Dodge is preparing the Copperhead SRT without a V8 and cutting it loose from the Charger

Dodge is not building the Copperhead on the Charger

Stellantis reportedly showed journalists the first Dodge Copperhead SRT prototype behind closed doors. No electronics were allowed in the room, but The Drive’s Joel Feder writes that Tim Kuniskis, head of Stellantis’s American brands and the driving force behind SRT, confirmed one crucial detail: the Copperhead SRT will not share the Charger’s overall shape.

That makes the car significant. The new Dodge Charger uses the STLA Large architecture, which has to support both the electric Daytona version and the petrol powered Sixpack. According to Kuniskis, the floor designed to house a battery pack would push the Copperhead’s proportions in the wrong direction. In other words, Dodge does not want to bend its new halo car around an existing model. It wants a lower, cleaner starting point, closer to the logic of a proper sports car.

The V8 stays outside, at least for now

The powertrain question says the most. Kuniskis confirmed that the Copperhead SRT will get an internal combustion engine, but he did not promise the return of the Hemi V8. Quite the opposite. He hinted that the car, due towards the end of the decade, could use an engine the public has not seen yet. When asked about a hybrid V8, he cooled expectations, describing that kind of solution as technology that would age too quickly.

For now, the logical candidate is the 3.0 litre twin turbo Hurricane straight six, known in Dodge language as the SIXPACK. In the Charger Scat Pack, that engine produces 410 kW and 720 Nm, uses 54 mm Garrett turbochargers and runs up to 2.07 bar of boost. The Standard Output version makes 313 kW and 635 Nm in the Charger R/T.

The numbers make the V8 argument less emotional

To a V8 loyalist, a six cylinder SRT sounds like a compromise. The technical data does not really support the panic. The Charger Scat Pack Sixpack reaches 97 km/h in 3.9 seconds and covers 402 metres in 12.2 seconds. The electric Charger Daytona Scat Pack is more brutal still, with 500 kW, 850 Nm and a 0 to 97 km/h time of 3.3 seconds.

With the Copperhead, the value will not lie in power alone. Mass, centre of gravity and proportions matter just as much. Should Dodge manage to use a global Stellantis unibody architecture while keeping the car low and more compact than the Charger, a six cylinder SRT could deliver sharper handling than a large all wheel drive muscle car.

In Europe, it would be a niche weapon

From a European perspective, the Copperhead SRT puts Dodge in a difficult but interesting position. Here, a V8 is no longer just an emotional choice. It also brings tax, CO2 and registration cost problems. For comparison, the officially sold Ford Mustang Dark Horse uses a 5.0 litre V8 engine, produces 453 hp, or about 333 kW, and 540 Nm according to Dutch market figures, and reaches 100 km/h in 4.4 seconds.

If Dodge can bring the Copperhead SRT to market with a six cylinder engine close to 410 kW, it could outpunch the European Mustang on power, sit clearly higher on torque and reduce some of the regulatory burden that comes with a V8. This would not be another copy of the old American muscle car formula. It would be an attempt to translate the SRT identity into a new era.

Technical snapshot

Expected platform: the Dodge Copperhead SRT will not use the same basic geometry as the Charger. Dodge is looking for a lower, more authentic sports car proportion.

Engine: the car will use an internal combustion engine, but a V8 is not confirmed. The Hurricane six cylinder looks more likely for now.

Likely output reference: the Charger Scat Pack’s 3.0 litre SIXPACK HO produces 410 kW and 720 Nm, while the R/T version makes 313 kW and 635 Nm.

Architecture: STLA Large supports electric, hybrid and combustion powertrains, but the Copperhead may use another global Stellantis architecture.

European angle: a V8 free SRT could offer stronger power than the Mustang Dark Horse, while carrying less regulatory risk.