Photo: tuningcar_ps/instagram
It's no secret that the Dodge Charger and Challenger, which have been with us since 2005 and 2008, respectively, are now in their final years (more on this below). And, with the last hurrah expected to come soon, the digital world has come up with a portrait for the probable Charger revamp.
The quick rendering sees the Charger Hellcat gaining a new front end, and we need to consider both sides of the love-hate equation. For one, the age of the muscle sedan means a fresh fascia would be welcome. The styling seen here accentuates the mean look of the current car, even adding some dynamic styling cues such as the hexagon-build daytime running lights sitting in the larger side intakes.
Then again, the styling change, which comes from digital label tuningcar_ps, seems to bring a bit of a European flavor to the Charger. Looking past the bumper's central air intake partially resembling the one on the BMW M5, such a move reminds us of the treatment the Ford Mustang received for its most recent exterior revamp (2018MY).
However, while the current S550 Mustang generation, which is also due for replacement, is a global car, there's no need to bring Euro flavor to the present Charger and risk diluting its visual identity as this is not offered on the Old Continent.
The original muscle cars had to change when the oil crisis and skyrocketing insurance prices no longer favored their powerful but inefficient motors. And it was for the worse, with the Malaise era that spanned from 1973 to 1983 seeing vehicles across the U.S. industry suffering from poor performance to increase fuel efficiency that was held back by outdated legislation preventing many innovations.
Dodge itself has admitted that the current form of our beloved muscle cars will soon have to change, calling the present times a golden era of modern muscle. Still, the company has assured us there's a promising future for the genre, albeit without delivering any specific details on the matter.
Electrification is a given, with the rumor mill talking about the Mopar people keeping the current Challenger and Charger alive via hybridization while introducing all-electric muscle cars later in the decade.
Meanwhile, documents released late last year by Unifor, the Canadian trade union, show that the Challenger's production will at least continue through 2023. The Brampton Assembly site outside Toronto, which brings the Challenger and Charger to the world, will receive new technology courtesy of an investment of around $1.3 billion, with a part of this set to help build new versions of the duo.
The fact that Dodge's new parent company Stellantis, which resulted from the merger of Fiat Chrysler and Groupe PSA, has disbanded the SRT performance division earlier this year, means it's natural to be concerned for the future of Mopar muscle cars.
However, the sheer fact that Dodge can now access plenty of fresh platforms that can seriously cut emissions by simply lowering the weight, coupled with the cult status of the Charger and Challenger, means the company might find a way to keep the legends alive.
Then again, the styling change, which comes from digital label tuningcar_ps, seems to bring a bit of a European flavor to the Charger. Looking past the bumper's central air intake partially resembling the one on the BMW M5, such a move reminds us of the treatment the Ford Mustang received for its most recent exterior revamp (2018MY).
However, while the current S550 Mustang generation, which is also due for replacement, is a global car, there's no need to bring Euro flavor to the present Charger and risk diluting its visual identity as this is not offered on the Old Continent.
The original muscle cars had to change when the oil crisis and skyrocketing insurance prices no longer favored their powerful but inefficient motors. And it was for the worse, with the Malaise era that spanned from 1973 to 1983 seeing vehicles across the U.S. industry suffering from poor performance to increase fuel efficiency that was held back by outdated legislation preventing many innovations.
Dodge itself has admitted that the current form of our beloved muscle cars will soon have to change, calling the present times a golden era of modern muscle. Still, the company has assured us there's a promising future for the genre, albeit without delivering any specific details on the matter.
Electrification is a given, with the rumor mill talking about the Mopar people keeping the current Challenger and Charger alive via hybridization while introducing all-electric muscle cars later in the decade.
Meanwhile, documents released late last year by Unifor, the Canadian trade union, show that the Challenger's production will at least continue through 2023. The Brampton Assembly site outside Toronto, which brings the Challenger and Charger to the world, will receive new technology courtesy of an investment of around $1.3 billion, with a part of this set to help build new versions of the duo.
The fact that Dodge's new parent company Stellantis, which resulted from the merger of Fiat Chrysler and Groupe PSA, has disbanded the SRT performance division earlier this year, means it's natural to be concerned for the future of Mopar muscle cars.
However, the sheer fact that Dodge can now access plenty of fresh platforms that can seriously cut emissions by simply lowering the weight, coupled with the cult status of the Charger and Challenger, means the company might find a way to keep the legends alive.
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