The Dodge Charger is one of the biggest names in American muscle car history. However, Dodge is sending the beloved gas-powered beast to the chopping block soon. Still, before the only Charger you can get is an EV, we reflect on the loud, riotous, and fast legacy of the modern Dodge Charger sedan. The Dodge Charger is dead, long live the Dodge Charger.

Why are they discontinuing the Charger?

The modern Charger sedan is headed to the chopping block in the face of a shifting automotive industry. Fortunately for fans of the Mopar namesake, Dodge is continuing the historic moniker with a two-door EV concept that might push the badge into the electric age. However, before fans of high-octane fuel and superchargers start whining that the Dodge Charger is dead, the sedan has accomplished a lot for the brand and modern muscle car culture. 

The Dodge Charger might be dead, but it accomplished a lot for the brand

The modern Charger, like the Challenger, has put Mopar back on the map after the decades following the oil crisis. The four-door sedan, following the short-lived Dodge Magnum wagon, packed V8 powerplants into an American sedan for the masses. 

Moreover, Dodge refreshed both the Charger and Challenger in 2015 and, with it, an exceptional addition to its motor lineup. The 6.2L supercharged V8 “Hellcat” mill started appearing in the Charger, changing the landscape of sports sedans. For the first time, a four-door sedan with seating for five offered 707 horsepower with a layered soundtrack of bass V8 and shrill, manic supercharger whine. It’s a song that muscle car fans will miss after the Dodge Charger is dead.

Since then, the Charger has continued to say “check this out” to the standard push of the auto industry. Other sports sedans opted for hybridization, electrification, and performance all-wheel drive (AWD) setups. However, the Charger gained more power, weight, and even widebodies. 

What will be the last year of the Dodge Charger?

The Charger is heading to discontinuation after the 2023 model year. However, the model will get a sendoff that the marque hopes will celebrate the Charger’s contribution to muscle car culture. According to Autoweek, Dodge is releasing three limited edition “Last Call” Charger models. The first two, the Charger Super Bee and Scat Pack Swinger, pack the 485-horsepower 6.4L V8. 

However, the last Charger is the brightly-colored and wide-hipped King Daytona, which boasts an 807-horsepower Hellcat mill. Before the Dodge Charger is dead, the King Daytona is a fitting sendoff.

What’s replacing the Charger? 

The new SRT EV is the marque’s first move to preserve its muscle car culture in the electric age. However, instead of the symphonic thunder of supercharged V8 sound, the new era is serenaded by a different sound. Specifically, the new and fully-electric Charger Daytona SRT EV uses a Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust system involving a collection chamber and an amplifier to create an entirely new soundscape. 

However, even an AWD, tire-shredding EV Charger that looks more like a first-generation Charger than the sedan can’t remove the impact of the most recent Mopar sedans. The Charger took one look at sensible sports sedans and said, “I’ll do it my way instead.” It’s sad that the venerable Dodge Charger is destined to be dead, but its legacy is lasting.