New Dodge Charger Super Bee has a 600bhp sting in its tail
The iconic Super Bee is back, with a straight-six under the bonnet that happily sends all its power to the rear wheels
The latest Dodge Charger might still lack the V8 engine that petrolheads wish for, but the new limited-edition Super Bee version aims to make up for that. A 600bhp straight-six and the ability to send all of that American might to the rear wheels should make it a muscle car worthy of the name.
In fact, this is the most potent version of the ‘Hurricane’ inline-six from Dodge parent company Stellantis we’ve seen to date. It packs a hearty 50bhp more than the one in the Charger Scat Pack, plus 143bhp more than the 5.0-litre V8 in the Ford Mustang.
The Super Bee’s 3.0-litre straight-six features a larger pair of Garrett turbochargers, plus a modified intake system and intercoolers, to cram more air and fuel into the motor. This also results in peak torque being available earlier at 3,000rpm and maintained for longer.
Like every new petrol-powered Dodge Charger, the Super Bee comes with all-wheel drive as standard. However, like the BMW M3 and M4, it also features a special rear-drive mode that the driver can activate at any speed on the fly using a dedicated steering wheel button.
Throttle response has been sharpened too, says Dodge, the Launch Control system has been refined and parts of the car’s powertrain have been reinforced to withstand the engine’s extra grunt, so the new Charger Super Bee can accelerate harder, pull stronger at higher speeds and maintain peak performance for longer. The result is 0-60mph in 3.6 seconds and a quarter-mile time of 11.8 seconds.
It’s louder too apparently, and features an upgraded cooling system so it can be pushed hard for longer on the drag strip or race circuit. The redesigned front end unique to the new Super Bee also increases airflow by 30 per cent and creates about 45kg of additional downforce at 150mph.
Behind the 20-inch forged wheels and super-sticky Goodyear tyres are upgraded 16-inch Brembo brake discs with six-piston calipers at the front and four-piston out back. This set-up is meant to provide three times better brake fade resistance than on any other current Charger.
Meanwhile, new dual-valve adaptive dampers – like Porsche and Bentley are now using – combined with stiffer chassis components, are said to allow the Super Bee to corner harder, respond quicker and stay flatter when you’re at maximum attack.
Topping it all off are bold graphics that hark back to the old days of the Super Bee, which Dodge introduced in 1968 as a special hopped-up but still affordable version of its humble Coronet saloon.
The new Dodge Charger Super Bee is arriving in the US next year and will be available as either a two-door coupe or four-door saloon. It’s not likely to come over to our side of the pond officially, however, so you’ll have to look elsewhere should you fancy some new American muscle on your driveway. Right now, you can save more than £5,000 on a brand new Ford Mustang with the help of the Auto Express Buy A Car service.
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