AUTONEWS

Fully electrified Dodge Charger SRT, but with a roar of 126dB 

Some historic car makers are going electric, but without completely abandoning the sound of the engines and exhausts of their most iconic thermal cars. This is the case with Dodge, which attaches great importance to ensuring that its future electric sports model, derived from the Dodge Charger SRT, is recognizable by the sound it produces.

When the car was presented for the first time, this sound was not very popular with the public. It was powerful, but not exactly exciting. The Dodge teams therefore went back to work to improve it. The new sound signature of the model was presented on the sidelines of the Chicago show, autoblog informed on February 21, 2023. We also found out through videos posted on social networks.

A huskier sound that must sink in... While most electric vehicles rely on silence, Dodge wants its model to have a recognizable sound signature. The Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept was revealed stating that the model can emit a roar of up to 126 dB (decibels), like the equivalent thermal model in its Hellcat version.

To achieve this goal, Dodge filed several patents, mentioning an exhaust emulator called the "Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust System". This electronic sound can thus be worked on, as well as exhaust sounds.

During the performance, we discovered this proposed sound, but the spell didn't actually work. In this second outing, Dodge has improved on that sound. It sounds huskier, more grounded in the bass. The car really does seem to roar, as a big American V8 engine would. Also, the difference between the car driving with and without sound is quite confusing, you can hear it in this video.

The American YouTuber from Cars Made Simple, present at the venue, said: "It's really cool, and you can feel it in your chest". And, to add: Completely filled that room, no problem. It was extremely strong. Much stronger than I thought. » Same observation via this tweet who says : ” The Charger Daytona SRT Concept not only looks badass, it sounds badass. »

A sound that can still evolve... If this second version of the virtual exhaust sound is already more popular, it may not be the final version yet. Dodge is precisely looking to find the unique sound that will make everyone agree – except, probably, the opponents of electric vehicles who risk howling sacrilege.

The idea of associating relatively noisy sound signatures with electric vehicles continues to gain ground. Dodge, with its electric charger concept, Abarth, with its noisy version of the electric 500, are the most successful. The subject is also of particular interest to luxury brands such as Ferrari or Lamborghini, which will need this element to stand out with their electric vehicles. We can still question whether the 126 dB of this Dodge concept is not enough”

Author: Raphaelle Baut