We’re still reeling a little over the death of the V8 Dodge Pony car. With the demise of the outgoing Charger and Challenger and Stellantis culling Hemis across the board, American muscle as we know it is on the verge of a drastic change. We’ve known for some time an electric Charger is coming, and now the first official pictures of the production car are here.
Dodge previewed the future of its electric pony cars with the Charger Daytona SRT concept at the back end of 2022, fake V8 noises, and more. At the time, it did confirm a production version was coming, though it was unclear how true it would be to the concept. Now, we can say the likeness is pretty close.
Very little seems to have changed at the front. The front bumper is ever so slightly toned down but still has some quite aggressive intakes, while the LED strip below the headlights appears to be made of three parts rather than one unbroken piece. The bulging bonnet remains from the concept, despite no need to house a Hemi, though the wheels have been changed.
More accountant-friendly door handles have been fitted instead of the flush pop-out versions on the Daytona, and now there’s a charging flap, of course. The rear of the car gets the heaviest changes – with a completely reworked taillight cluster and a ducktail spoiler. Spot ‘Daytona’ embossed into the bumper, practically confirming the Charger Daytona name will make a return.
A nice nod to the NASCAR homologation special of the past, or total sacrilege? We’ll leave that to you to decide.
We don’t have confirmation on technical details yet, mind you. The concept was said to have as much as 661bhp on-tap, with plans for a variety of power outputs, including an unhinged ‘Banshee’ version, albeit without figures for that car detailed. It shouldn’t be much longer before we find out for sure, with the Charger said to be “available late 2024.”