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Hellcat's 9 Lives Almost Up?

ExWrench

ExWrench

Random Dude
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"You like iron-block, supercharged V8 tire-blistering horsetorks?

We'll just replace it with a Tesla drivetrain - same shit, right?" :confused:

Say Goodbye to the Hellcat V8


Why is Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis all but signing its death certificate?

Feb 2nd, 2021
Unit 202 ProductionsAlex ShanahanAnna Wells


When Fiat Chrysler announced its intention to merge with European car company Groupe PSA, industry analysts warned that there would be casualties: specifically by way of trimming down the number of vehicles in Dodge and Chrysler’s slow-moving portfolios.

But recently Carlos Tavares, the CEO of Stellantis -- the new moniker for the now-fourth-largest global automaker -- tried to allay those fears, suggesting that, despite the merger, they would be giving the company’s brands a "strong opportunity" to rebound.

So why, a few weeks later, is Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis all but signing the death certificate on the brand’s well-known Hellcat V8? The answer actually lies outside of the company’s four walls.

In an interview with CNBC, Kuniskis said “The days of an iron block supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 are numbered.” But he went on to make an important distinction: while Kuniskis believes that it’s regulations that are making the cost of compliance unsustainable, he does not believe the performance generated by these types of vehicles is necessarily on its way out.

Dodge believes, in fact, that these super-performing engines can be replaced by electrics, ushering in what Kuniskis calls “a new Golden Age of muscle cars.” He sees this happening after electric vehicles reach the point of industry standard, after which “the crazy people are going to take the electrification that has now become accessible from a price point and make that performance-based instead of economy-based.”

So does Dodge count itself among these “crazy people?” It might not have a choice. Kuniskis likens the environment today to the one that killed the original muscle cars in the early 70s, when oil prices and safety requirements started to make them unworkable. The engines then were adapted to be more efficient, and could now be facing a similar arc as the government and consumers continue to push for energy efficiency standards to tighten.

The company has stressed that Dodge will remain a performance brand but, also, that Stellantis will produce an electric variant of every vehicle it unveils between now and 2025. So will the Hellcat EV take the V8’s place? While Dodge doesn’t currently offer any EVs, Kuniskis says that will change because “it’s what’s going to allow us to not fall off the cliff.”
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That guy sucks.

That being said, i hope he makes good on his promise to make an EV of every one of his vehicles. Let them sell the EV next to the ICE, side by side, no extra bullshit government rebates, just straight up same models sitting by each other on the lot, both with the same factory profit margins (may not be the same price as id assume the EV will be more expensive, but dont let those assholes try and sell it at a loss to show false demand) and then lets see which one sells better over the next 5 years.

Do it, and let capitalism reign. im certain i know where my money is riding, if we are betting.
 
well, yeah... with all of the government contracts they have and the EO Biden signed about moving all Fed vehicles to EV's... what choice does he have? The pressure is on....
 
Regulations are getting tighter all the time. If this surprises anyone they haven't been paying attention. Many of the "super car" makers have been going to smaller displacement turbo motors for a while now. It's also been reported that current models from both Ferrari and Lamborghini (812 Superfast & Aventador) are end of the line for N.A. V12's.
 
Texas97 said:
That guy sucks.

That being said, i hope he makes good on his promise to make an EV of every one of his vehicles. Let them sell the EV next to the ICE, side by side, no extra bullshit government rebates, just straight up same models sitting by each other on the lot, both with the same factory profit margins (may not be the same price as id assume the EV will be more expensive, but dont let those assholes try and sell it at a loss to show false demand) and then lets see which one sells better over the next 5 years.

Do it, and let capitalism reign. im certain i know where my money is riding, if we are betting.
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That's no shit. I worked with a guy that dropped 6 figures on a model s and another 30k on solar panels for his house to charge it. With all the fed rebates and kickbacks his solar cost him $2500 out of pocket after 5 years and he had no electricity bill so in essence he made money. The car came with a pile of kickbacks and fed rebates too.

Let's see how they stack up without the .gov propping them up and see how the market goes eh?


I don't care how fast an electric car is, I'll take a slower gas engine every time because it has a soul.
 
DWT said:
I don't care how fast an electric car is, I'll take a slower gas engine every time because it has a soul.
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Well that and I can hop in my truck and drive across the state while being able to quickly refuel at multiple places along the way. The infrastructure isn't there for an EV to work with my lifestyle..
 
Agreed. Not until they have battery-swapping locations and standard batteries everywhere.
Like with a fleet of electric fork trucks, stop at the charging station, slide out the low batt and slide in a full one.
Doubt that will ever happen due to the different auto makers and vehicle sizes/requirements but that's when I'll consider jumping on board.
 
It's 1972 all over again, but we have oil this time. :rolleyes:
 
Motorcharge said:
I don't give a fuck how much torque, power, and speed they can get out of electric, it's fucking boring. I don't want to drive anything that sounds like a fucking slot car.
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Whatever dodge sticks under the hood, the rest of the vehicle is junk. A supercharged v8 in a dodge is like a gold bar wrapped in a twice used diaper.
 
ConwayMuddy said:
Whatever dodge sticks under the hood, the rest of the vehicle is junk. A supercharged v8 in a dodge is like a gold bar wrapped in a twice used diaper.
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Yeah, mines been a total nightmare. In 140k miles I've replaced a CC switch and an o-ring on the waterpump. Oh, the horror.
 
Motorcharge said:
I don't give a fuck how much torque, power, and speed they can get out of electric, it's fucking boring. I don't want to drive anything that sounds like a fucking slot car.
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My Pappaw ran power plants and they sponsored an electric car race, we went. Now mind you, I've fallen asleep at a NASCAR race, but that was probably worse:laughing:
it was cool to tour the pits and look at the tech at the time (90s), but the racing was unbearable
 
ConwayMuddy said:
Whatever dodge sticks under the hood, the rest of the vehicle is junk. A supercharged v8 in a dodge is like a gold bar wrapped in a twice used diaper.
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I don't disagree, but I'll take a gas powered 717 hp pile of shit over anything electric any day of the week.

Projectjunkie said:
My Pappaw ran power plants and they sponsored an electric car race, we went. Now mind you, I've fallen asleep at a NASCAR race, but that was probably worse:laughing:
it was cool to tour the pits and look at the tech at the time (90s), but the racing was unbearable
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My cousin was on the EV drag team for her college a couple years ago and it got her very into racing, which was cool. But, it was hard to fake enthusiasm when she was showing me the car and races. That shit does absolutely nothing for me. A mini bike with a Harbor Freight motor strapped into it does more for me than a 6 figure electric super car does.
 
Motorcharge said:
I don't give a fuck how much torque, power, and speed they can get out of electric, it's fucking boring. I don't want to drive anything that sounds like a fucking slot car.
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to be fair any new car is way boring to drive
test drove a wrx sti and wow, it does 0-90 real quick, but you have no sensation of speed. Feels like you're in a toyota corolla going 0-30. Yawn.

my '85 LTD with the turbo'd explorer motor on the other side of that equation... that thing is the sort of car that will absolutely kill you dead if the throttle sticks, or god forbid you try and change lanes too quickly at about 50.
Actually that last one applies to all shitbox foxbody piles of garbage, right on up to the SN95s. Hop in one and at about 50, jerk the wheel back and forth like you're trying to avoid a pothole. The chassis flex and garbage rear suspension will make the seat cushions disappear into your ass.
Feels way fast because you know it is going to kill you.
 
[486 said:
;n295720]

to be fair any new car is way boring to drive
test drove a wrx sti and wow, it does 0-90 real quick, but you have no sensation of speed. Feels like you're in a toyota corolla going 0-30. Yawn.

my '85 LTD with the turbo'd explorer motor on the other side of that equation... that thing is the sort of car that will absolutely kill you dead if the throttle sticks, or god forbid you try and change lanes too quickly at about 50.
Actually that last one applies to all shitbox foxbody piles of garbage, right on up to the SN95s. Hop in one and at about 50, jerk the wheel back and forth like you're trying to avoid a pothole. The chassis flex and garbage rear suspension will make the seat cushions disappear into your ass.
Feels way fast because you know it is going to kill you.
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That lack of feeling speed is why everyone on the road is in their own little dumbass bubble driving 10 under everywhere they go. 15 and 65 don't feel any different.
 
"The engines then were adapted to be more efficient, and could now be facing a similar arc as the government and consumers continue to push for energy efficiency standards to tighten"

:rolleyes:What consumers are pushing for EV standards? They should ask every single adult in this country what they prefer, with the price tag, without .gov kick backs and incentives, and see which one prevails.
This is strictly .gov mandated.
 
When I can hop into an EV, drive 300 miles to central PA for a sprint car race, charge the fucking thing in 5 mins, then drive home, let me know.

Oh, what's that? I have to charge it twice on the way there and it'll take me 12 hours to get there if I'm lucky? Yeah, fuck that.

The rush to EV is a move to limit peoples movement.

If given the choice, same vehicle, same price, drinking dino piss or lightening, I guarantee at least 75% of people would take ole reliable piss.

But, maybe I'm wrong. I've underestimated the idiocy of people before. They may all be brainwashed into thinking an EV is somehow saving the planet. One thing I do know... Whenever Mother Earth gets tired of our shit, she'll kill us all and start over regardless of what we do to try to stop it.
 
westracing01 said:
When I can hop into an EV, drive 300 miles to central PA for a sprint car race, charge the fucking thing in 5 mins, then drive home, let me know.

Oh, what's that? I have to charge it twice on the way there and it'll take me 12 hours to get there if I'm lucky? Yeah, fuck that.

The rush to EV is a move to limit peoples movement.

If given the choice, same vehicle, same price, drinking dino piss or lightening, I guarantee at least 75% of people would take ole reliable piss.

But, maybe I'm wrong. I've underestimated the idiocy of people before. They may all be brainwashed into thinking an EV is somehow saving the planet. One thing I do know... Whenever Mother Earth gets tired of our shit, she'll kill us all and start over regardless of what we do to try to stop it.
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The people that vote for this shit live in cities and have no concept of how much people have to drive in some parts of the country.
 
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