The Dodge Charger EV is here, complete with a synthetic exhaust note like the one first heard on the Charger Daytona SRT concept car back in 2022. That system is called the Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust, and while it has been in development for years, the final version of the effect was conspicuously absent from the car's launch. That is because the final version is not quite finished yet.
Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis says that a final revision has not been decided on, leaving room for improvement on everything heard so far. Whatever the company picks, expect it to sound at least something like a V-8. Kuniskis says that this is essential to the goal of the exhaust system, which is designed to give the Charger a familiar feel despite the very different powertrain choices:
"There's something in it that if you're a muscle car fan enthusiast, it subliminally makes you feel comfortable," Kuniskis said. "There's something familiar about it. And if you think about sound and you have all the different layers of sound—treble bass, treble midrange bass—you can tune that sound just like you tune an exhaust system, right? The bass track, the tempo, the cadence, the beat of the Fratzonic is a very familiar sound. It's literally the beat that cadence, the tempo of a Hemi V-8 firing order. So while it's unique, different, and modern, there's something very familiar hidden in there."
The brand has already shared two versions of the Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust, one when the concept debuted in 2022 and another in early 2023. Dodge opted for an inline-six for internal combustion Chargers going forward and does not have any plans for a new V-8 any time soon, so the final Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust note may be the most aggressive noise coming out of a production Charger any time soon.
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