- Along with a six-cylinder, the Dodge Charger might eventually be back in the market with a V8
- It seems that now eight-piston-hater Carlos Tavares is gone as chief of Stellantis, the go-fast folks are back in action
- And Dodge isn’t the only one; even BMW’s confirmed its “V8s are here to stay”
If you believe there’s no replacement for displacement, Dodge may have some good news for you. While the next-generation Charger will come with a fully-electric powertrain or a gasoline inline-six “Hurricane” engine, it appears a future V8 isn’t out of the question. Late last year, we reported that Motor Trend noted a V8 will apparently bolt into the Charger’s frame once you take the batteries out. And now, in an exclusive interview with Matt McAlear, CEO of Dodge, The Drive reveals eight pistons may very well be in the Charger’s future.
In that interview, McAlear cited all of the engines the last-gen Charger had been made available with over its lifespan, from a 3.5L V6 to a 6.4L V8, and said this new car is underpinned by “a multi-energy platform that can accommodate all of that.” He added, “We’re just getting started. We’re going to have a lot of fun.”
The money shot, at least from our perspective, is when he told The Drive that more powertrain variations will come, and that, “We haven’t even launched the SRT yet…and who knows where we go if the business case makes sense [for a V8] and there’s potential.”
Some of this recent news appears tied into the sudden departure of Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares, who obviously wasn’t a fan of larger displacement. When asked if a Hemi might once again peer out from between the Charger’s frame rails, McAlear said it’s encouraging that with the change in personnel at the top, “V8s are no longer a bad word around the company.” He did temper that by saying “we still have to be compliant.” But then, when has Dodge ever truly stepped back from its conviction that it isn’t less-is-more, but more-is-more?
Of course, an automaker can’t just snap its fingers and an engine appears, and McAlear was cautious to point out that there are always the issues around suppliers, regulations, development time, and especially the buckets of cash such a project requires. But we’re also delighted that it appears the company is being run not just by bean-counters, but also by people who understand the loyalty of driving enthusiasts.
And it’s not just Dodge, it seems. Automotive News recently sat down with Frank Weber, development manager for BMW. On a global scale, BMW’s sales of fully-electric vehicles were higher than those of Audi and Mercedes-Benzcombined. While its first mass-produced EV, the i3, was a decidedly offbeat-looking little thing, BMW’s electric vehicles now look similar to their gasoline equivalents, which Weber said “car buyers appreciate.”
The company’s Neue Klasse vehicle architecture is EV-only, but Weber said it will introduce all-new components “that will be used with different powertrains” across BMW’s entire portfolio in future, including hydrogen.
But here’s the deal: Automotive News mentioned the V12 is gone, and asked if the V8 would be next, replaced with inline-six engines with electrification that could match or surpass V8-style output. Weber’s reply? “V8s are here to stay. There are markets such as the U.S. and Middle East where you cannot replace V8s with inline-six hybrids…We will continue to offer V8s.”
Customers, he said, just like the sound, smoothness, and feel of eight cylinders. Of course there aren’t as many as there used to be, and we don’t ever expect them to come back to that full force — but it’s comforting to know that, at least for now, they’re not entirely going away.
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