- Hidden headlights and flared wheel arches give the new Charger a more aggressive look.
- Several versions of the new muscle car are expected, but none will feature a V8 engine.
- The new Charger is available in two EV versions, with an ICE option to follow in the summer.
Designing a car that feels modern while paying tribute to its predecessors is a tricky balance. Lean too hard on nostalgia, and it risks looking like a pastiche; push too far into the future, and the heritage gets lost. Dodge , however, seems to have struck a solid middle ground with the new Charger.
It clearly channels the brand’s muscle car legacy while incorporating plenty of contemporary design cues, setting the stage for a model that could stick around for years. Sure, the new electric Charger hasn’t exactly blown reviewers away in terms of driving dynamics, but at least it looks the part.
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However, for one designer, the new Charger isn’t quite aggressive enough. David Baylis recently decided he wanted to imagine what a gasoline-powered, SRT8-badged version of the new Charger could look like, and this is what he has come up with. It looks brilliant and shows how Dodge could make the powerful muscle car even more outlandish with future variants.
The entire front end has been overhauled. It takes influence from the iconic 1969 Dodge Charger and as well the early Challengers. Like its classic predecessors, it features subtle headlights tucked behind blacked-out grilles, giving it a sinister, almost hidden-eyed glare. The lower bumper and air intakes have also been enlarged, ensuring the car can gulp down plenty of air (or possibly a bird or two in the process).
Illustrations David Baylis Design
There’s also a new hood adding ever more attitude. It takes inspiration from the previous-generation Charger Hellcat and includes a massive air intake in the center and two air extraction vents on either side. The talented designed has also imagined has also envisioned the Charger with flared wheel arches, giving it a wide, planted stance reminiscent of the old Hellcat Widebody. Changes at the rear are more restrained, though a new diffuser and larger tailpipes add to the car’s aggressive aesthetic.
Given that the new-age Charger only recently hit the market, Dodge has only shown it in a selection of two- and four-door configurations in both internal combustion and EV forms. But as the model evolves, it’s almost inevitable that more hardcore variants will follow.
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A successor to the old Hellcat is certainly within the realm of possibility, though any future high-performance version won’t have a supercharged V8. Instead, it would rely on an amped-up version of Dodge’s new 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged six-cylinder (unless Stellantis’ next CEO suddenly does a 180). Whether that setup can live up to the Hellcat’s legacy is another question entirely.