Dodge Charger Turns 60 and Returns to Europe: SIXPACK Gas and Electric Daytona on the Same Stage

The Dodge Charger is officially back in Europe – and it brought two entirely different powertrains with it. Sixty years after the original Charger debuted as one of Detroit’s defining muscle cars, Dodge is writing its boldest chapter yet: a twin-track lineup that puts a 550-horsepower, twin-turbo gas engine and a 670-horsepower all-electric drivetrain on the same stage. The name hasn’t changed. The ambition certainly has.

Sixty Years That Built an Icon

The Dodge Charger has been rolling since 1966. It launched during the muscle car golden age with a fastback roofline, V8 power, and enough visual presence to make everything else on the road look timid. From there, it became something automotive culture rarely produces: a genuinely iconic nameplate that outlasted its era. The Charger appeared in Bullitt, anchored the Fast & Furious franchise, and competed in NHRA drag strips as recently as this decade. Six generations in, and the car still draws a crowd at a standstill.

Fabio Catone, Head of Brand for Dodge in Europe, framed the moment clearly: “Charger has always been about standing apart, and that attitude is exactly what defines its return.” That’s not press release filler – the numbers back it up. The brand is returning to a continent with increasingly tight emissions regulations and betting that performance heritage and character will cut through anyway.

The bottom line: Six decades of Charger heritage built the cultural equity that makes this European launch mean something beyond the spec sheet.

The SIXPACK Returns – 420 to 550 Horses on Tap

Dodge’s answer to the EV age isn’t an either-or. The gas-powered SIXPACK lineup uses the Stellantis Hurricane 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged inline-six – a unit that replaces the legendary HEMI V8 while making no apologies about the swap. In Charger R/T trim, it produces 420 horsepower, claiming the most standard output of any muscle car in the segment. Step up to the Scat Pack High Output configuration and you’re at 550 horsepower, making it the most powerful production Hurricane engine on the market.

All-wheel drive comes standard across every SIXPACK variant. The lineup is also available in both two-door coupe and four-door sedan configurations – a pairing the original Charger could never offer. The coupe restores the fastback silhouette that made the 1966 car famous, while the sedan adds practical versatility to the muscle car formula.

The bottom line: The Hurricane SIXPACK is not a step down from the HEMI – 550 horsepower in the Scat Pack H.O. configuration settles that debate.

Full Electric with Zero Excuses – The Charger Daytona

The Charger Daytona is the all-electric version, and Dodge made a deliberate decision not to dilute the muscle car formula for the sake of green credentials. The Daytona R/T delivers 536 horsepower through an all-wheel drive system. The Daytona Scat Pack escalates that to 670 horsepower, making it the quickest and most powerful AWD muscle car in the all-electric category – full stop.

That 670hp number is significant: it beats the gas Scat Pack by 120 horsepower. Electric torque delivery means there’s no warm-up lap required – it hits hard from the moment you touch the throttle. Using the Daytona name here is smart brand storytelling; the original Dodge Charger Daytona was the aero-focused NASCAR competitor of the early 1970s, built for one thing: going as fast as possible. The 2026 version honors that lineage in a very different way.

The bottom line: At 670hp and all-wheel drive, the electric Charger Daytona Scat Pack is the most powerful production Charger ever built.

What This Means for US Charger Owners

While Europe is getting its first real taste of the new-generation Charger, American enthusiasts have been living with the 2024+ platform for a while – and the 2015-2023 Charger Widebody remains one of the most popular builds in the enthusiast community. The wide-body platform rewards aerodynamic upgrades, and Vicrez has built a full lineup around making that car look as aggressive as it drives. If you’re looking for a clean, impactful exterior upgrade that complements the Charger’s stance, the V3R Style Rear Diffuser is a strong starting point.

Whether you’re running a classic HEMI build or planning upgrades around a Scat Pack, the Charger platform responds well to aero work. A rear diffuser sharpens the visual profile without overpowering the factory lines – and on a Widebody, it fills out the stance the way it was always meant to look.

The bottom line: The Charger’s 60th anniversary is a good moment to take stock of what your build is saying – and add something worth noticing.

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Your turn: Are you holding your 2015-2023 Charger and building it out further, or is the new SIXPACK or Daytona Scat Pack on your radar? Drop your take in the comments – we want to know what the community is planning.