A long-profitable niche for American car makers has been the all-American muscle car.  Low-slung, two door sedans with enormous horsepower, wide tires, aggressive styling and the low rumble of those powerful V-8 engines. There’s nothing quite like them, and they sell for a premium. Ford made the Mustang, Chevy the Camaro, and Dodge, the Charger and Challenger.

They were initially designed to go fast in a straight line, but as technology improved and suspensions became more sophisticated, they began to hold their own on the racetrack as well as the drag strip, and their internal amenities began to rival luxury sedans.  Dodge’s 2023 Challenger, available in a variety of models, boasted a beginning price of $32,800. But engines of over 700 horsepower were available, pushing the MSRP to some $99,315. The more horsepower, the higher the price, and prices from $60,000 to $80,000 were demanded for the real muscle cars.

And suddenly, in August of 2022, Dodge announced beginning in the 2024 model year, there would be no low, V-8 rumble, at least not a gasoline-powered rumble. Dodge was going full woke and would henceforth produce only electric powered muscle cars.  

We’ve seen American auto manufacturers indulging in economic suicide before. Donald Trump is correct in asserting that going electric vehicle (EV) crazy will destroy union jobs. Union bosses are all in for Kamala Harris. Union workers are all in for Donald Trump. Even as Ford and Chevy are admitting there is no real demand for EVs, and in the face of billions in losses over their EVs, are seriously walking back their EV offerings, Dodge seems determined to convince muscle car customers they don’t really want muscle cars after all.

Muscle car enthusiasts willing to part with nearly $100,000 dollars aren’t going to be satisfied with muscle cars with fake muscle. Replacing the throaty roar of a V-8 with the muted whine of electric motors isn’t going to raise their blood pressure, and Dodge knew it two years ago. They touted their “Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust” and their “eRupt Multispeed Transmission, as viable replacements for the real thing.

The exhaust system on the concept Charger, which [Dodge CEO Tim] Kuniskis said is as loud as a Hellcat engine, pushes sound through an amplifier and tuning chamber located at the rear of the vehicle. He compared it to a wind organ with chambers and pipes.

“Exhaust system?” EVs have no exhaust systems. Perhaps the “exhaust system” will expel unused electrons? What Kuniskis is trying to sell is a stereo system that plays, at enormous volume, a sampled simulation of the real thing. And the “eRupt” transmission is software that momentarily interrupts power delivery to the electric motors to simulate the shifting of real transmissions.

Now Dodge has more or less perfected its fake stereo exhaust, and Car and Driver notes: And unsurprisingly, while the noise is artificial, it sounds quite a bit like a V-8 engine.”

Dodge produced a brief social media video of an electric charger passing, loudly, under an overpass:

Graphic: Screenshot of Dodge Instagram 

This synthetic soundtrack is produced by the Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust. Although Dodge hasn't revealed much about how the system works, we know it utilizes two passive radiators to create a noise that amps up as speed builds. The original concept was said to be capable of producing 126 decibels, but it's unclear if that degree of noise will be available on the production vehicle. Regardless, it will likely run afoul of noise restrictions that have popped up in certain cities, such as New York City.

Still, from the video, the "exhaust" certainly sounds deafening. If we were to hear it without any context, we have to admit we could be fooled into believing it is the sound of a gas-powered car. There's even a slight high-pitched whine as the Charger Daytona begins its acceleration, which seems to reference both the whir of electric motors and the wail of a supercharger.

EV Charger owners can also apparently turn off the “Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust” to run more or less silently, which seems of the opposite of why anyone would buy a muscle car in the first place.

So, Dodge is producing muscle cars some 1000 pounds heavier than gas-powered offerings—EV batteries are heavy--which will burn through tires at warp speed—electric motors have loads of torque and fast acceleration—and Dodge isn’t saying much about range. Even back in 2022, Kuniskis wouldn’t comment on range, essentially saying: “hey, they’re muscle cars; who cares about range?”

Most Americans won’t buy EVs because they’re too expensive. Dodge will shortly find out if muscle car enthusiasts are willing to spend huge bucks for decibels they can get from their home stereos.

Mike McDaniel is a USAF veteran, classically trained musician, Japanese and European fencer, life-long athlete, firearm instructor, retired police officer and high school and college English teacher. He is a published author and blogger. His home blog is Stately McDaniel Manor.