Gas-powered Dodge muscle cars are back! The Dodge Charger returns to its true form with the R/T and Scat Pack models bringing the heat and a new powertrain that is sure to deliver the performance, power, and muscle car feel desired.
The Last Call Dodge Charger and Challenger models were meant to celebrate the end of the Hellcat engine and other Hemi V8 power plants, but not the end of gas-powered Dodge muscle cars. Despite being overshadowed by the electric Charger Daytona that appeared last year, it was always part of the plan to have gas-powered Dodge muscle cars in the lineup.
The new R/T and Scat Pack models lack the low growl of the old V8 engines, but once you experience the new SIXPACK power, you might not care.
Where should an iconic American muscle car make its debut? Woodward Avenue, which runs from Pontiac to Detroit in Michigan, makes perfect sense. The epic road hosts many amazing races and car shows each year, and showing up to Roadkill Nights sounds like the ideal event for a muscle car revolution or resurrection, depending on how you look at it. So that’s exactly where Dodge presented the new chapter of the ICE muscle car.
With tire smoke in the air and roaring engine sounds drowning out the crowds, Dodge came to play with 2026 Charger R/T and Scat Pack models powered by the new high-octane Hurricane engine, which has been rebranded for the muscle car as the SIXPACK.
Previous generations of Dodge muscle cars separated the four-door and two-door body styles by name. The Charger was a sedan, giving families the potential for tons of power while offering the practicality needed to handle regular family duties. The Challenger was just the opposite. You could fit four or five in the Challenger, but it was a two-door coupe and made for pure excitement and fun. For the new SIXPACK versions, both body styles fall under the Charger name.
The first Dodge Charger made its appearance at a car show in 1964 as a long, square-nosed sports coupe. It went on sale in the fall of 1965 as a 1966 model, and the rest is basically history. The original Charger was based on the Coronet midsize car, but it had a two-door build and a fastback roof to differentiate it from the car it was based on.
The Charger from 1968 to 1970 is the timeframe that typically jumps out in the minds of muscle car enthusiasts. This is the time when the orange “General Lee” featured in The Dukes of Hazzard was from, which was a hot Charger that was often seen jumping over creeks as it left the county police far behind. This iconic shape certainly influenced the modern car that is reentering the market in 2026.
Some who see the new Charger might think it’s nothing more than the Challenger with a different name. They would be partially correct. The Challenger wore the iconic 1970s muscle car style until it was deleted with the Last Call versions. Of course, the early models wouldn’t have had the technology and engineering of today, which includes a 10.3 or 16.0-inch digital gauge display and a 12.3-inch infotainment screen, which you’ll find in the new Charger models.
Two is better than one, especially when it comes to power choices in a muscle car. Dodge is well-known for delivering various output levels, but that typically means different Hemi V8 engines. That’s gone; in its place is a new 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged six-cylinder SIXPACK engine mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission.
For the Charger R/T, a standard output version of the engine is used. It sends 420 horsepower and 468 lb-ft of torque to the wheels. Moving to the Charger Scat Pack, you’ll have the high-output model, which pushes 550 horsepower and 531 lb-ft of torque through the transmission. Both versions come with standard AWD, but there’s an RWD mode that allows drivers to enjoy the classic muscle car feel that’s missed in many modern cars.
The standard output setup in the R/T model is good enough to post a 168 MPH top speed, which should be more than enough for anyone looking for some fun and excitement from behind the wheel. The high-output Scat Pack reaches 60 MPH in 3.9 seconds, finishes a quarter mile in 12.2 seconds, and has a top speed of 177 MPH, making it much more of a serious competitor on the drag strip.
As Stellantis developed the new Hurricane inline-six engine, it became obvious the Hemi V8s wouldn’t be long for the market. The heavier blocks delivered the naturally aspirated grunt that many admire, which was supercharged in the Hellcat setup, but the 5.7 and 6.4-liter V8s couldn’t match the Hurricane and its benefits.
The new SIXPACK engine has more power in both configurations than the previous Hemi V8 it replaces. This new engine setup also allows for lower emissions, which is a major concern for many vehicles and automakers. This also leads to improved fuel economy, lighter cars, improved turning and handling, and a much better setup for the AWD system.
In a nutshell, the Hemi V8 engines were too old, cumbersome, and inefficient to continue to be useful in future Dodge muscle cars.
The Dodge Charger R/T was fitted with a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 in the previous generation. This engine produced 370 horsepower and 395 lb-ft of torque. The SIXPACK standard output model replaces it, making 420 horsepower and 468 lb-ft of torque. The new turbocharged setup has immediate low-end power and impressive pulling power in the mid-range, while the Hemi needs revs to produce useful power.
In the Dodge Charger Scat Pack, a 6.4-liter Hemi V8 used to be the big-block power that was admired by many. This naturally aspirated beast produced 485 horsepower and 475 lb-ft of torque, but that has been left behind by the new high-output SIXPACK engine. This new setup delivers 550 horsepower and 531 lb-ft of torque and is extremely powerful and fast at low rev ranges, which makes the Charger much quicker than before.
Instead of baking in fake sounds, which you will find in the new Dodge Charger Daytona EV, the SIXPACK-powered Charger comes with the real sounds of its engine. It uses a dual-mode active exhaust system that is fully valve-controlled and tuned to be aggressive. If you drive in Sport and Custom modes, you’ll hear it loud and proud, but it’s tuned down when in the Eco or Snow modes.
The 2026 Dodge Charger is the only muscle car that comes standard with AWD (it’s a small market). Every car has this system, which felt like a compromise in the previous version of the Charger. This new model allows you to switch to RWD to enjoy smoky burnouts and drifting for some extra fun at the track. This system makes the new Charger a great daily driver and a fun track-day car.
A new and modern muscle car needs to have the right equipment to allow maximum fun on the track, and the SIXPACK-powered Dodge Chargers have everything you want. You’ll have access to Launch Control, Line Lock, and Race Options to handle every type of racing and driving on a track, making this a car that’s built for some big-time fun.
As of August 13, buyers can already place an order for the more powerful upcoming Dodge Charger Scat Pack models, which will arrive later this year. Those in the market for the tamer R/Ts equipped with the 420-hp SIXPACK SO will have to wait until sometime in 2026.
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