Meet the Daytona SRT Banshee concept, a preview of Dodge's electric muscle future

Pontiac — If Hellcats growl, the Banshee howls.

The Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Banshee electric muscle car concept does, at least. It's the formal introduction for enthusiasts of the Stellantis NV brand to the vision for the top-of-the-line trim for Dodge's battery-electric muscle car starting production in 2024 after the Challenger and Charger as they've been known disappear after 2023.

Muscle has defined Dodge's performance image. Although EVs have shown themselves to be speedy and able to offer immediate maximum torque, skepticism abounds among muscle fans, especially lovers of a supercharged V-8's roar. As government regulations demand better fuel economy and cleaner vehicles, Dodge must pivot while finding a way to stay true to what its aficionados adore and separate itself from the competition.

"We can sit at home watch streaming videos and say we're not going to be a part of it," Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis said of the electric shift ahead of the vehicle's reveal during the third and final day of the brand's "Speed Week" festivities at the M1 Concourse in Pontiac. "The party is set. The band is booked. This thing is happening, so we said, 'OK, if it's going to happen, let's go there like Dodge. Let's crash this party and do it differently than everybody else.'"

Forget silent EVs. Dodge chose the Banshee name based on the sound of the patented-for-production "Fratzonic" exhaust system, one that, instead of emitting pollutants, moves air like a pipe organ through an amplifier and tuning chamber. Through a tailpipe, the system projects a sinister grumble and a whirring scream on the rev at 126 decibels — as loud as the Hellcat's vroom.

"We think we're going to be part of the market that people probably don't see coming," Kuniskis said, "but they're definitely going to hear it coming."

Like the Porsche Taycan and Audi e-tron, the Banshee has a transmission, a patented "eRupt" multi-speed system with electro-mechanical shifting. And to achieve a 25% improvement in aerodynamics from today's vehicle, Dodge pulled from the history books the nose-cone design of the Charger Daytona that in 1970 was the first vehicle to break 200 mph on a NASCAR track, getting it banned.

The Banshee adds a patent-pending "R-Wing" across the vehicle's front in honor of Gary Romberg, the rocket scientist who designed the '70 racer, to make it look like a more traditional muscle car.

It's a long, low, two-door Charger — not the four doors of today's Charger — with a new large hatch in a "Greys of Thunder" exterior paint. As teased previously, the Banshee marks the return of Dodge's Fratzog logo from the '60s and '70s, illuminated on the '68 Charger-inspired grille and taillamp. Carbon-fiber intakes on the front and rear lower fascias also assist with aerodynamics. There's no frunk on this EV.

"It looks like a proper muscle car, aerodynamic like a full BEV," Kuniskis said, "but not a melted jellybean."

Lenny Melton, 44, of Charlotte, North Carolina, who is in town for Roadkill Nights and the Woodward Dream Cruise, agreed: "It's awesome," he said. "It looks the way a muscle car is supposed to look."

Dodge is keeping performance figures secret, though it says they exceed the Hellcat engine. There were no specifics on range or 0 to 60 mph time and little information on its battery. The Banshee is an 800-volt propulsion system, though Dodge plans to offer three power levels, including a 400-volt option, Kuniskis said.

Dodge's aftersales parts catalogue Direct Connection will provide two more steps for each of those three levels, similar to the tuner and stage kits it's launched for the current, gas-powered muscle lineup.

"When you get to a certain point, you're splitting hairs," Kuniskis said. "You're splitting hairs on the performance, on what are the numbers we're talking about. We believe there's more to it than just a single number. We believe it's the whole experience."

Some of the upgrades may be available through over-the-air updates in the future, he added, though overall, Dodge is seeking customers who will buy these Direct Connection tools and have them installed through its certified Power Broker dealers.

"We're going to try to make sure that we go through a Power Broker dealer," Kuniskis said, "because we want to make sure that we're matching the customer with the right performance level."

In general, with electric powertrains, there isn't much differentiation, said Sam Abuelsamid, principal e-mobility analyst for market research firm Guidehouse Inc.

“They understand what their customers are and what they want," he said of Dodge. "They’ve tried to come up with unique takes on an electric powertrain to retain muscle car characteristics while still being electric.”

Having that performance focus already is an advantage for the brand as it introduces EVs, said Jessica Caldwell, executive director of insights for auto information website Edmunds.com Inc.

"Other companies haven't had a chance to fully define their EV branches," she said. "The EV perspective defines them more broadly."

The all-wheel-drive vehicle features four driving modes — auto, sport, track and drag — affecting vehicle performance and the experience of the interior cabin. The PowerShot push-to-pull feature debuted on the new Dodge Hornet crossover that offers additional on-demand horsepower makes its way onto the Banshee by the push of a button on the steering wheel with a flat top and bottom.

The vehicle itself is built with 21-inch wheels on the Auburn Hills-engineered STLA Large platform. Stellantis has said the unibody platform can offer 500 miles of range, though Kuniskis says don't bet on that with this design.

"Please don't try to tie that back, because the things we do on this car are not range-enablers," he said. "The front end, the transmission, the sound system, they're not range enablers."

The various power levels, however, will provide range in line with competitors, he said: "I'm not going to worry about the actual number. The reason I'm not that worried about it is if you look at the Hellcat today, the Hellcat Redeye has 170 miles. Sure, you can pull over, fill it up with gas, but the range is not a purchase reason for that customer. As long as I have a competitive range, I'm fine. You're never going to hear me bragging, 'I've got the best range.'"

Kuniskis added that Stellantis' $35.5 billion investment in electric vehicles and software does include efforts around addressing charging challenges, including charging speed.

Inside the Banshee, passengers experience an open-air feel with a panoramic glass roof. The driver-focused cockpit features a jet-fighter-inspired cap that flips up to reveal the start button. In terms of technology, a 12.3-inch center screen, the largest on a Dodge to date, angles 10 degrees toward the driver, who also has access to a 16-inch instrument cluster and an 8-by-3-inch head-up display projected on the windshield. A throwback pistol-grip shifter gets a modern touch. The rear seats can fold flat for additional space.

"The Charger Daytona will redefine American muscle," Kuniskis said. "It will run to the car shows, it will run the quarter mile, it will run to Costco because of the liftgate and full-flat seats. It's got UV functionality inside. It's all-wheel drive, so it will handle the weather."

Despite the explosion in demand for larger vehicles like SUVs and trucks, there remains a market for muscle cars, Kuniskis said. Dodge sold more than 215,000 vehicles last year in the United States, including almost 133,000 Challengers and Chargers. The Challenger was the country's top muscle car in 2021.

"Nobody wants a car, but inside that segment of cars, muscle cars have held on," he said. "Why? Because they weren't just regular cars. They were what Dodge was and what muscle cars do. They had the style, they had the performance, they had the attitude, they had the agility, they had something that made that person feel like they were a part of something other than just the purchase of a vehicle."

The sound system, transmission and R-Wing are all efforts to maintain the emotion and attachment that make Dodge vehicles the cars buyers want, though not necessarily need.

"It doesn't replace Hellcat," Kuniskis said. "It's not a Hellcat. It's not trying to be a Hellcat."

He confirmed there will not be an EV Hellcat, since Kuniskis says Dodge won't use internal combustion engine names for battery-electric offerings. But the nods to that heritage do help to create a connection for audience, noted Stephanie Brinley, principal automotive analyst for S&P Global Mobility.

"All of that adds up to creating an experience that is more emotional, more visceral than a lot of electric vehicles so far," she said. "We’ll have to see how it is executed. The potential is there."

After an initial look at the vehicle, the only thing Pete Seguin, 62, of Ottawa, Ontario, could think to critique was the flat, Tesla-like door handles. Overall, he said, "It's pretty badass. It actually has sound. Everything else just has a speaker to alert pedestrians. It's very impressive."

Justin Palmer, 14, of Clarkston also enthused about the chamber exhaust system: "It might live up to what the people wanted compared to the Hellcats."

Kuniskis declined to say where the production electric muscle car to come will be built. The current Challenger and Charger are assembled in Brampton, Ontario, outside of Toronto. Brampton will be retooled for an electric platform in 2024, but production isn't expected to resume until 2025. Industry forecasters have suggested the muscle car will be built in Belvidere, Illinois, currently home of the Jeep Cherokee crossover.

Regarding how close the concept is to that production model, Kuniskis is adamant: "This is not a science project."

bnoble@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @BreanaCNoble