Dodge has let rip the final version of its virtual engine sound profile for its upcoming Charger Daytona electric muscle car, and it sounds like a gallon of gasoline combusting in a hot flash.
The new Charger Daytona is, of course, an EV that does not burn any gas. But that isn’t stopping Dodge from trying to trick owners and onlookers with its new “Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust” system that sounds like it’s carrying some sort of Hemi engine but built expressly for a spaceship.
“We know our Dodge enthusiasts want that visceral feel,” Dodge brand CEO Matt McAlear says in a press release. “The Charger’s new Fratzonic system delivers the adrenaline-pumping spirit that they expect.” And Dodge might be on to something: a recent survey suggests people don’t like the inorganic “flying saucer” type sounds many EVs make compared to ones that sound like combustion engines.
Instead of pistons and fumes disturbing the peace and quiet in your neighborhood, the car has a separate, dedicated amplifier capable of delivering up to 600 watts of power. The Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust design includes “dual bespoke, high-efficiency extreme bandwidth transducers coupled with dual Fratzonic Chamber-loaded passive radiators, all housed in a custom enclosure.” There are also four custom elastomer isolator bushings to support the hardware that help make it sound like a real exhaust.
Switch to a silent mode in case the frenzied cacophony gets too much
Dodge is demonstrating the electric vehicle’s new “signature rumble and tactile sound wave output” available in the R/T and Scat Pack models today at a press conference. The automaker also released a video with the Daytona going through its paces in and out of a tunnel, down a road, and doing figure-eights in a parking lot.
The Fratzonic system output is responsive to the way you drive. It gets more intense in special Drag, Drift, and Donut track modes and drops it a notch to medium-level noise on the standard Sport Mode. You can adjust the Fratzonic settings on the infotainment screen and even switch to a silent mode in case the frenzied cacophony gets too much.
