Dodge appears ready to bring back the once-intimidating Super Bee nameplate.
Dodge is planning to lift the covers on two significantly updated muscle cars when it flies in for the New York Auto Show next week, and it hints it has something special in store to get everyone “abuzz.”
Reading between the lines, that suggests the maker is planning to roll out an all-new version of its classic Super Bee model which will be based on the updated Challenger.
The two major updates come at a significant time for Dodge, the brand getting ready to celebrate its centennial over the summer.
The 2015 Charger, hints a terse teaser release from Dodge, “receives a full-body makeover with nearly every single body panel being re-sculpted.” The four-door muscle car could use a bit of a lift, having been around in its current form since 20xx.
The 2015 Dodge Charger gets a "full-body makeover."
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As for the two-door 2015 Dodge Challenger, the statement promises it will be “new from the inside out for 2015.” And, indeed, parent Chrysler has been putting a lot more emphasis on upgrading its interiors over the last five years, since emerging from bankruptcy protection. So, a major update to the cabin would keep it in sync with the rest of the automaker’s recent models.
Among other things, anticipate a healthy dose of new technologies, notably including the Chrysler UConnect infotainment system
But what could prove particular intriguing is the hint that the Challenger will also see the addition of “a new powertrain combination that is sure to get enthusiasts ‘abuzz.’” That would seem a very intentional reference to the limited-edition muscle car that was a mainstay of the Dodge line-up between 1968 and 1971 – though it continued as part of the Mexican Dodge line-up through 1980.
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The maker introduced a radical concept version of the Super Bee name in 2005 but fell back to the more traditional formula for 2007, ’08, ’09, ’12 and ’13, resurrecting the badge for use on specially trimmed Challenger models using the big SRT-8 V-8 engine.
Dodge even came up with a spin-off, of sorts, with last year’s Rumble Bee Concept based on the big Ram 1500 pickup.
The statement from Chrysler seems to suggest a new Super Bee would be more than just a Charger SRT-8 with a few stripes and badges, though what that new powertrain package might be remains to be seen.
The maker plans to pull the covers off the new muscle cars at New York’s Jacob Javits Convention Center on April 17th. And, of course, TheDetroitBureau.com will be on hand to check out the newly updated models.
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