EV muscle car’s virtual V8 ain’t half bad

Is this the car that will convince a new legion of car enthusiasts to make the jump to EVs? The 2025 Dodge Charger Daytona, revealed back in March 2024, has finally given us its first full recital of its synthetic exhaust system.

Releasing the first official tease on its Instagram profile early this week, the sound we hear as the world's first all-electric muscle car hits the ‘loud’ pedal through a tunnel is still said to be a teaser and not the final soundtrack of the 500kW or 670hp EV.

US deliveries are set to begin in the third quarter of this year and it’s certainly a chance to be sold in Australia. No price has been attached to the rumbling EV yet but it’s thought prices will start at around $US50,000, or roughly $A76,000.

The driving acoustics of Dodge muscle cars have been a key selling point for decades and the combustion-like rumble paired with a synthetic whooshing noise and simulated V8 is thought to be close to the finished noise.

Although you can bet your bottom dollar Dodge will be monitoring feedback and canvassing potential buyers before signing off on the final sound track.

But it’s what's missing that’s perhaps more telling, with both gearchanges and a clear supercharger whine absent. Will this make a difference for driver involvement and buyer consideration? Time will tell.

The synthesised exhaust acoustics were generated by the Dodge Charger Daytona's on-board Fatzonic exhaust and it's thought the original goal of the noise generator was to inject some of the aural excitement offered by the past-generation Hellcats and Redeyes supercharged V8s – all at up to 126dB, which is horrifically loud.

All-new from the ground up, the 2025 Dodge Charger Daytona is the long-awaited replacement for the 19-year-old US performance icon.

The big news is the EV version will be sold alongside a combustion version powered by a turbocharged inline-six-cylinder and that the new Dodge Charger will effectively replace both the old Charger (sedan) and Challenger (coupe) models that were sold largely in the US.

The combustion-engined cars, dubbed Sixpack, join the range early in 2025.

All models are underpinned by the Stellantis group’s latest STLA Large platform that accommodates EVs, with the range-topping battery-electric Banshee version featuring an 800-volt electrical architecture and a two-speed transmission.

Lower-powered Charger EVs make do with a 400-volt platform, but all come with dual e-motors and a 100kWh battery.

At the entry level, the Daytona R/T dual-motor produces 370kW/548Nm and, with a Stage 1 (30kW) power boost, can launch from 0-60mph (0-97km/h) in just 4.7 seconds.

The quarter mile (402m) is completed in a claimed 13.1sec, while top speed is 221km/h.

Opt for the faster Scat Pack and a Stage 2 power-up (worth 60kW) and you get the full 500kW and 850Nm of torque that drops the 0-60mph dash to just 3.3sec. The quarter mile pops up in 11.5sec, however top speed falls slightly to 216km/h.

If you prefer your Charger fossil fuel-fed, Dodge will continue to offer combustion power via its latest 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged inline six-cylinder that produces either 280kW (badged Sixpack SO) or 410kW (Sixpack HO).

The high-output turbo-six is expected to be capable of a sub-4.0sec 0-60mph sprint, but official figures have yet to be published.

Much bigger than the previous car, the new Charger measures in at an imposing 5248mm long, 2028mm wide and stands 1497mm tall, resting on a long 3074mm wheelbase.

That means it’s as much as 203mm longer and a considerable 127mm wider than the old Charger and Challenger.

What’s more, with standard all-wheel drive, the incoming muscle car reboot is expected to weigh around 2000kg, while the Dodge Daytona EV tips the scales at an alarming 2648kg.

Prices have not been released for either model, but it's thought in the US it will be priced from around $US50,000 ($76,500). It's still unknown if the latest generation of Chargers have been designed with right-hand drive in mind. If it has, it could open the door to Australian sales.

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