Dodge Performance Takes Center Stage at the Chicago Auto Show

1 year ago Events Gallery

The majority of automakers displaying at the ongoing 2023 Chicago Auto Show are focusing on fuel-friendly SUVs, electric SUVs and boring electric commuter vehicles, but since Dodge execs do not concern themselves with the opinions of the masses, their display focused on performance. The Dodge display isn’t as big as the Ram and Jeep® displays on either side, each of which have elaborate drive courses inside of Chicago’s McCormick Place, but with just a handful of vehicles, the brand has more power than any other automaker at the Windy City show.

Muscle – Current and Future

The center of the Dodge display is composed of a Challenger Black Ghost, a Charger King Daytona and the new Charger Daytona SRT® Banshee EV Concept. The Black Ghost and King Daytona each offer 807 horsepower and while we don’t have power numbers for the Charger Daytona SRT Banshee Concept, the brand has already stated that it will beat the SRT Hellcat cars in every measure of performance.

For many people, this is a first chance to see the 1-of-300 Black Ghost and King Daytona models, both of which are part of the Last Call special edition lineup. Really, with only 300 units of each being sold, auto shows will be the only time that some people will see these cars in person.

As for the future of Dodge muscle, the Charger Daytona SRT Banshee Concept is displayed next to the King Daytona, creating a cool side-by-side look at the evolution of the model line. This is the same car that was introduced at Speed Week last year in Metro Detroit and at the Detroit Auto Show in metallic gray, but before heading to SEMA, the L.A. Auto Show and CES, it was painted Stryker Red. At the SEMA Show, this car wore 18-inch wheels and drag radials and in L.A., it had a new 20-inch wheel design with all dark trim, but in Chicago, it rides on the same wheels with which it debuted last year.

While I liked the look of the Charger EV Concept when it debuted last year, I absolutely love how the car looks in the deep metallic red. In addition to simply being more eye-catching than the gray, Stryker Red showcases the styling of the car a bit better and it looks great with the machined-face wheels.

Performance SUVs

The Challenger and Chargers are flanked by the Dodge performance SUVs, with the Durango SRT 392 on one side and a pair of new Hornets on the other side. With the SRT Hellcat package returning to the Durango lineup for 2023, I am a bit surprised that they are showcasing the 392 rather than the supercharged models, but it looks great in white with two-tone top strikes and black trim from front to rear.

As for the new Hornet, there is a GT model in Blue Steele and a GLH Concept in black with red and matte black trim. The Hornet GT has arrived in the Build and Price section of Dodge.com, so for prospective buyers, this is the first chance for show-goers to be able to sit in the new SUV then look it up online to check pricing and options. This particular Hornet GT is equipped with the Track Pack, which adds the unique 20-inch wheels, red painted brake calipers, dual mode suspension, Alcantara seats, bright pedals, aluminum door sills and a leather sport steering wheel.

The Hornet GLH is still a concept, but every aspect of this concept seems to be production friendly. Unlike many modern concepts, the GLH doesn’t have any outrageous features that are a production impossibility, so it seems possible that the sportiest of the new Hornets could eventually transition from concept to production.

The 2023 Chicago Auto Show opens to the public on February 11 and runs through February 20.

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