Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept bows – the electric muscle car era begins!

The American ‘muscle car’ genre has reached a turning point with the revelation of the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept. Revealed earlier this week, the it marks the dawn of the electric muscle car era, and Dodge isn’t going in quietly as most others have with their electrification efforts.

Powering the Charger Daytona SRT Concept is Dodge’s new 800-volt "Banshee" drivetrain that’s paired with all-wheel drive as standard, an "eRupt" multi-speed transmission, plus a novel push-to-pass PowerShot boost feature.

According to the Stellantis-owned marque, the electric Banshee powertrain outstrips its supercharged Hellcat internal combustion predecessor’s 717 hp output. On top of which, Dodge have also laced the Banshee with a soundtrack to match through something called “fratzonic chambered exhaust” feature. Basically, this an artificially generated engine note, and it’s equally as loud as the Hellcat at 126 decibels. Just take a listen:

This being a mere concept still, Dodge did not release any real technical details, but the firm assures that it’ll be faster than the Hellcat “in all key performance measures”. In fact, its ‘Charger Daytona’ naming promises this too – the original Charger Daytona was the first car to break the 200 mph (322 kmh) mark on a NASCAR track in 1970. In other words, this new and electrified one will certainly pack a punch.

Though this is presented as a muscle car for the future, it does sport plenty of throwbacks with its overall design. Much inspiration came from the 1968 Charger model, like the vertical detailing on the front grille, and it’s overall shape and silhouette – it’s unmistakably a Charger here. Also present are illuminated three-pointed Fratzogs badges that originally appeared on Dodge’s muscle cars between 1962 and 1976.

Other highlights include full-width lightbars front and rear, the brilliantly-named ‘reys of Thunder’ paint, and 21-inch diamond-cut wheels.

On board, the cabin’s design is equally as purposeful as the exterior. There’s both a curved 16-inch digital dial display and a 12.3-inch infotainment screen, all angled towards the driver. There’s also exposed carbon fibre trims and bits too, plus a ‘parametric texture’ feature that mimics the detail on the front grille running across the doors and dash.

Other novel bits on board include a panoramic glass roof, a large rear hatch opening for added practicality, as well as lightweight racing seats with the rear units able to fold flat and offer more cargo hauling space.

Presently, Dodge hasn’t stated any plans to put the Charger Daytona SRT Concept into production just yet, but we reckon the rather positive reception it’s garnering thus far might prompt them to do so. What do you folks think of this electrifying preview of the next generation of American muscle cars? Ready to ditch the old school V8s yet?