If you going to build an electric car, why not do it like the people over at Dodge, who created an extremely good-looking Charger Daytona SRT Concept, a peak into the future of electrified muscle … this concept drives like a Dodge, looks like a Didge, and feels like a Dodge … but it just hides a battery-electric vehicle underneath that stylish body, and it comes with three patent-pending features that make all the difference when it comes to BEV, more on that later.
“The Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept exists because performance made us do it,” said Tim Kuniskis, Dodge brand chief executive officer – Stellantis. “Dodge is about muscle, attitude, and performance, and the brand carries that chip on its shoulder and into the BEV segment through a concept loaded with patents, innovations, and performance features that embody the electrified muscle of tomorrow. The Charger Daytona SRT Concept can do more than run the car show circuit; it can run a blazing quarter-mile. And when it comes to product cycles, it outruns Darwin. Charger Daytona does more than define where Dodge is headed, it will redefine American muscle in the process. One day ago, the brand’s first-ever electrified performance vehicle was unveiled, the all-new 2023 Dodge Hornet. Today, we revealed a peek at our eMuscle future with the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept. When we said it was going to be an electric summer for Dodge, we meant it.”
The name Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept isn’t chosen by coincidence, but as an homage to the famous Charger Daytona model that was the first vehicle to break 200 mph on a NASCAR track back in 1970, the Charger Daytona SRT Concept also comes with a serious performance punch thanks to a new propulsion system that joins high-horsepower household names such as HEMI®, Hellcat and Redeye, the new pinnacle of performance in the Brotherhood of Muscle is called Banshee. An 800V Banshee propulsion system delivers the power for the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept car, and she screams performance, making Dodge’s first electric vehicle faster than a Hellcat in all key performance measures, and to make sure all this power remains relatively safe to drive, this Concept comes with an all-wheel-drive system, which is key to pushing beyond Hellcat performance while also improving all-weather capability.
Unlike most BEV that only have one speed, this new Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept comes with an eRupt Transmission, electro-mechanical shifting delivers distinctive shift points, throwing shoulders into seatbacks in true Dodge style, and there’s even more, think about the PowerShot push-to-pass feature like a shot of NOS, when you activate this by the push of a button on the steering wheel, this PowerShot delivers an adrenaline jolt of increased horsepower for a quick burst of acceleration, just like using nitrous I guess.
And we wouldn’t be talking about an innovative BEV muscle car if she didn’t come with sound to match, while most electric vehicles are hardly noticeable or just have an electric whine, the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept has a patent-pending Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust system … yep, a real exhaust system on an electric vehicle, and she can deliver 126dB or roaring thunder, in an industry-first, this new Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust pushes its one-of-a-kind performance sound through an amplifier and tuning chamber located at the rear of the vehicle, this really is the next generation of tactile, bone-shaking, muscle attitude, creating a visceral “Dark Matter” sound profile experience in concert with the eRupt transmission.
We might be looking at the future of cars, which will mostly have to be electric to meet the ever stricter emission rules, but the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept has been heavily inspired by the classic design of the past when it comes to muscle cars, at the front, there is another patent-pending feature, the R-Wing which redefines the typical Dodge front end, maintaining the characteristically blunt Dodge profile while developing a more aerodynamic vehicle, the R-Wing is a clear homage to the original Charger Daytona design and to a key figure behind the development of the original car, allows air to flow through the front opening, enhancing downforce. Incorporated into this functional performance hood, the front R-Wing holds true to the brand’s dramatic exterior themes while delivering an aerodynamically improved pass-through design. Carbon-fiber intakes tucked into both sides of the front and rear lower fascias provide an air curtain to assist in aerodynamic performance.
Simple, vertical details on the front grille add texture while calling back to the brand’s heritage, specifically the iconic 1968 Dodge Charger. The concept distills performance to its simplest form, enhanced by a typically playful Dodge exterior color name, Greys of Thunder, that gives a high-gloss graphite feel with deep textures. The concept’s “waterline” tracks around the sides and gives a planted look while emphasizing the upper portion, keeping the visual weight up high. The subtle, muscular shaping of the wheel fenders accents the body styling, while the stunning painted-pocket 21-inch wheels with diamond-cut faces continue the aerodynamic efficiencies with a turbine-like design, and a red Fratzog logo embellishes the wheel center locks. Grey six-piston brakes provide the stopping power.
And the future continues on the interior of the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept with a large, 12.3-inch center screen, the largest featured in a Dodge vehicle, angles about ten degrees towards the driver, while the even larger 16-inch instrument cluster is curved for a cocooned, driver-focused feel, and Dodge adds an 8-by-3-inch Head-up Display (HUD) right in front of the driver for additional vehicle information. Circuit-like graphics originate on the carbon fiber floor and are strategically placed to surround occupants, flowing under the seats, moving to the center console and IP, and coming back to the driver, a subtle detail that acts as a circuit board, connecting one to another. A unique lightning bolt shape on the accelerator pedal hints at the concept’s electrified powertrain, as does the dual Blue Plasma and Silver stitching that surrounds the entire interior. Carbon fiber door sills feature illuminated white Daytona lettering, with lighted Daytona lettering also found at the top right of the mid-bezel.
The doors and center console follow the sculptural design theme, including only the needed elements. A pass-through area under the console creates a much lighter feel, and clever center console touches include a jet-fighter-inspired cap that flips up when engaging the start button. The unique pistol-grip shifter is inspired by the past but with modern execution, functioning as a mechanical precision piece that delivers an effortless shift experience when squeezing the pistol grip’s trigger. A new steering wheel design offers a thinner feel, with a flat top and bottom. The center spoke of the steering wheel is not connected to the rim, giving the steering wheel a floating feel. Paddle shifters are mounted on the steering wheel, with the PowerShot button on the right and drive mode controls on the left. Like the doors, the steering wheel features capacitive touch controls. An illuminated red SRT logo lights up the steering wheel center. Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept seats are lightweight, race-inspired, and slim in design, with an insert that features an abstract, perforated pattern of the Fratzog logo. The unique pattern fades out as it travels down the seat and reappears as it flows toward the center of the seatbacks. The upper seatbacks feature openings and seat bolster that provide an airy, race-oriented feel while holding occupants.
The panoramic glass roof gives an open-air feel to the Charger Daytona SRT Concept, helping to include rear passengers in the vehicle experience. The parametric interior texture extends to the headliner surrounding and accentuating the glass area. The carbon fiber “tub” floor and hatch are race-inspired lightweight features, and the large cargo area along with fold-flat rear seats provides more storage space than any previous Dodge muscle car, if this is how the future of electric vehicles looks, I’m ready … but I will still have a massive V8 or Italian V12 in the garage next to it, maybe as a static showpiece because it is no longer legal to drive it, but let’s not forget about the ICE just yet.
