Dodge to Outline the Next Two Years of Challenger and Charger

Dodge program will explain when every new Challenger or Charger is set to debut with a catch.

This past weekend while attending the Roadkill Nights media preview, we had a chance to speak with Dodge brand CEO Tim Kuniskis, who provided some details on an interesting program coming during the fourth quarter of this year.

Under a program named “Never Lift,” the brand will issue a calendar of dates for every bit of new information for the Challenger and Charger for the next two years. The catch is that we won’t actually know what will be introduced on those dates. Some of the information will be relatively minor things like appearance packages, but Kuniskis made it clear that there will be some significant performance packages as well.

The goal of this program is to show that in the final years of the current Challenger and Charger, the Dodge brand isn’t just sitting back and letting their legendary muscle cars coast off into the sunset. Instead, these versions of the cars which have sold so well, will receive a proper send-off and the first details will be provided late this year.

Dodge Appearance Packages

Since the modern Dodge Challenger and Charger were introduced back in the mid-2000s, there have been a great many appearance packages offered which have proven to be quite popular.

In many cases, Dodge will bundle a popular equipment group with a unique appearance package and create a trim level that draws in new buyers. Some of the most elaborate examples are the current Challenger T/A and Charger Daytona, both of which combine an exterior appearance package with some popular performance equipment to both the R/T and Scat Pack models. There have also been simpler appearance and equipment packages offered, such as the Redline, Yellow Jacket, SRT Core and the various exterior color-based packages.

There is a good chance that over the next two years, we could see more of these simple packages, especially if we are seeing the final years of the big-power Challenger and Charger models. While Dodge is committed to offering high performance EVs in the future, there is a possibility that the muscle cars that we currently know and love could soon disappear from the new-car landscape, and Dodge will make as many badass machines as they can before that happens.

Significant Models

In addition to the new appearance models and color-based packages, Kuniskis stated that there would be some significant models for the final years of the modern Challenger and Charger as well. There were no other details on those and we don’t know which dates on the Never Lift calendar will pertain to these models, but there will be some news along the way which will make a splash in the performance world.

There are a few Challengers and Chargers that have been requested over the years and, in some cases, there have been rumors that some of these models were coming to production, but they have not thus far. The most popular rumor is a dedicated road race Challenger called the ACR, which stands for American Club Racer. The best handling Dodge Vipers wore the ACR badge and there are some modern Mopar road racers who are hoping for something similar for the Challenger. It would be short on frills to cut weight, likely featuring Brembo carbon ceramic units brakes, the most advanced suspension setup on the modern muscle car and better tires.

There are also folks out there who would like a true “stripper model” Hellcat Challenger and Charger. This package would basically introduce the lowest priced Hellcat cars and it would come with things like manual cloth seats, a very basic sound system and a fixed suspension setup rather than the adaptive Bilstein dampers.

Of course, there is also the possibility that we could see more high performance versions of the Charger, based on the features of the Challenger 1320 or Super Stock. While Dodge has stuck to the coupe when offering drag race-ready factory packages, there is no question that Charger owners like drag racing too. Needless to say, there are some Charger owners who would like the 807 horsepower output of the Super Stock.

Maybe Dodge will go so far as to make some sort of sedan-based Demon with monster power, limited production and a crate full of track-only goodies.

In any case, sometime during the fourth quarter of 2021, we will get a calendar of dates outlining every information debut for the Dodge Challenger and Charger over the next two years.

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Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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