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Dodge CEO Interview

5K views 40 replies 28 participants last post by  Butterscotch71 
#1 ·
Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis gave an in-depth interview to Wired.com.

Here are two of his comments:

"What makes a muscle car? The personality and attitude of the car, over and above the raw horsepower number. If you look at a Charger or Challenger V6, those are our volume cars. They have 300 horsepower. The look awesome, they have an awesome personality, an incredible road presence. They sound great. People love these cars and everyone would describe them as a muscle car. Now, is it a 485-horsepower Scat Pack V8 that runs 12-second quarter-mile times? Or a 700-horsepower car? No. But, it’s always been that way in muscle car realm. A 300-horsepower V6, it wasn’t that long ago that that was one of the highest output V8 you could get. Just like luxury gets pushed down, the technology gets pushed down.
At some point iron block, pushrod V8s are not going to be possible. Will it be the end of performance like it was in 1971? No. In 1971, we didn’t have the technology to overcome those challenges. Today we do. If you look at Porsche 918 and LaFerrari and things like that, you see them going with different technologies like hybrid electrification. Performance will never go away in my view. How we get there will change. Will we see smaller displacement turbos? Will we see electrification? Will we see hybrids? Of course we will."


"We had record breaking Challenger sales last month. We’ll have record breaking Challenger sales again this month. Hellcat is a very small percentage of what we sell in Challengers.
If we show you 6,000 to 7,000 Challenger sales in a month, it’ll be a few hundred Hellcats. That’s the inherent value and benefit of a halo car. If you look back at how we launched that car and how we staggered the launch over a five-month period, you’d say “This is ridiculous. Why are they doing all this? Why are they talking about this so much? They’ll never sell that many of them, they’ll never be able to built as many as they need for the demand that they’re building for the car.”
Look at the excitement that that generated. Look at all the media impressions that it generated. We went back and did the math. That launch of that car, again a low volume, small production car. It generated 22.6 billion media impressions. Translates to half a million dollars in media value. There’s the value of a halo. We did it to sell the fact that we had a brand new Challenger."


Read the complete interview at:

Dodge: The Muscle Car Is Here to Stay, Thanks Very Much | WIRED :thumbsup:
 
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#2 ·
The father of the Hellcat says the V6 is a muscle car, and the future is hybrids. Normal CT response would be tar, feathers and caps lock, but this is Tim Kuniskis. Waiting to see how this one turns out.
 
#20 ·
I love muscle cars both old and new. I own a Scat Pack myself, actually. However, I don't think us car fans should be too hard on him for talking about what WILL HAVE TO HAPPEN regardless of what we want. That is, hybrid technology. Whether you believe in climate change or not, fossil fuels are a non renewable resource and at some point they'll be scarce enough that we'll need to reserve them solely for making plastics and other polymers. I actually applaud FCA for being open to hybrid technology. If we as car fans don't embrace the idea then there is no question that fun performance cars will disappear.
 
#5 ·
Well if that's where dodge and Tim Kuniskis are headed then I just bought my last new car...?

At my age there is no need for me to adapt..

I just like the sound of a V8 and could never get used to the sound of a turbo I4 or V6. Or even an electric for that matter..

Even when the mustang SVO's and Buick grand nationals came out I could never get used to the sound that they made from the exhaust...

Dale
 
#14 ·
Well if that's where dodge and Tim Kuniskis are headed then I just bought my last new car...��

At my age there is no need for me to adapt..

I just like the sound of a V8 and could never get used to the sound of a turbo I4 or V6. Or even an electric for that matter..

Even when the mustang SVO's and Buick grand nationals came out I could never get used to the sound that they made from the exhaust...

Dale
This isn't a Dodge thing....That is where all car makers are headed like it or not, there is no choice long term...they have to comply with emissions regs etc. Sad reality....I love Hemi's more than anyone but also love Perfomance cars of all types. Turbos are awesome, and I have to say driving a tesla, although strange with no sound and being electric...it is an unbelievably awesome experience that you can't ever have in a traditional combustion engine car.
 
#6 · (Edited)
Good points,and truthfulness in my opinion.
The future isn't shaped by desire,,but neccessity.All makers will be forced to make the changes.Hate to say it but Ford has been preparing,and will be ahead when the time comes. (Eco boost)Dodge has the Eco diesel,but that will not be enough.
Don't blame the car makers.
 
#8 ·
I'll get one of his new small twin turbo cars in the future (they will be fun), and I'll keep the hemi.


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#9 · (Edited)
My plan is to order a Hellcat Challenger in a couple of months when the orders open back up but I could see driving a 527kw car in a few years. Light weight, instant torque, other than no V8 roar, what's not to like?

Once the egg head engineers get batteries figured out to where we can drive 400 plus miles between charging, I am all in.



.,
 
#10 · (Edited)
If it means keeping cars much longer then so be it. My wife was going to buy a new v6 Cherokee and decided against it because of that 'stop-start' technology you would have to turn off every time. And she is not even a car enthusiast in the slightest.

As for TK's comments in the interview, he basically is admitting that the Telsa and VW 'attitude' is right after all and will soon be waving the surrender flag to that mindset. That's not what the the whole Dodge brand is about or why they appeal to me. What they need to do is build a car that is friendly to a 3rd party factory designed engine swap. (via a separate owned Shelby type operation). Let the cars leave the factory with cheap basic 3 cylinder engines and have them swapped out to Hellcat engine's somewhere between the factory and dealer. As long as the authorized installer doing this is legally separate it won't affect CAFE, yet still be perfectly legal if orchestrated correctly. Car could then even be warrantied and fixed after that through the normal dealer network. Worst issue is probably this workAround will add 10k to the cost. I could live with that and it would be no more than what it would cost to do things the hybrid method anyway. This scenario is feasible as long as the car is under 5k made per year which is plenty on a long term basis. Tim if you read this, no need to thank me and please don't expect me to surrender and buy a Dodge Passat because I won't. LOL.
 
#13 ·
Be glad you snagged one of the last true Muscle cars.

Sh... the 392 just sounded good coming up the incline at WOT with a black Saleen behind me, enjoying a double full blast of the active exhaust!

Muscle car or no car, for me. :notallthere:
 
#17 ·
I have no problem buying a Camaro with a real V8. Doesn't have to be a Dodge. Dodge has me, but it's their job to keep me. I'll jump off this boat without giving it a second thought. I can tell ya right now, I don't give a sh*t how much power a hybrid or V6 Challenger has, I won't be buying one.
 
#18 ·
When is the prius gt coming out? I would like to put that motor in my golf cart!
 
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#19 · (Edited)
It always cracks me up when they try to sell us on the fact that the v6 models are muscle cars too. I mean they are not slow - until you've sampled a V8 version, but the argument that 300 hp is a lot of power kind of falls apart when you talk about how heavy the cars are.
 
#28 ·
Got that right. At over 4,000 lbs, it's gonna take more than 300 hp to haul this car at a someone exciting speed.

Interesting. He had to tow the company line.

Nobody who loves musclecars believes a naturally aspirated 300HP V6 is a muscle car. The 1987 Buick GNXs were pushing like 475 HP from their turbocharged V6s. I will buy that as a musclecar, but not a 300 HP engine in a 400 lb car.

Get me near 10lbs per HP and we'll talk muscle car. Get me to 9lbs per HP and we are REALLY talking muscle car. At under 11 lb/HP, the R/T just BARELY qualifies as a muscle car. Just BARELY.

12.6 lb/HP or 159 HP/ton - 3.6L 305 HP SXT, 3834 lbs
10.9 lb/HP or 183 HP/ton - 5.7L 375 HP R/T, 4100 lbs
8.6 lb/HP or 230 HP/ton - 6.4L 485 HP SRT & Scat Pack, 4200 lbs
6.3 lb/ HP or 318 HP/ton - 6.2L 707 HP Hell Kitty, 4440 lbs

Muscle car territory really starts at about 10 lb/HP or 200 HP/ton. I'll give the R/T a pass for being close.
The Buick GNX didn't make anywhere near 475 hp from the factory. They were rated at 300 hp/420 lb-ft tq, but were probably making closer to 325-330 hp. They would run in the 13.40-13.60 @ around 104 mph in the quarter.

As far as his reference to Hellcat sales being lowest, somebody queue the post that shows the Hellcat is handily outselling the SRT right now.
That, I may believe. Most potential SRT customers are probably opting for the Scat Pack and really find no importance in needing the adjustable suspension, .5 inch wider wheels, 6-piston Brembos, or red seat belts. Most of them are probably after the engine, not the brakes or suspension. The Scat Pack is the best value in the entire Challenger lineup.

While I love the looks of the SRT, and I think it's great they offer a higher level of performance than the other Challengers in the lineup, most of them are probably stickering about $48,000-$50,000 with few options. For the additional $10,000-$12,000, I'm just going to save my money for a Hellcat.
 
#22 ·
Yeah, it seems some people don't understand what's going on as far as the government controlling what the auto makers build.

When dodge stops building v8 powered muscle cars it won't be because dodge decided they don't like v8s anymore.
They won't be allowed to build them any more.
Good luck buying a v8 Chevy at this point as well, all the manufacturers are in the same boat on this.
Ford is the most forward thinking on this, and seeing the inevitable coming is moving in this direction already.

Enjoy the v8s while you can.
The end of the v8 will happen inside of our lifetime.... Even for the "old guys"

I bought my current challenger brand new last year, and once it's paid off my next vehicle purchase will be a truck.
I'm currently eyeballing a ram Eco diesel. No v8 there.
The next car my wife gets will most likely be an awd turbo 4 or 6 cyl.
That puts my next "just for fun" car purchase a ways down the road.
I already know that I might not ever buy another rwd v8 car.
Now I'm just crossing my fingers that I'll be able to find gas in 20 years.
Because as long as I can keep driving the two hemi v8 rwd muscle cars that are sitting in my driveway right now, I can live with the idea that the days of companies building new ones are numbered.
 
#24 ·
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#23 ·
When I bought my 2014 F150, I had to look hard to get a 5.0L with a 3:73 rear.
Ford is pushing the EcoBoost very hard. I was told that the EcoBoost would be better for towing my boat than the 5.0.
Well, the little 5.0 pulled my 7500+ lbs with no problem.
What they don't tell you is some of the problems they're having with the turbos.
I'll stick with a naturally aspirated V8 as long as they continue to make them.
Plus when you step on the gas, nothing sounds like a V8, except maybe a V10.
 
#26 ·
Interesting. He had to tow the company line.

Nobody who loves musclecars believes a naturally aspirated 300HP V6 is a muscle car. The 1987 Buick GNXs were pushing like 475 HP from their turbocharged V6s. I will buy that as a musclecar, but not a 300 HP engine in a 400 lb car.

Get me near 10lbs per HP and we'll talk muscle car. Get me to 9lbs per HP and we are REALLY talking muscle car. At under 11 lb/HP, the R/T just BARELY qualifies as a muscle car. Just BARELY.

12.6 lb/HP or 159 HP/ton - 3.6L 305 HP SXT, 3834 lbs
10.9 lb/HP or 183 HP/ton - 5.7L 375 HP R/T, 4100 lbs
8.6 lb/HP or 230 HP/ton - 6.4L 485 HP SRT & Scat Pack, 4200 lbs
6.3 lb/ HP or 318 HP/ton - 6.2L 707 HP Hell Kitty, 4440 lbs

Muscle car territory really starts at about 10 lb/HP or 200 HP/ton. I'll give the R/T a pass for being close.
 
#31 ·
Get me near 10lbs per HP and we'll talk muscle car. Get me to 9lbs per HP and we are REALLY talking muscle car. At under 11 lb/HP, the R/T just BARELY qualifies as a muscle car. Just BARELY.

12.6 lb/HP or 159 HP/ton - 3.6L 305 HP SXT, 3834 lbs
10.9 lb/HP or 183 HP/ton - 5.7L 375 HP R/T, 4100 lbs
8.6 lb/HP or 230 HP/ton - 6.4L 485 HP SRT & Scat Pack, 4200 lbs
6.3 lb/ HP or 318 HP/ton - 6.2L 707 HP Hell Kitty, 4440 lbs

Muscle car territory really starts at about 10 lb/HP or 200 HP/ton. I'll give the R/T a pass for being close.
You missed the 6.1 Hemi:

9.9 lb/HP or 202 HP/ton- 6.1 425 HP SRT, 4,200 lbs.
 
#27 ·
As far as his reference to Hellcat sales being lowest, somebody queue the post that shows the Hellcat is handily outselling the SRT right now.
 
#32 ·
Ditto what shaker0378 said. The government is regulating the gasoline V8s out of existence, but car-makers will continue to search for ways to keep selling performance cars, whether its via hybrids, electric, or fusion. This, ladies and gents, is the sunset of the traditional gasoline engine muscle car era. Enjoy it while you can.
 
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#35 ·
bad day is right ford is ahead of the curve for cafe with it's eco's. my 3.5L now running a safe 93 tune is dynoed from one guy w/same setup @ 420 atq hp.335 atw, not bad for 213ci. but still a 6 & sound to go with it that will never approach my r/t. but ford basically has given the performance minded buyer a choice that dodge at presently doesn't. get the power that really is lurking behind those turbos but not from ford but from a tuner. what this does is limit their exposure for expensive warranty work. fix the small stuff, but if big naughty, naughty you're on your own. smart monetary decision yes, but for the performance minded consumer a game of russian roulette. dodge at present has not chosen that path & being an old mopar guy i like that a lot. most of the pony guys are mad as can be that they didn't make the 3.5 TT an option. since head room on it is huge & that engine got me 1 foot in ford's area for 1st time ever.
 
#38 ·
AZpueblo. My build week is the week before yours (6/8). looks like we'll be getting our SRT's around the same time.
 
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