The 2027 Charger Super Bee delivers 600 horsepower from its twin-turbo Hurricane engine, making it what Dodge boss Matt McAlear calls the “most power-dense muscle car ever.” But Dodge is already exploring additional ways to increase performance, from the return of the Hemi V-8 to hybrid systems and new turbocharging technology.

Dodge Is Still Chasing More Power

“We’re looking at every powertrain technology across the board to see where it makes sense,” Dodge boss Matt McAlear said during the brand’s annual Roadkill Nights rally over the weekend.

That search has produced an increasingly powerful lineup since the eighth-generation Dodge Charger debuted nearly two years ago. The latest example is the 2027 Charger Super Bee, which produces 600 horsepower from its twin-turbo Hurricane engine and can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds.

The Super Bee is nearly a full second quicker than the last-generation Super Bee. With 200 horsepower per liter, McAlear claims it is the “most power-dense muscle car ever.”

Dodge, however, does not appear satisfied with that level of performance. McAlear and other Dodge officials made clear that the company is already looking for ways to deliver even more power, with the next step seemingly certain to include the return of the iconic Hemi V-8.

Beyond the Charger Super Bee

The latest-generation Dodge Charger stands apart in several ways, including its availability with both two- and four-door body styles. More importantly, it is the first offering from parent company Stellantis to make full use of a new “multi-energy platform.”

The Charger is currently available with either an all-electric drivetrain with the Daytona package or two different versions of the six-cylinder Hurricane internal combustion engine.

It took only a matter of months for Dodge to determine that there was, at least for now, little market for the EVs. The company quickly ended production of the 496-hp Daytona R/T.

Dodge continues to produce the 630-hp Daytona Scat Pack, which makes 630 hp — or 670 hp in PowerShot Mode — and can outrun the original Charger Hellcat in the quarter mile.

But Daytona currently accounts for barely 5% of total Charger sales, McAlear said. That gap could widen following a 40% surge in demand for ICE-powered versions of the muscle car last month.

McAlear said Dodge should therefore be expected to pursue other solutions “as we continue to build out the (Charger) portfolio.”

The Case for More ICE Power

“We’re focused on pushing the boundaries as much as we can,” McAlear said, stressing that, “We’re not doing our job if we’re not constantly engaged with the R&D team.”

The Super Bee is the latest example of that approach. Its updated Hurricane engine produces 600 horsepower and 531 pound-feet of torque, but those figures remain below what Dodge achieved with the seventh-generation Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye Jailbreak edition.

That model reached 807 hp and 707 lb-ft during its short run in the 2022 and 2023 model years. The Hurricane-powered Super Bee also lacks the visceral appeal of the Hemi V-8.

McAlear is quick to change the subject whenever the word “Hemi” enters the conversation. But Dodge currently has three V-8s available in the Dodge Durango, while a nearly ready-to-go package is available from Ram.

The 2027 Ram 1500 SRT TRX uses a 6.2-liter version of the iconic engine producing 777 hp and 680 lb-ft. It carries a base MSRP of $99,995, plus $2,795 in delivery fees.

When it comes to performance, however, there are plenty of deep-pocket buyers.

SRT Explores New Performance Technology

The Hemi is not Dodge’s only possible route to more power, as the company demonstrated at Roadkill Nights. Working with six different tuners, the Stellantis muscle car brand displayed six Hurricane-powered Charger concepts producing as much as 1,064 horsepower.

That is where SRT comes into the picture. Short for Street and Racing Technology, SRT is the Stellantis unit responsible for developing new ways to increase performance for the North American brands Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram.

The division has also developed another potential solution. Last week, SRT showed a prototype eBoost Air system designed to address turbo lag.

Anyone familiar with turbocharged engines knows the delay that can occur after pressing the throttle while the turbocharger builds boost before peak launch torque arrives. The eBoost system is essentially an electrically powered compressor capable of adding as much as 10 psi of boost in just 650 milliseconds.

It operates while the turbos “spool up,” providing an essentially instant rush of power.

Joel Baker, SRT’s vice president of product engineering, said the system went from concept to prototype in just seven weeks. “There’s no plans…for production,” he added. “Not yet.”

Still, Baker’s boss, SRT chief Tom Sacoman, said there are clear opportunities for a system such as eBoost Air in the automotive performance market.

Hybrids Could Add Another Performance Option

Hybrid drivetrains are becoming increasingly common in motorsports, including Formula 1, IndyCar, the World Rally Championship and the FIA World Endurance Championship. Even NASCAR has been exploring hybrid options since 2019, although it has so far retained more traditional ICE powertrains.

Hybrids have also changed in street vehicles over the last few years. Gas-electric drivetrains are no longer limited to an emphasis on fuel economy at the expense of driving performance.

The latest Toyota Prius makes up to 196 hp, while the plug-in hybrid Prius Prime increases that figure to 220 hp. Other vehicles are trading some mpg for substantially more performance, including the Lexus RX 500h F Sport, which delivers up to 366 hp.

“You clearly can use (hybrids) to make a performance version” of a vehicle using an ICE drivetrain, Sacoman said.

Whether that approach will work for Dodge, however, remains in the exploratory stage.

Performance Competition Could Intensify

The surge in Charger sales indicates a clear market for performance vehicles as well as coupe and sedan body styles that many automotive pundits were ready to write off. The segment could become even more competitive before decade’s end.

Ford has never been shy about increasing the power of its iconic Mustang. At the same time, demand for the classic coupe has been fading, and the automaker is searching for a new formula.

At a dealer meeting in Las Vegas this week, Ford CEO Jim Farley reportedly confirmed plans for a four-door version of the pony car.

Chevrolet, meanwhile, is reportedly working on a revival of the Camaro badge. A seventh-generation package is expected to be offered in both two- and four-door body styles when it launches in 2029.

McAlear downplayed those traditional rivals, telling me, “We’ve never looked at Mustang and Camaro in the past as competitors as much as they are alternatives.”

He also acknowledged the role competition plays in Dodge’s pursuit of performance: “Competition keeps us better, stronger, and helps us push the limits, helps us set benchmarks to improve and conquer.”

Dodge’s continued pursuit of performance means the company is exploring a wide range of powertrain technologies. Sacoman summed up that approach by saying, “You never know where things are going (so it’s) good to have as much as you can on the shelf.”

Which version would you prioritize next: Hemi V-8, eBoost, or hybrid?