Dodge - Freevalve Engine
Being raised by an environmental scientist, I was aware of climate change and the effect of gas-guzzling cars from a pretty early age and the importance of sustainability and taking care of our planet has carried on through the rest of my life. One problem to that passion, though, is my love for auto racing and cars in general, particularly the ones that are loud and fast, a specialty of Dodge.
On March 3, 2020, in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, a small car company called Koenigsegg announced a new powertrain system that included three electric motors and one, small combustion engine. Nicknamed the ‘Tiny Friendly Giant', the 2.0 liter, 3 cylinder engine is capable of producing a whopping six-hundred horsepower alone with 15-20% less fuel consumption than your standard four-cylinder two-liter engine (which also can’t make 600hp). There is a long list of other improvements over conventional engines listed on their website, linked here.
What I find most impressive is the ease of converting a conventional engine to a freevalve system. One man was able to do so to his Mazda Miata in his garage for around $5,000 but would be much less expensive on a production scale. Proof of this system working is in the video below.
Modern Muscle
Dodge has already announced their step towards the electric world with what they are calling ‘eMuscle’ launcing in 2024, which many Dodge fans are dubbing the “death of american muscle”, which I think is the perfect way to pitch what I am calling the “Greeneye Edition” of the Challenger and Charger.
The Greeneye campaign will be heavily social and organic focused due to the niche market for performance vehicles and the tight regional car communities. The kickoff will be the following video posted on Dodge’s Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Facebook pages with the caption being just a date, whether it is the vehicle announcement date or the release date doesn’t really matter.
If that video makes you think of an EV, it worked exactly to plan. The official switch to electric motors is bound to generate some talk, even some hate, especially from the old timers who have been loyal to the Dodge V8 since the beginning. The following is an example of what we might see:
“HERE LIES THE AMERICAN MUSCLE CAR (1949-2022)
This morning Dodge released some imagery that I believe marks the death of the muscle car. All of their social channels are showing what appears to be a “Greeneye” edition Challenger, only showing the headlight outline, “SRT Hellcat” logo, and the new “Greeneye” branding, backlit by futuristic green LEDs. The Green most likely hints at a switch to a more eco friendly electric powertrain.
In August of 2021 Dodge announced a transition to what they called “eMuscle” which I, and the majority of other Dodge fans, assumed would be a standard Challenger or Charger body with electric motors. The new vehicles are not expected until 2024, with the Greeneye branding likely being used to differentiate between electric and combustion models.
Muscle cars are a part of American history, exact origins are arguable, but most point to the 1949 Oldsmobile Rocket 88, which shares names with the 1951 hit by Ike Turner and Jackie Brenston and some consider the origin of Rock & Roll. Many classic American movies feature muscle cars as an inanimate character, like the 1970 Chevelle from Dazed & Confused, 1969 Charger from Bullitt, and who could forget Elanor or the General Lee. The Fast and Furious series has done a pretty good job keeping classic muscle cars cool, but the end of that trend was inevitable.
Expect the future generations of Challengers, Chargers, Camaros, and Mustangs to be silent, heavy, and rather boring to drive outside the initial torque you get with electric motors. Plan on heading to a track? Drag racing has turned into a test of reaction time and circuits are now two-petal gearless affairs.
From stock street cars to the peak of formula racing, combustion and electric powertrains are incomparable when considering excitement, presence, and history. Hell, just watch a video of a Formula-E car doing donuts then watch a 10-year-old F1 car do donuts and tell me which one is cooler and which you want to see more of. EV’s started as a bit of a fad, but whether you like them or not, they’re here to stay.
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After the initial firestorm of media ends, another video is posted to the same social channels, this time revealing there is actually a combustion engine, at the same time posting on the dodge website the specifications of the new engine and how much more sustainable it is than the classic V8.
From here, we get the new car into the hands of popular influencers for initial reactions, reviews, and content generation through them. Some of these influencers might include: TJ Hunt, Throtl, DailyDrivenExotics, Donut Media, AdamLZ, Supercar Blondie, Emelia Hartford, and Hoonigan. On top of the organic promotion generated by influencers, the cars should visit drag racing events, track days, drifting events, popup car shows, and any other community oriented event that could get eyes on the new technology being delivered by Dodge.