that makes profit.. they are after all a for profit company. Maybe we'll get a reveal like.. 'our engineers figured out how to keep making Hellcats.. so we're bringing them back;...


its happened before.....

 

[GetX'd]

Two things - WTF ever happened to the hydrogen powered cars I recall Bush referring to in one of his early state of the Unions - obviously not gas powered but had been my lonely preference all along when they were going to ditch fossil fuel

2) Sure we can keep our combustion cars and buy used and buy even new up until - But what do you think these MFers are going to do with the price of fuel - we’ll be paying who the hell knows how much per gal until they strangle our skinny butts into submission. That’s the evil plan - and that’s what Marxists do…..

 

[SRT_Blubyu]

Think the elec rates will be any better? Or going down anytime soon?

 

[moparedtn]

Because dinosaurs like us don't live forever. Furthermore, if you're last through the gate you have a hell of a battle to catch up. Best to embrace the technology now and be a leader not a follower.

Tell ya what - you just go ahead and embrace it for the both of us, ok?
#Kumbaya

 

[moparedtn]

Think the elec rates will be any better? Or going down anytime soon?

"We'd like to announce the lowering of electric utility rates!"
- said no public utility company, ever...

 

[khryslerkid]

 

[70bigblockdodge]

So IF the new 6 cylinder is "overbuilt" that would be very special. I doubt it's going to be, as these rare gems, these 2JZ and RB26 engines are often "mistakes" in being engineered with the design and materials that turn out to allow for them to reliably produce 3 to 5 times their original output

I would say judging from block hardware in the 6.4 truck Hemi the only weak spots are those stupid powdered rods and high ring cast pistons. Hot rod is doing a build of a 6.4 truck engine and plan to push it with boost to mid teens hp. First thing in hot rod that has caught my attention in years. So "Stalantis" know how to do it.
To the EV, I believe the manufacturer's are giving lip service to govt. with all these hard outs and end of this and end of that. All while keeping a solid ICE program in place to keep the lights on. If you have a passing interest in Ford history. Panther platform (last body on frame) held on for long time and dropped cars altogether soon after. They slap the Mustang name on anything they want attention on. The last remaining gasoline powered domestic will be a Mustang.

 

[1STMP]

Because dinosaurs like us don't live forever. Furthermore, if you're last through the gate you have a hell of a battle to catch up. Best to embrace the technology now and be a leader not a follower.

My son, a millennial, thinks EV's are
nothing more than glorified golf carts.
He's certainly not a dinosaur like his ol'
man might be, and will have many years
past mine of driving time.
I don't believe EV's will have fully taken
over in the time I have left behind the
wheel.
How many transitions have taken place
where the government has intervened
only to have them fall flat, go broke,
and the general populace reverts back to
what actually works?
I say wait two years before submission
for the regime change.
We're a family of four, with four vehicles.
All four are needed to conform to our
current lifestyle. I can't imagine what the
cost of electricity and infrastructure would
be for charging up 4 vehicles overnight to
meet our individual travel plans for the next
day. My last electric bill was almost $300.
I guess we could cut the bill down some
if we quit using the dryer, and hang the
clothes on the line. Also, the 220v mig
would have to be sidelined, along with
the 60 gal 220v air compressor.
Man, I could go on and on.....
What happens to businesses such as
Holley, Edelbrock, or the millions of
vendors that support an ICE market?

 

[Brandy]

If you look at the big picture there's no way to just flip a switch and cut out ICE.

 

[Brandy]

well...unless they release antigrav soon.