There’s a new Dodge Charger muscle car, but it so far comes with a big catch: no V8. At least that’s what was announced. The Hemi had been officially retired. But now leadership at the Dodge brand has shifted, national EV sales growth has slowed, and the Daytona EV isn’t as hot as the automaker anticipated.
So, does that mean the iconic Hemi engine has to come back? This newly spotted Charger prototype would suggest you could probably bet money on it. A new video (embedded at the bottom of this article) has emerged on social media allegedly showing a new (or old) development test vehicle that could be a Charger with an unannounced powerplant, possibly a return of the Hemi. A cold start reveals what sounds like an almost unmistakable V8 burble.
We’re Not Convinced, But That Goes Both Ways
On the one hand, the startup certainly sounds very V8-like, but on the other, the testing equipment seen in automotive influencer Moparian’s Facebook post could be simply for validating the engine Stellantis initially planned.
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So far, Dodge has only officially announced that electric and inline-six versions of the next-gen Charger are coming. The new so-called Hurricane six-cylinder powerplant comes in standard and high-output versions, and the Charger trim lineup will feature both. The standard power output is 420 hp, and the HO bumps that up to 550 hp. The EV can produce limited spurts of up to 670 hp.
Does This Sound Like A Hemi V8? There’s Not Enough Evidence
The car in the video features a dual exhaust setup and has the distinct hood of the gas versions. However, without a look under that hood, and with no confirmation yet that a V8 will return to the Charger, we can only speculate based on the two-second clip of noise that’s claimed to be from this prototype. A longer clip would have helped, so why is it so short? Is this a hoax? Is this an intentional leak? We can only speculate at this point.
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There have been plenty of rumors and reports suggesting the Hemi V8 could return to the next-gen Charger bodystyle. It was reported back in March that production of the Hemi would resume in Michigan this August, likely destined for Ram trucks first, and possibly to come to other models later.
The next-gen Charger was seemingly not initially designed to equip a V8, so it’s likely some time and modification are needed to make the Hemi fit properly. Still, considering Stellantis already had gas versions planned capable of more power than the old HEMIs, most of the chassis and platform should otherwise be ready to go.
H/T: Carscoops
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