The electric muscle car of the future will be fast and furious, with an intriguing sound to accompany sledgehammer performance.
Dodge won the affection of muscle car fans around the world with its range of high-performance cars powered by “Hemi” and “Hellcat” V8s, enormously powerful motors with unmistakeable soundtracks.
The American brand says red-blooded enthusiasts won’t be left behind in the electric era, promising to deliver “game-changing features” that mimic the raw appeal of a throbbing V8.
A new Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept car combines classic proportions with high-tech features that aren’t on any electric car in today’s showrooms.
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The concept car’s “eRupt” system is a multi-speed transmission “with an electromechanical shifting experience that’s pure Dodge”, promising engagement in the form of “distinctive shift points” that replicate the sensation of a high-performance engine and transmission.
A PowerShot button on the steering wheel unlocks a push-to-pass feature that “delivers an adrenaline jolt of increased horsepower for a quick burst of acceleration”.
The car has a launch control feature hidden under a red button cover normally found in fighter jets and Lamborghinis. Dodge has not published performance figures for the all-wheel-drive machine, saying only that it has 800 volt electrical architecture and enough grunt to outrun petrol-powered cars with more than 500kW of power.
The car’s look was inspired by the Coke bottle curves of the 1968 Dodge Charger – Dom Toretto’s preferred ride in the Fast and Furious films – and is accentuated by full-width lighting at the front and rear.
The interior is a modern space where drivers can customise preferred settings for the motors, paddle-shift system, suspension, ride height and steering.
But the most interesting feature is a “Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust” that broadcasts the car’s electronic voice to the outside world.
Dodge says the concept produces “a 126 dB roar that equals the SRT Hellcat”, making it as loud as the toughest muscle cars on sale.
“The industry-first Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust pushes its one-of-a-kind performance sound through an amplifier and tuning chamber located at the rear of the vehicle,” the brand says.
“The Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust represents the next generation of tactile, bone-shaking, muscle attitude, creating a visceral ‘Dark Matter’ sound profile experience in concert with the eRupt transmission.”
- news.com.au
