Dodge didn’t ask for your permission, and frankly, it doesn’t need it. The 2026 Charger R/T arrives with a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter Sixpack inline-six. Standard output, they call it, as if 420 HP is something you’d describe as modest. It puts down 487 lb-ft of torque, rockets from 0 to 60 in 4.6 seconds, and covers the quarter-mile in 12.9. That’s a missile with a back seat.
Compared to the outgoing 5.7-liter HEMI V8 R/T, the new Sixpack adds 50 HP (+13.5%), 74 lb-ft of torque (+18.5%), shaves half a second off the 0-60 run, and cuts 0.6 seconds from the quarter-mile. The HEMI is dead. Long live the HEMI’s replacement, which is measurably better in every category that matters to anyone who actually drives.
CEO Matt McAlear described the new R/T as a muscle car you can use every day. Dodge built something genuinely fast and then added a trunk large enough to carry your regrets. Starting price sits at $49,995, making it the most affordable all-wheel-drive muscle car in America. Orders are open now, with deliveries expected before the end of the quarter.
The engineering underneath is no joke. Twin 50mm low-inertia turbochargers spool fast, counter-rotating turbine assemblies cut lag, and boost peaks at 22 psi. Maximum torque arrives at 2,500 rpm. Precision direct injection runs at 5,075 psi, oil-cooled aluminum pistons with DLC-coated pins reduce friction, and a water-to-air intercooler keeps intake temps honest during repeated hard pulls. Plasma-transferred wire arc cylinder bore coating handles the long-term durability.
The Charger’s body remains the widest in the segment, and yes, it still comes in four-door configuration. Inside, a 12.3-inch center display and a 10.25-inch driver screen come standard, with a 16-inch upgrade available for those who apparently need more screen real estate than a small television.
Available drive modes include Sport, Auto, Eco, and Wet/Snow. The optional Performance Handling Group adds Launch Control, Line Lock, six-piston Brembo front calipers, high-performance suspension, and 275/40ZR20 rubber on 20×10 wheels.
Above the R/T sits the Scat Pack, running the high-output version of the same Sixpack engine at 550 HP, with Garrett GT2054 turbos spinning up to 185,000 rpm and 30 psi of boost. It delivers 88% of peak torque at 2,500 rpm and sustains over 90% from 3,000 to 6,000 rpm. Then there’s the fully electric Charger Daytona Scat Pack at 670 HP, which is the fastest and most powerful muscle car ever built.
