Soon, the supercharger whine is going to be replaced by EV whine.
It’s clear that car-crazy enthusiasts are enjoying the best era of muscle cars in history. It is not difficult – and even expensive – to find a 400-horsepower tire stomper for work or pleasure. Dodge’s Hellcat engine V8 has been an icon of power and affordability for many years. But, as they say, all good things must end. Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis is well aware of this.
Kuniskis, in a recent interview with CNBC admitted this while acknowledging that electrification of vehicles all over the globe was on the horizon. This bold statement from the CEO of a company offering no electrified cars, let alone one that has Hellcatted everything it owns, was quite shocking. He emphasizes that the end of Hellcat V8 is not the end of high horsepower, even though it may seem imminent.
Kuniskis stated that the days of supercharged iron block 6.2-liter V-8s are gone. They are absolutely outnumbered due to all the compliance costs. However, the performance of these vehicles is not numbered.
He is correct. We have seen hybrid and pure electric performance vehicles surpass their internal-combustion counterparts over the past few years. Vehicles such as the Pininfarina Battista or Rimac C_Two are currently in final testing. Both have electric powertrains of nearly 2,000 horsepower. Tesla just unveiled the updated Model S plaid, which will reach 60 mph in less than two seconds.
This doesn’t mean that internal-combustion has stopped quietly. The SSC Tuatara set a new production car speed record of 282.9 mph thanks to its massive 5.9-liter twin-turbo V8 that produces 1,750 horsepower. We’re certain that you’ve not forgotten about the RAM TRX . This Ram TRX adds 702 horsepower to the world’s factory-built offroad pickup trucks.
Kuniskis doesn’t seem to be worried about the future of electric cars. According to the CNBC interview he is actually excited about the future of electric cars. This time, unlike the end of the muscle car era, we won’t have to sacrifice power for efficiency or emissions. The electric powertrain is already in place and creates incredible horsepower and instant-on torque. But what about the downside? The downside?
Kuniskis stated, “I’m very excited about the future electric because it’s what will allow us not drop off the cliff.” This thing is ending without that technology, without electrification. It’s 1972 now.