Dodge's Direct Connection aftersales program is hiking the horsepower for its traditional muscle cars — as well as the future all-electric models.
The Stellantis NV performance brand provided an idea of six of the nine power levels it will offer on its battery-electric muscle car that will launch in 2024 and unveiled the new Hellephant and HurriCrate engine series at the Specialty Equipment Market Association Show running Tuesday through Friday in Las Vegas. The display is a collision of heritage and the future as Dodge seeks to keep enthusiasts thrilled while charging toward its electrified vision.
Dodge in August revealed a look at that destination: the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Banshee concept. At the time, Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis said the production muscle car will have three base models, each with two available eStage kits to kick up the power.
The vehicle is based on the STLA Large platform that can support multiple powertrains. The first two base models will have a 400-volt system. The base 340-kilowatt trim offers 455 horsepower. The Direction Connection kits would boost that to 370 kilowatts with 495 horsepower and 400 kilowatts with 535 horsepower.
"Where some people stop," Kuniskis said, "we're going to start."
The next trim up starts at 440 kilowatts with 590 horsepower. That increases to 470 kilowatts with 630 horsepower at the first stage and 500 kilowatts with 670 horsepower at the second. The top trim will be an 800-volt Banshee system, and the company is waiting to share details on its output.
"It's not linear," Kuniskis said of the Banshee system. "It's a totally different system. Don't try and do the math. Trust me: It's a lot different. A lot more."
A radio frequency-controlled "crystal" key will plug into the dash for each of the stage kits to unlock the higher power levels. The crystals will be tied to each vehicle identification number. Kuniskis likened the crystals to the Hellcat's black and red key fobs.
For comparison, the Tesla Model S offers horsepower starting at 670 and goes up to 1,020 with the Plaid.
Dodge last year launched Direct Connection, whose parts are exclusively sold by its roughly 100 certified "Power Broker" dealers and available online. It creates an additional revenue stream for dealers that will see income decline from EVs since they require less maintenance. Half of Dodge owners also modify their vehicles, and having a Power Broker install Direct Connection parts allows owners to retain their factory warranty.
That's especially important for EVs and connected vehicles that will be updated over the air and in which improper modifications could create cybersecurity risks, Kuniskis said.
"We want to funnel it through our Direct Connection and Power Brokers program to support that body of people to make sure that we're controlling everything that happens to these cars," he said. "Now, we don't want to lock the cars, and say, 'You can't modify them.' We just want to lock them and say, 'Modify them through us so that we know that it's done right.' ... We'd rather spend our time coming up with more modifications for you instead of literally trying to whack a mole the hackers, because over-the-air updates, these things get hacked, and you can just constantly be chasing your tail on that. We want to try and shut that door before that door even opens and still give you the ability to modify your car."
SEMA visitors will be able to see — and hear — Dodge's concept. Company representatives will survey attendees on its patent-pending Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust, a system that seeks to replicate the air movement inside an internal combustion engine that produces its roar to create a similar experience in a nearly silent EV. Dodge will use those results to fine-tune the sound the system makes for production.
"They're like, 'It's a little too high-pitched,'" Kuniskis said, "and we're toning that down."
He added that consumer market research showed that half of consumers said they'd be more willing to consider an EV because of the Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust.
"We knew it was going to take some time for people to transition to electrification," Kuniskis said. "And so far, knock on wood, it seems like we're making a little bit of progress, chipping away at some of those preconceived notions about what electric cars can be."
Dodge also brings to SEMA a variant of the Charger Daytona concept in Stryker Red with 18-inch Direct Connection lightweight carbon-fiber concept wheels with 305-mm drag radials. The wheels come from Grand Rapids' Lacks Enterprises Inc., and it likely won't be the last time Dodge enthusiasts see them.
"Yeah, it is expensive, but," Kuniskis said, "we've seen a performance increase that transcends way beyond just the weight savings."
On the gas-powered side, Direct Connection's supercharged Hellephant series of crate engines boast the most powerful lineup of third-generation Hemi-powered cast iron and aluminum engines to date, ranging from 900 horsepower to more than 1,100 based on preliminary estimates. There are options for premium and ethanol fuels.
The program also introduces Stellantis' new Mexico-built Hurricane twin turbo for the HurriCrate series with a Cat 1 version proving up to 420 horsepower and Cat 3 reaching up to 550 horsepower, according to preliminary estimates. But Kuniskis emphasized his high hopes for the HurriCrate, noting it will include the next-generation Drag Pack with a target of horsepower in the mid-1000s.
"That'll tell you the kind of confidence we have in the power output potential of this engine," Kuniskis said, "and some of the things that we're going to be doing with this coming up real shortly."
Kuniskis also confirmed the return in 2023 of Dodge's Roadkill Nights with MotorTrend, an event that brings legal street racing to Woodward Avenue at Pontiac's M1 Concourse in August a week before the Woodward Dream Cruise. The featured grudge match of the event will pair an experienced drag racer and online automotive builder to mentor a "rookie" online builder to build any type of Dodge or Plymouth vehicle with a HurriCrate engine for the protégé to race.
Direct Connection also is expanding its line of licensed parts with the 1500 Hemi crate engine offering 1,500 horsepower and 1,000 pound-feet of torque from longtime partner DSR Performance.
Stellantis' aftersales brand Mopar this week at SEMA is showing an "electromod" Jeep with an all-electric powertrain to examine the possibility of a kit to convert classic and current vehicles to EVs. Kuniskis said there's interest in retrofitting, but the focus is ensuring the best launch for the new EVs.
"EV crate engines is in such infancy right now that I think you're not spending your time, money and effort wisely if you're going into that space right now, because the number of people that can actually do that conversion is minuscule," Kuniskis said. "It's so minuscule, in fact, they could probably do it with the production stuff from a junker car just as easily as me spending hundreds of man hours and huge capital expense to build these crate engines. We will get there, at some point, but I think at this point it's premature."
