Here's Why The Hurricane I-6 Is The Perfect Engine For The New Dodge Challenger
Dodge teased the all-new Challenger muscle car on Facebook a few days ago. It expectedly drew mixed reactions from the car-loving social media crowd, with some declaring love for the car's futuristic shape while others wishing for a muscular V8 under the hood.
From an enthusiast's perspective, it's not hard to fault muscle car fans for refusing to let go of the iconic V8. Dodge's final hurrah, the Challenger SRT Demon 170, left the factory gates packing an updated Hellephant C170 supercharged V8 under the hood, squeezing out 1,025 horsepower and 945 lb-ft of torque on E85 gasoline.
With that much power, the last-ever gas-fed Dodge muscle car could reach the quarter-mile in under nine seconds, effectively banning it from professional drag racing. And with the Challenger SRT Demon 170's memory lingering in the air, it's no surprise that the new Challenger would have its fair share of doubters if it didn't come with a V8.
Goodbye V8, hello Hurricane I-6
The global shift to electrification and curbing emissions has led to an engine downsizing trend. Stellantis debuted the Hurricane twin-turbo inline-six in SO (Standard Output) and HO (High Output) configurations to replace its potent V8 lineup, promising better fuel economy and lower emissions while boasting V8 power levels.
The Hurricane SO delivers 400 horsepower and 450 lb-ft of torque from 3.0 liters of displacement. Meanwhile, the Hurricane HO has up to 500 horsepower and 475 lb-ft of torque. Stellantis claims all Hurricane inline-sixes were "designed to account for potential future integration with electrification for low-emission vehicles."
Dodge/Facebook
If and when Dodge shoehorns the Hurricane I-6 to the new Challenger, future models could get a hybrid or plug-in hybrid powertrain for even more power, faster acceleration, and a cleaner-burning disposition. For perspective, the old Dodge Challenger R/T's 5.7-liter V8 has 372 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque, while the R/T Scat Pack has a 485-horsepower 6.4-liter V8. Both Hurricane engines surpass their V8 brethren in horsepower, and infusing some electrification could improve the numbers further.
The next-generation Dodge Challenger will be on sale in late 2024, said the automaker, and the coming months will reveal more details on whether the new Challenger will follow the footsteps of the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept in ushering the electric muscle car era.