It’s no secret that a new generation, battery-powered Dodge Charger is coming to replace the Challenger in 2024, with a four-door version expected to enter production soon after. Stellantis spilled the beans last year when it revealed the Charger Daytona SRT electric concept coupe.
Naturally, there’s plenty of buzz surrounding the model, and now, someone has captured photos of what appear to be at least three body shells of an early pre-production Charger Daytona SRT coupe. For obvious reasons, there’s no information or backstory regarding the images, but they’ve been widely distributed on a number of internet forums and social media channels.
From the get-go, a couple of things immediately caught our attention. First, the presence of a B-pillar, a departure from the concept’s clean design, while the window extends further to the mid-point instead of the start point of the wheel arch. Second, and more intriguingly, what seems to be a transmission tunnel, although there is some room for doubt regarding the latter. The driver’s side also has what looks like a fuel door, though it could very well be a charging port.
Photos LX & Beyond Nationals
Dodge has said for some time now that the next Charger is coming as a battery-electric vehicle. In fact, it’s patented an interesting system that emulates exhaust sounds and it’s provided specific details about trim levels too.
However, it also acknowledged that it is theoretically possible to equip the new Charger with internal combustion engines down the line. As the brand’s CEO, Tim Kuniskis, conveyed to the press last year: “I can put an ICE engine in there. Doesn’t mean we’re going to. We’re certainly not launching with anything like that. We’re launching with full battery electric”.
More: Stellantis Teases Electric Concept Car For SEMA 2023
Apart from what is visible in the photos, nothing else is certain. According to the poster on the page of LX & Beyond Nationals, “We have not independently verified any of these images, nor can we confirm or deny what they may or may not be displaying.” That’s left us with little more than to speculate on the findings in the pictures.
As we’ve highlighted years ago, it would be odd for Dodge to use a combustion engine in the next-gen Charger even if it could. The company flat-out told us in 2021 that it would be BEV only. That said, perhaps the shift to electric is one that the brand has since decided to slow down with a mix of both EV and combustion power plants.
One thing is clear from the photos and that’s the silhouette sure seems similar to the Charger Daytona concept car. It’s not exactly the same but it’s very close. If this really is the next muscle car from Dodge it’ll have some big shoes to fill regardless of powertrain.
The real question here is whether these photos depict the upcoming next-gen muscle car or if they’re connected to something else, such as a SEMA concept vehicle potentially powered by the brand’s HEMI V8 or Hurricane I6. Or perhaps it could be an internal development vehicle purely for testing purposes, in case Dodge changes its mind about offering the Charger as an EV only. Who knows.
