MatoCar's Apple Car 2.0: How We Did It

WHAT IT IS: A fully electrified hellsled from the automotive industry's gas-chuggingest, tire-smokingest, hair-on-your-chestiest brand, Dodge.WHY IT MATTERS: When even Dodge is preparing to transition to EVs, it's time to accept the inevitable: The revolution will be rechargeable. Of course, that doesn't mean abandoning heritage. So Dodge, the marque behind the Challenger, Charger, Hellcat, Demon, and myriad other badass badges, is spinning up an electric muscle car as a bridge between its fully electrified future and its Hemi-powered past.This car's retro flavor will help that mission. As seen in teaser images/video and our exclusive renderings, its boxy nose will ape those of classic Chargers—wouldn't that be an appropriate name to use on the EV?—from the golden period of muscle in the late '60s and early '70s; that era's triangular Fratzog logo returns, too, and is expected to appear on all of Dodge's EVs moving forward. The eMuscle name has also been bandied about, although it's not yet clear if this will be the new muscle car's name or an overarching theme for Dodge.2025 Dodge eMuscle Electric Muscle Car Rendering with WingPLATFORM AND POWERTRAIN: Carlos Tavares, CEO of parent company Stellantis, has called the car "so brilliant that it is shocking"—it's electric, get it?—and teasers confirm it will have all-wheel drive, showing smoke billowing from all four tires. AWD means the muscle car will pack at least two electric motors, and Stellantis has said the car's STLA Large platform will offer motors that make as much as 443 hp each, which means it could have nearly 900 horsepower. But this is Dodge we're talking about, so it's entirely possible the car gets three or even four electric motors to help it achieve 60 mph in a rumored 2.0 seconds."If an electric motor will make it quicker, we will do it," Dodge chief Tim Kuniskis has said. The battery packs for STLA Large will range from 101 to 118 kWh in size with up to 500 miles of driving range, though surely not in this beastly machine. Worried about doing burnouts in silence? Fret not: Dodge wants the car to be loud and has created a muscled-up sound that intensifies based on how you're driving.ESTIMATED PRICE: The sweet spot for muscle cars is from $40,000 to $50,000, Dodge says, so figure the production EV muscle car will land in that zone—at least to start. As with the Hellcat models and the Demon, you'll pay a premium for more performance, even as Dodge looks to maintain its traditional power-per-dollar value.

No filter. That's the best way to describe what it's like to drive the Morgan Super 3. In most modern vehicles, from a Porsche 911 GT3 to a Tesla Model 3 to a Ford F-150, you're protected by an invisible electronic army, digital shape shifters that seem to warp the laws of physics, changing not just your perception of the road, but also of your talent behind the wheel.Not in the Morgan Super 3. Driving the Super 3 is, essentially, driving the way it used to be, before stability control and lane keep assist and adaptive cruise control established their guardrails of ones and zeros, when the wind streamed through your hair and your elbows stuck out over the bodywork as you wrestled with the steering wheel through turns. It's raw, and it's real.Make the perfect heel-and-toe downshift in the Morgan Super 3, carve the perfect corner, and you know it's all down to you. Make a mistake, and you own it. No filter. And that's what makes the Morgan Super 3 such an irresistible little sports car.The three-wheeled Super 3 takes Morgan back to its roots. The first car this eccentric English automaker built 113 years ago was a three-wheeler, a single driven wheel at the back, and two up front for better steering and stability. Indeed, Morgan built nothing but three-wheelers until 1936 and didn't end full-time production of three-wheeled cars until 1952.The three-wheeler concept was revived in 2012 with the determinedly retro Three-Wheeler, which was powered by an air-cooled, American-made S&S V-twin motorcycle engine mounted transversely across the nose of the car, echoing the powertrain format and layout of Morgan three-wheelers built until 1939.The Super 3 might channel Morgan's origins, but it's anything but a retro car. Look past the number of wheels and lack of electronic frippery, and the rest of it is a thoroughly modern machine.The chassis is a superformed aluminum monocoque, Morgan's first ever. Bolted to the front of it is a large cast aluminum structure that cradles the engine and provides all the pickup points for the multilink front suspension. The single rear wheel is located by a twin-beam swingarm with coil-over shocks on either side, and the beetle-backed bodywork enveloping it is, yes, also superformed aluminum.The floorpan is a non-structural aluminium piece that allows for future powertrain upgrades, including full electric drive.Speaking of drive, the Super 3 rekindles a relationship with Ford Motor Company and Morgan three-wheelers dating back to the F-Series Three-Wheeler built between 1933 and 1952 that was powered by Ford side-valve engines. Under the stubby hood of the Super 3 is a naturally aspirated version of Ford's light and compact 1.5-liter, three-cylinder Dragon engine, used in turbocharged form in the Ford Bronco Sport, as well as the European-spec Ford Focus and Fiesta hatchbacks.The Ford engine drives the Super 3's single rear wheel through a Mazda Miata five-speed manual transmission connected to a bevel box and carbon-fiber-reinforced drive belt. The engine produces 118 hp at 6,500 rpm and 110 lb-ft of torque at 4,500 rpm, which makes the Morgan Super 3 the second-least-powerful car we've driven since the 89-hp Smart ForTwo. (The other car? The 2020 Toyota Yaris XLE, which pumps out 106 hp.) None holds a feeble candle in the wind to Mitsubishi's Mirage, the least powerful new car for sale in America today, which is equipped with a 78-hp 1.2-liter triple.But the headline output numbers don't tell the full story. Because the Morgan weighs little more than 1,400 pounds, those modest outputs deliver spritely performance. The company claims the Super 3 will scoot to 60 mph in about 7.0 seconds and hit a top speed of 130 mph.It feels much faster. That's because the Morgan Super 3 delivers such an elemental, visceral, almost heroic driving experience. It rides so low, you can simply reach over the side and touch the tarmac with your fingertips. It has no roof, no doors, and only vestigial aero screens to keep the bugs out of your teeth.You see the front wheels shimmy and shake and swivel and feel the feedback through the non-assisted steering. You sense millimetric lateral motions through your butt as the single rear tire rides the bumps and cambers the front wheels straddle.The little Ford triple pulls smoothly from low revs, but it really starts percolating from about 3,000 rpm and spins happily to 6,900 rpm, emitting a throaty bark from the optional sport exhaust that exits just past your right ear. The Mazda five-speed transmission is as snickety-snick quick and crisp through the ratios as ever, and the bottom-hinged pedals are beautifully weighted and aligned, perfect dancing partners for your feet.There's a lovely economy about the Morgan Super 3's controls, from the quick throw of the shifter and the short arc of the clutch pedal to the meaty feel of the brake pedal and the lively throttle response. The expressive steering initially feels low geared even though it's only 2.5 turns lock-to-lock. It's then you realize the Super 3 doesn't have a particularly tight turning circle—no bad thing when there are only three wheels on your wagon.It feels a little odd to drive quickly at first, the Morgan Super 3. But you quickly learn that's all part of the three-wheeler experience. The default handling mode is mild understeer, the bespoke, vintage-profile 130/90 Avon Speedmaster tires on the modernist 20-inch alloy wheels hardly offering the footprint to promote instant turn-in responsenor overcome the thrust from the rear wheel.That said, the Super 3 is unlike any four-wheel car when you do get on the power. You don't get the same sensations of roll and squat across the rear axle as you do in a four-wheel car because, obviously, there isn't one. Also, there's no differential, so the drive you do get is instant and unfettered. Get aggressive with the throttle, and you can easily spin up the rear wheel in slower corners—the 15-inch rim is shod with a 195/65 all-season tire—and the Super 3's tail will swing wide, but it all happens progressively.What's so bewitching about the Morgan Super 3 is that from 40 mph to 70 mph on any winding two-lane, you're totally engaged with the art and science of driving. It's a sports car, in the truest sense of the term.Yes, it's minimalist, but cleverly so. You learn to step over the side of the cockpit and brace your feet on an aluminum crossbar in front of the seat before sliding down behind the reach and rake steering wheel. The fixed seats are surprisingly comfortable, and the adjustable pedal box means even those over 6 feet can get comfortable behind the wheel.The interior has been designed to cope with the elements. The seats can be trimmed in water-resistant leather or a vegan technical fabric that's 100 percent waterproof and can be cleaned with bleach. The digital instruments, housed in cast aluminum pods at the center of the dash, along with all the switchgear, will withstand a quick blast from a jet wash.The rectangular "barge boards" along the side of the car that manage the airflow through the cooling radiators on either side of the engine can be fitted with a patented clip system—Morgan's first ever patent—that allows specially designed hard cases, waterproofed soft bags, or racks to be attached to them. The clips, and the hardware that attaches to them, will carry up to 44 pounds. A CNC-machined luggage rack that sits atop the Super 3's bug-tail is also available as an option.We can't buy any of the current four-wheeled Morgans in the U.S. The Super 3, however, is being homologated for sale here, and the first cars are scheduled to arrive stateside in January 2023, priced from $54,000 plus destination and taxes.That sounds pricey when you consider you can buy a well-specified Mazda Miata or one of the Toyota GR86/Subaru BRZ twins for under $40,000, cars that are more practical, sensible daily drivers. But the Morgan Super 3 doesn't play in that territory; it's a sports car that can steal the limelight from noisy, mega-horsepower supercars that are only marginally more practical, can't legally be driven any faster, and cost a whole lot more money.Ferraris and Lambos and Porsches are dime a dozen in places like Beverly Hills and South Beach and Houston and Long Island. But a Morgan Super 3? Now that'll turn heads.2023 Morgan Super 3 Specifications PRICE $55,500 (MT est) LAYOUT Front-engine, RWD, 2-pass, 0-door roadster ENGINE 1.5L/118-hp/110-lb-ft DOHC 12-valve I-3 TRANSMISSION 5-speed manual CURB WEIGHT 1430lb (MT est) WHEELBASE 99.7in L x W x H 141.0 x 72.8 x 44.6 in 0-60 MPH 7.0 sec (mfr) EPA FUEL ECON, CITY/HWY/COMB Not yet rated EPA RANGE (COMB) N/A ON SALE Now Show All

Muscle car aficionados take heart: the future of electric cars from Dodge is mean, menacing, and loud. Proof: The Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept which teases the production electric muscle car coming in 2024 amid promises it will beat all the performance metrics Dodge has laid down to date.Yes, the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT is powered by batteries and electric motors, but air still swooshes through chambers and pipes for a rumble very similar to the roar of a Hemi Hellcat V-8 in today's Dodge Chargers and Challengers. It is only when the electric Charger is being turned off that the final whirr reminds you it is a battery-electric car. And no melted jellybean shape here—the car is sleek, powerful, and true to Dodge muscle car DNA.The Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept has been imbued with the looks and sounds that should appeal to the muscle car brotherhood customer base. The concept is Dodge's vision of its replacement for the internal combustion engine muscle cars that will soon go out of production. The last Dodge Chargers and Dodge Challengers will roll off the line at the Brampton, Ontario, plant in December 2023. Here's what it sounds like, from the live reveal on YouTube:Dodge brand CEO Tim Kuniskis says Dodge needed its own unique pathway to the EV age; the small brand would get lost if it tried to do things the same way as bigger players. To stand out and hold its own, Dodge needed to show electrification can still shock people.The Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept is designed to impress and appease its loyal customer base, many of whom are fundamentally opposed to EVs and all they stand for. So, Dodge created an e-muscle car that looks mean and roars as loud as the Hellcats with supercharged Hemi V-8s that it will replace. "We believe we need the sound and experience," says Kuniskis. That is why the car has a multispeed transmission and an exhaust note, so the driver can feel and hear the crack of the exhaust while shifting.Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept is a True CoupeThe Dodge Charger Daytona SRT is a large car, and yes, this Charger is a true coupe with only two doors but with a hatch for greater utility. The concept, in Greys of Thunder dark glossy paint, has a clean design right down to the flush door handles and absence of a rear spoiler. It is muscle without being a caricature, bold yet subtle. Head of Dodge Exterior Design Scott Krugger says his team started by designing a muscle car, not an EV, with a signature face, swept profile, and turbine-style 21-inch wheels.It is also pure EV without a melted front for aerodynamics. Instead, true to the Daytona name, it has a nose cone built into it, a patented R-Wing which allows air to pass through the front of the hood and enhance downforce while keeping a blunt Dodge profile that all but hides the headlights. There are carbon fiber intakes on both sides of the front and rear fascias for an air curtain to further improve aerodynamics. The front end is patented, as is the sound, which means these are intended for production."We found a way to make a muscle car slippery," Kuniskis says.What about the Fratzog logo Dodge has been teasing us with? The triangular badge adorned Dodge muscle cars from 1962-1976 and stood for nothing in particular. It now has a purpose as the new symbol for Dodge electrification—and there are Fratzog badges all over the concept. It glows white in the center of the cross-car light bar across the front grille, red in the rear taillight, and on the center locks of the wheels.Sounds Like a Hellcat?Back to the sound. This is the industry's first exhaust system for an electric vehicle, producing a similar 126-decibel sound as the one coming from the today's Hellcat engine. Dodge calls it "Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust." When the Daytona converts electricity to power, air flows through the exhaust system and the sound produced goes through an amplifier and tuning chamber at the rear of the vehicle. You can see and feel the pressure from the exhaust coming out the back.Dodge Charger Daytona SRT's Electric BitsDodge is not revealing full specs and details yet, but we do know the high-performance SRT trim will be powered by a new 800-volt Banshee propulsion system. Lower trim models will have a 400-volt system. The screaming Banshee badge is on both sides of the car where Dodge previously put Hellcat and Demon logos on its internal combustion-powered vehicles. The Banshee name and badge will be used only for the top-performing EVs. Kuniskis refers to the concept as the Daytona Banshee.The concept has standard all-wheel drive so we know there are at least two motors, one up front and one in the back. AWD is also key to making the Daytona SRT quicker than the Hellcats that precede it, Dodge executives say.The Daytona Banshee has a multi-speed transmission with electro-mechanical shifting. Dubbed eRupt, the transmission does not deliver more power, but allows the driver to feel each shift point, Kuniskis says. The brand chief won't reveal the number of gears or provide any performance figures yet. What we do know is there will be three power levels available and customers can go to Direct Connection authorized dealers who will offer six more levels, all covered under factory warranty. All nine power levels were designed in advance, with the hardware in place for additional upgrades at the time of purchase or later.Do a PowerShotAnd all nine levels come with a new adrenaline boost: the PowerShot push-to-pass feature. Push a button on the steering wheel for an instantaneous discharge of power, delivering an extra 25 horsepower on demand, for a few seconds, enough time to blow by the car in front of you.Drivers can choose Auto, Sport, Track, and Drag drive modes which change the driving dynamics and corresponding displays, sound, and interior lighting.Dodge officials are not yet providing range figures, but Kuniskis argues Hellcat buyers don't care about fuel economy. He says both the 400- and 800-volt models will provide the range needed to be competitive. The car will use the new STLA Large platform developed by Stellantis which is capable of up to 500 miles of range, but Kuniskis says the muscle cars will not hit that figure because of the elements that have been added to it, despite the use of carbon fiber and other efforts to reduce weight. Battery sizes for vehicles using STLA Large are expected to range from 101-118 kilowatt hours.Step Inside If Your DareThe dark sinister theme continues inside the vehicle, says Jeff Gale, Dodge's chief interior designer.The most striking feature is the multicolored lighting that stretches across the dash and through the doors, which have raised gray slats that strake diagonally for a unique look, which is not easy to do. In red, the light glows like lava flowing through troughs. There are circuit-like graphics on the carbon fiber floor that work their way up the vehicle, surrounding the passengers, flowing under the seats and up to the center console and slim instrument panel.The three-spoke performance steering wheel with flat top and bottom is also illuminated with a red SRT logo in the center, paddle shifters, and the PowerShot button on one side and drive mode controls on the other. The Daytona has a pistol-grip shifter and glowing red start button hidden under a jet-fighter-inspired cap that you flip up to engage.The driver-centric cockpit has another Fratzog as the background to the 16-inch curved screen driver display. The 12.3-inch center screen is large by Dodge standards.The concept has four slim, lightweight, race-inspired bolstered seats with a perforated Fratzog pattern. Between the seats is a floating, open flow-through storage area, all lit up. The console runs to the back to serve all four passengers.The Daytona has a panoramic liftgate-style hatch and the seats fold flat to give the car more utility—you can stuff a snowboard in this muscle car.Dodge promised it would be true to its muscle car roots when it embraced the electric car age, starting in 2024. The Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept, which looks production ready and has patents on its key features, appears to keep that promise.