Show a car enthusiast a photo of the Plymouth Superbird and they’re likely to recognise it as one of the most striking NASCAR competition vehicles in history, or simply as Richard Petty’s ‘The King’ character from Cars.
It seems Dodge will want to lean on that history for the latest performance version of the Charger, with the Detroit Free Press reporting a new flagship version of the coupe will get the tall wing which helped the Daytona become a successful racer.
As a part of an event earlier this week in which Dodge’s parent company Stellantis released a blitz teasers for its Street and Racing Technology (SRT) division, US media were given previews of some of the cars, with the DFP giving the most visual description of the new Charger.
Based on the coupe already on sale, it will allegedly feature an “aggressive hood scoop and front end”, as well as a rear wing inspired by the 1960s Charger Daytona and its 1970 Plymouth Superbird twin.
While it will be visually striking, it’ll have the powertrain to match, with the supercharged 6.2-litre ‘Hellcat’ V8 engine set to make its way into the current generation Charger for the first time.
Previously, specialist publication MoparInsiders reported in March word from sources within Dodge that a new Charger Hellcat has been green-lit for development, potentially launching in 2027 as a 2028 model year vehicle.
Since the new Charger’s launch in 2024, it has been available as either a two- or four-door (the former replacing the Dodge Challenger) with either an all-electric or a twin-turbo 3.0-litre straight-six powertrain, but without the V8s which were commonly available in the previous-generation models.
Potential customers have been vocal about wanting the V8 back in the Charger, as Ford effectively has the V8 ‘pony car’ market tied up with the Mustang, after production of the Chevrolet Camaro ended in December 2023.
Tim Kuniskis, the head of Stellantis in North America, as well as the man leading the reborn SRT performance division, has previously said the Charger likely won’t get the 5.7-litre V8 found in the Ram 1500, instead only the Hellcat and Ram 1500 TRX’s supercharged 6.2-litre V8 would be considered.
“The only way it makes sense to charge for [an optional Hemi] now is I have to go all the way up to a Hellcat,” Kuniskis told Motortrend at the Detroit motor show.
Dodge Charger V8 return will only happen with supercharged Hellcat
“If you were to put a V8 in the car you would probably go to Hellcat (6.2-litre) instead of 5.7 (litre). The reality is when you get into that rare air, the take rate is pretty small.”
Stellantis recently restarted production of the supercharged 6.2-litre V8 for the 1500 TRX pickup, which also resulted in increased inputs from 523kW and 882Nm to 579kW and 922Nm. It’s also now fitted to the Ram 1500 Rumble Bee SRT.
It’s worth noting the previous generation Charger Hellcat made up to 594kW and 959Nm in its ultimate Redeye trim, much more than the ‘High Output’ twin-turbo six which 410kW and 720Nm in the Charger currently on sale.
Despite the links to the return of the supercharged V8 in the Charger, there’s no word on whether it would be rear-wheel drive like previous Hellcats, or adopt the all-wheel drive system of the current twin-turbo six-cylinder model.
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