The 2026 Dodge Charger SIXPACK – the first car from Stellantis to feature the new Hurricane twin turbocharged straight-six engine architecture – made its grand debut at Roadkill Nights 2025 in Pontiac, Michigan on the weekend of August 9th. The new gasoline-powered muscle car was formally introduced on the 8th on Media Day, but when tens of thousands of horsepower-loving fans poured into the venue on the 9th, they were introduced to the next generation machine in a unique way.
There were many examples of the Dodge Charger SIXPACK parked around the grounds, allowing attendees to check them out up close, but the Dodge Thrill Rides also featured the 550-horsepower Charger Scat Pack with the High Output Hurricane engine – allowing those folks on hand to go for a tire-shredding ride in the next generation car before they have reached dealerships. As a result, thousands of people rode shotgun while a professional driver drifted around a skidpad with the rear tires ablaze. This allowed everyone on hand to witness the power and to hear the unique exhaust note of the newest Dodge performance engine.
2026 Dodge Charger SIXPACK Details
The 2026 Dodge Charger SIXPACK will be offered in two trim levels, each of which are available in two- or four-door form. The ZF 8-speed automatic transmission and advanced all-wheel-drive system are standard on all models, but unlike the all-electric Charger Daytona, the Charger SIXPACK has a rear-drive mode for those who want to do smoky burnouts…and it does some wicked burnouts.
The 2026 Dodge Charger SIXPACK R/T is powered by the standard output Hurricane twin turbocharged straight six engine, delivering 420 horsepower and 468 lb-ft of torque. The company has not announced acceleration numbers for the R/T, but it will have a top speed of 168 miles per hour. This model will come to market second, with the brand focusing on the higher performance Scat Pack for now.
The 2026 Dodge Charger SIXPACK Scat Pack is powered by the high output version of the Hurricane straight six, offering 550 horsepower and 531 lb-ft of torque. So far, those are the highest power figures for a production Hurricane engine, and although the two-door SIXPACK Scat Pack weighs 4,816 pounds, it is very quick. The projected performance numbers are 0-60 in 3.9 seconds and a 12.2 quarter mile time, with a top speed of 177 miles per hour.
All of the SIXPACK Chargers in action at Roadkill Nights were Scat Pack models, and in addition to the drifting thrill rides, the media got to ride along for a pass down the “drag strip” on Woodward Avenue. Thanks to the all-wheel-drive system, the 550-horsepower Scat Pack was able to put all of that power to the ground on the launch, and while the twin turbo I6 doesn’t have the initial torque strike of a supercharged Hemi, all of that turbocharged torque builds quickly, rocketing the car down the track in a hurry.
Although we were not allowed to drive the new gas car down the track, we did make a pass on the temporary drag strip in a Challenger SRT Hellcat, a Durango SRT Hellcat and a Charger Daytona Scat Pack. Although the new Charger SIXPACK is down on power compared to all three of those other vehicles, the all-wheel-driven system allows it to use far more of its power on a hard launch compared to the 717-horsepower Challenger, which takes quite a bit of pedaling to get any grip.
The elephant in the room is, of course, the exhaust note of the Hurricane straight six. It doesn’t sound anything like a Hemi and if you are someone who hates the sound of non-V8 performance cars, you are likely going to hate the sound of the new Charger SIXPACK. However, we have owned a variety of Mopar performance cars with loud exhaust and small engines, including a Shelby Daytona Turbo Z and a Plymouth Laser RST.
We like loud exhaust – not just loud V8 exhaust – so we like the sound of the new gasoline-powered Dodge Charger. It has the raspy, aggressive note that we expect from a performance-tuned I6. In fact, we wish that our 2025 Ram 1500 with the SO Hurricane sounded as great as the new Charger.
In short, Dodge seems to have created a great performance car with the new straight six that will beat any of the past naturally aspirated V8-powered models pretty comfortably. There will obviously be some people who reject the mere idea of a non-V8 muscle car and they will refuse to listen to any of the upsides of the new Dodge Charger SIXPACK, but for those who don’t need eight cylinders to have fun with a car, these cars should be a blast to drive.
Early Hurricane Performance
One concern of some Mopar fans who are open to the idea of a twin turbocharged six-cylinder muscle car is the inability to modify the new engine. That is a valid concern, as it is with any brand new engine architecture, but there have been some promising results from the Ram 1500 aftermarket world.
The Ram 1500 pickups with the Hurricane engine have been available for roughly a year now, having been introduced in half-ton form for the 2025 model year. There are already a handful of high output trucks in the 11-second quarter mile range with nothing more than the Diablosport Cat6 piggyback tuning device and a K&N intake.
It should be noted that the high output Hurricane is only available in the higher trim levels of the Ram 1500, so the trucks running in the 11s are packed with features that add weight. The trucks in question have the large crew cab, the 6’4” bed and 22-inch wheels, so they weight between 5,700 and 5,800 pounds and they are running 11.90s.
Those trucks are 900-1,000 pounds heavier than the Dodge Charger SIXPACK and have big, heavy wheel-and-tire combos to spin. The general rule of thumb in the drag racing world is that every 100 pounds removed cuts about a tenth of a second in the quarter mile, so removing a thousand pounds could cut about a second from the quarter mile time.
We’re not necessarily saying that a the new Dodge Charger SIXPACK Scat Pack with a tune and intake setup will run in the 10s, but based on real world results of the much heavier Ram trucks with the similar engine, the Hurricane-powered Charger with a good tune and some lightweight wheels wrapped in sticky rubber should comfortably run in the low-11-second range. Of course, once full custom tuning is unlocked, there will be even greater gains when owners are able to make adjustments for open exhaust and larger fuel injectors.
In the meantime, the 2026 Dodge Charger SIXPACK Scat Pack offers 550 horsepower with a starting price of $54,995 – making it the most powerful car on the market for less than $55k.
