Dodge Is Working on a New Halo Car Called the Copperhead
Stellantis has decided the best way to turn around its fortunes is with more vehicles, including a new Dodge halo car.
On Thursday, the auto conglomerate announced an ambitious $70 billion turnaround plan called FaSTLane 2030 that will see it introduces 110 new and refreshed cars, SUVs, and trucks by the start of the next decade. There are plenty of intriguing vehicles on the horizon, but one caught our eye in particular: the Dodge Copperhead.
Thursday’s announcement was made during the automaker’s annual Investor Day event. The new vehicles were only teased during the presentation, but afterward Dodge offered journalists from outlets like Car and Driver and The Drive a sneak peek at what it has in the works.
Dodge has lacked a halo car since the Viper was discontinued in 2017
Dodge
Dodge wouldn’t let those reporters share images of the car, but they were allowed to describe it. And from those accounts, it appears that the Copperhead will be based on the current-gen Charger, though it will be more than just another muscle car. Car and Driver reports it’s a low-slung, two-door coupe with an aggressive stance, while the Drive added that its highlights include a shark nose and a giant rear wing. The automaker didn’t share technical details during the preview, though an over-the-top aero kit including all manner of ducts and vents suggest it has a traditional gas-powered mill under its hood, likely a V-8. A high-performance SRT variant is also said to be on the way.
Dodge historians will know that this isn’t the first time the automaker has showed off a car called Copperhead. In 1997, the company unveiled a concept named after the same snake. That sports car was pitched as a more accessible model for those put off by the Viper’s $70,000 price tag, but never went into production. There won’t be anything accessible about the Copperhead, which is set to sit atop the Dodge lineup when it finally debuts.
The Copperhead may be named after a different snake than the Viper, but there’s not denying that the two cars share DNA. They both feature bold designs, and, most importantly of all, are unlike anything else in the Dodge lineup. The Detroit giant’s commitment to performance vehicle has never wavered, even as it nearly went all-electric, but its lineup has lacked anything that really got the blood pumping since the Viper was discontinued back in 2017.
