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Things aren’t always as they seem, or even appear, despite what our eyes might tell us. On Thursday, as part of Stellantis’ turnaround plan presentation the automaker showed journalists and analysts the Dodge Copperhead SRT in a closed room where no electronics were allowed. We saw it for all of maybe three minutes. The paint might have still been wet. No touching!
At the time, and in that very brief few minutes, it seemed like the Copperhead SRT was based on the Dodge Charger. Turns out it’s not. Head of American Brands, Ram CEO, and Head of SRT, Tim Kuniskis, exclusively sat own with The Drive and had a one-on-one discussion on the latest episode of The Drivecast about the bevy of upcoming products. One of them? The Copperhead SRT, and Kuniskis revealed a key detail, “I will tell you that it is not the hard points of a Charger.”
Listen to the entire conversation starting at the moment Kuniskis explains the details behind the Copperhead below.
The reason the Copperhead isn’t based on the Charger? “You couldn’t get a Charger with those proportions and that stance because of the multi-energy design of where the battery is encapsulated in the bottom of the car—without cheating. I mean, you know, just for like a show car or whatever, but that car’s not cheated. Those are real hard points, real production-intent proportions,” Kuniskis said.
That multi-energy design Kuniskis referred to is the fact that the Charger is now based on the STLA Large platform. The platform is designed to be able to accommodated everything from an electric- to gas-powered setup and even a a stop-gap EREV powertrain. As Kuniskis noted, that means the floor of the vehicle is raised in all versions so there’s space for a battery, in the electric models. Even gas-powered Chargers have this, and it translates to a bunch of open space underneath the gas-powered models.
Kuniskis refused to confirm exactly what platform the Copperhead is based on, but hinted that it’s from the global Stellantis portfolio. That raises all sorts of questions as to where exactly this halo vehicle will end up being built once it enters production. “SRT only works if SRT can take sunken investments from around the globe [emphasis ours] and leverage those. Because if you try to make high-performance halo cars and you try to make them bespoke, it will never pay back. I mean, it’s—it’s like racing for the sake of racing. I mean, it’s ego. You have to take investments that are already sunk and then leverage those,” Kuniskis said.
I saw exhaust tips and Kuniskis confirmed, Copperhead “would have a combustion engine.” Would, as if this isn’t coming, except it is and it’s on the product roadmap I saw. But what kind of gas-powered engine? Don’t just assume it will be a V8.
“We have some ideas and some things that we’re kicking around. It could be something that you’re not aware of. It could be something that doesn’t exist today. It’s very easy to look at the current portfolio and say, “Okay, it’s a Hemi, it’s a this, it’s a that.” But this is a car that’s committed to be here between now and 2030, so there could be another engine coming that nobody’s aware of that would be the perfect engine for that,” Kuniskis said.
Kuniskis revealed Stellantis is “toying around with some new technology” and said we’ll see it this summer right before Roadkill Nights, which is in August.
When asked about a hybrid V8 Kuniskis threw cold water on the idea by noting that setup will instantly date the car and someday make it “an 8-track.”
The idea of a 426 Hellephant Hemi appeals, but Kuniskis didn’t bite at the idea when presented.
What is interesting is the fact that Dodge CEO Matt McAlear told The Drive in March, “We’re gonna continue to push the limits of this engine [the Hurricane I6] and see what it can do.” McAlear also confirmed that SRT is actively working on “upgrades we can offer for the Sixpack.”
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As Director of Content and Product, Joel draws on over 15 years of newsroom experience and inability to actually stop working to help ensure The Drive shapes the future of automotive media. He’s also a World Car Award juror.
