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Dodge made heads turn in 2024 when it discontinued the V8-powered Dodge Charger R/T and SRT models in favor of the all-electric Charger Daytona and its twin-turbocharged, inline-six–powered Charger Sixpack sibling. Hardcore muscle enthusiasts were none too pleased with the situation, despite both models getting to 60 miles per hour as quickly as their Hemi predecessors while also consuming less energy. The fake "Fratzonic" exhaust note of the EV or the Euro-ish snarl of the Sixpack just can't match the red-blooded rumble of an American V8, and enthusiasts were mad.
There is a solution. Dodge introduced the so-called "Hustle Stuff Drag Pak" late last year as an option on the 2026 Charger. It puts a Whipple 3.0-liter supercharger under the hood and a 5.8-liter V8 under the supercharger. While the Hellcat-powered 2023 Charger Demon 170 topped out at 1,025 horsepower, the latest Hustle Stuff model can put down an estimated 1,700 hp, but only if you fill it with the appropriate race fuel. That's because the Charger Drag Pak is a specialized, track-only version of the muscle coupe that lives its life one quarter-mile at a time. And if you want that power, be prepared to cough up nearly $235,000 for the pleasure.
A Long History Of V8 Muscle
The Dodge Charger arrived on the scene in 1966 as a stylish, fastback hardtop variant of the Dodge Coronet. Despite a powertrain lineup that started with a 5.2-liter (318-cubic-inch) V8 and ended with a big-block 440 (7.2-liter), it was more intended to be a quick, long-distance luxury car than a drag strip terror.
That changed when the second-generation Charger came on the scene in 1968, which had less luxury content but a newly available Road/Track package that came standard with a 440 Magnum V8 and offered a 426 (7.0-liter) Hemi as an option. Hollywood made the former powertrain famous when a 1968 Charger R/T chased Detective Frank Bullitt and his Ford Mustang GT around San Francisco in the movie Bullitt.
Another star turn in The Dukes of Hazzard, the aerodynamic Daytona model, and the arrival of the 440 Six Pack V8 with three two-barrel carburetors ensured the second-gen Charger remained a legend for a long, long time. Today's Charger does its best to invoke its famous predecessor, co-opting the Six Pack branding and boasting similar Coke-bottle hips.
In 1971, Dodge's muscle coupe shared its fuselage styling with the Plymouth Roadrunner, but that was also the last year for the Six Pack. From then on out, drag strip performance was increasingly less important to Charger buyers. By 1974, the two-door had become more of a personal luxury car, a move that Dodge cemented with the fourth-generation 1975 model that shared its styling with the oh-so-disco Chrysler Cordoba. At least the V8 was standard equipment.
What Does The V8-Powered 2026 Charger Get?
These days, a V8 isn't even on the options list unless buyers go for that aforementioned Hustle Stuff Drag Pak. Go that route, and customers get a stripped-out body shell with a pre-impregnated carbon fiber front fascia, hood, doors, and rear hatch. An SFI-certified roll cage and two racing bucket seats live in a surprisingly posh cabin that retains the stock Charger's carpeting and door panels, as well as a revised version of the dashboard that incorporates an analog instrument cluster and revised center information display.
Under the hood is a race-prepped version of Chrysler's 354-cubic-inch Hemi V8, which is unique from the 5.7-liter 345 found in the previous-gen Charger R/T. A cast aluminum block, billet crankshaft, forged H-beam connecting rods, and forged pistons provide enough strength to stand up against the twin-screw supercharger. Appropriate for its role as a quarter-mile track rat, a high-strength three-speed automatic transmission is the only gearbox available.
Underscoring its purpose as a quarter-mile weapon, the Charger Hustle Stuff Drag Pak gets skinny 17x4.5-inch wheels and fat 15x11-inch rear wheels. An adjustable coilover suspension and chromoly safety cage that's NHRA-certified to a 7.5-second quarter-mile round out the package. If that's not enough, owners can bolster the $234,995 price by adding a $6,395 vinyl wrap or $13,995 paint job in one of Dodge's High Impact colors. However, a handful of Direct Connection graphics are available for a more palatable $4,290 to $4,990.
Paying 235 Grand For A Hemi
For now, the Drag Pak is the only way to get a Hemi under the hood of the Dodge Charger, but hardcore muscle fans might want to think twice before pulling that trigger. We suspect its racing engine would run very unhappily on even premium pump gasoline, and even if that weren't the case, the Hustle Stuff Drag Pak doesn't have a VIN and therefore will never be legal to use on the street. So if you've got that amount of cash, and you're desperate for an American V8, what other options do you have?
The most obvious substitute is probably the Ford Mustang Dark Horse SC pony car, which takes the place of the previous-generation Shelby GT500. Like its predecessor, it gets its power from a supercharged 5.2-liter V8, routed to the rear wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. With 790 horsepower and 660 pound-feet of torque, the Dark Horse SC is down by around 900 hp compared to the Charger, but it does have the notable advantage of being legal to drive on the road.
It's also built to handle, especially when optioned with the Track package that includes carbon fiber wheels, carbon ceramic brakes, MagneRide dampers, and Michelin Sport Cup tires. Although it won't do a quarter-mile in the 7-second range, we don't think its 11.2-second ET is anything to sneeze at. Oh, and it starts at $108,085 with destination, and even with every option box ticked, it's still about $60,000 cheaper than the V8-powered Challenger.
If your tastes skew more exotic, then perhaps the $229,995 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X is the car for you. Its twin-turbocharged and hybridized 5.5-liter V8 powertrain puts out a staggering 1,250 hp, down around 450 hp on the Charger Drag Pak. Equip it with the ZTK track package and carbon fiber aerodynamics, and it can hit 60 miles per hour in less than 2.0 seconds. Its quarter-mile time of 9.1 seconds makes it the closest thing to a drag-prepped muscle car currently offered by an American manufacturer.
Furthermore, the Corvette ZR1X handles brilliantly, with all-wheel-drive grip and excellent suspension balance giving it great control over that prodigious power. With those performance packages added in, the ZR1X is at least a $244,490 car, but we think the extra $9,000 over the Charger V8 is worth it unless you happen to live on a drag strip that's exactly 0.25 miles away from your office and grocery store.
Does A Charger Really Need A V8?
If you're hellbent on a Dodge muscle car and don't have the means for the Drag Pak, does that mean you're out of luck? We don't think so. The Dodge Charger Sixpack R/T starts out with a 420-hp, 468-lb-ft inline-six, which can get it to 60 mph in a swift 4.5 seconds. What's more, it can also get 20 mpg combined. All of those stats are better than the 5.7-liter Hemi it replaces in the old Charger sedan and Challenger coupe.
Those who want more power can opt for the Sixpack Scat Pack, which throws down 550 hp and 531 lb-ft and hits 60 mph in 3.9 seconds. A top speed of 177 mph makes it just about as fast as its 1970s NASCAR forebears, while all-wheel drive (standard on all Chargers) gives it greater grip and handling prowess, as well as some cold-weather confidence. Plus, the Scat Pack offers a rear-wheel-drive mode for maximum drifting and burnout potential.
The new Sixpack isn't even the first Dodge muscle car to get a straight-six engine. In 1961, the compact Dodge Lancer offered a 225-cubic-inch Slant Six with a dealer-installed "Hyper Pak" that gave it 196 horsepower and a quarter-mile time in the 16s, matching the performance of the later 1968 Charger with the base V8 engine. The legendary Plymouth Barracuda and Duster models came standard with slant sixes as well, although without some aftermarket help in the way of improved carburetors and cams, these were admittedly mild performance machines.
The Hemi Returns, But Not Here
It's true that the inline-six sings with a BMW-like rasp, complete with pops and crackles on overrun, rather than its Hemi predecessor's muscular growl. If you can get past that, however, the inline-six is better in nearly every way than its V8 predecessors, and it's wrapped in a handsome, retro package to boot. Better yet, the 2026 Dodge Charger Sixpack doesn't cost a quarter of a million dollars, and you can take it through the local drive-thru without risking serious legal penalties. Give it a chance.
Source: Dodge, Hot Rod
