Understandably, diehard muscle car fans are reluctant to embrace electric vehicles (EVs) with their preference for powerful fuel-injected engines. The new Dodge Challenger is leading the charge in selling muscle car fans on EVs. Dodge has announced a range of exciting new EV options, including the fully-electric Dodge Charger, its first electric muscle car. Looking at the Charger’s “big brother,” the Challenger, is a great way to see what kind of features to expect. With a muscle car, as important as looks can be, the engine sound can be of greater importance. That roaring engine and the noises associated with it are one of the big audible draws of a muscle car. Electric engines can produce comparable amounts of power but are more typically associated with whisper-quiet performance. This is one of the biggest challenges in convincing muscle car fans to embrace EVs. Will the Challenger and the upcoming Charger SRT sell muscle car fans that the future’s electric?

The Dodge Challenger: Selling Muscle Car Fans on the Sights and Sounds

The Dodge Challenger is in many ways the quintessential muscle car blending raw power and style for peak driving performance. It’s a beautiful, sleek, precision-engineered machine on both the inside and out. Kelly Blue Books named the Challenger one of its 2022 Brand Image Awards winners (naming it Best Car Styling Brand.) This is the fourth year Dodge has been honored in this way, and indicative of the style.  Much of the design philosophy in place with the Challenger reflects what Dodge is planning with muscle car-inspired electric vehicles. In a way, it’s a great transition piece to see what a future electric muscle car from Dodge will look like. It’s not just about what’s going on on the outside either, the Dodge Challenger still has power under the hood. The Challenger is powered by a Supercharged 6.2L High-Output HEMI V8 engine. Some models (like the SRT Super Stock or Jailbreak) are backed by an amazing 807 horsepower. Dodge isn’t just got embracing the muscle car aesthetics or the power, but the sound of muscle cars. At a recent event in Pontiac, Michigan, Dodge unveiled its first fully-electric muscle car with the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT. One of the features dividing muscle car fans was an electronic sound made to imitate a muscle car engine revving. Dodge is calling this the “BEV exhaust noise”, and while some fans hate it, others love it. This isn’t a feature on the Challenger, but exemplary of the steps Dodge is taking to entice muscle car fans.

Making the Most of Your Dodge Challenger Dealer Experience

If you’re a muscle car fan, what should you have in mind at the Dodge Challenger dealer? Checking out the Dodge Challenger for sale you might wonder where to start. This is especially true considering the range of customizable options the Challenger offers both for the interior and exterior. Even if not fully electric, the Challenger shows features Dodge would most likely implement in a future electric muscle car. Even while waiting to see the Charger Daytona SRT in action, there’s a glimpse of that future in the Challenger. Test driving the Challenger is a great preview of features and options Dodge will put in a muscle car-inspired EV. The Challenger is a great muscle car from Dodge, showcasing a carmaker at the peak of its abilities. It’s both likely the ultimate or penultimate traditional muscle car, and an impressive prediction for things to come from EVs. If you’re looking for a Dodge Challenger for sale, we can help you at Suncoast Jeep, Dodge, Chrysler, and Ram. At Suncoast, our experts are here to answer any questions about the Dodge Challenger you might have. If you want to schedule a test drive, Suncoast can get you behind the wheel of a Challenger. The future of muscle cars, especially electric ones, is an exciting prospect and we’re looking forward to that future also. Suncoast serves Tampa, Key Largo, and Seminole, FL, with new and used vehicles including the Dodge Challenger.