The new Dodge Charger Daytona is a bit of a mad car. It’s an EV that’s pretending it isn’t one. It’s the type of vehicle that could only come from Dodge, the same company that gave you the Hellcat and the Demon. But when you take away the legendary Hemi V8, a big part of the muscle car experience that Dodge does so well is missing. So, Dodge gave the new Charger Daytona a muscle car sound signature, and I got to try it out during the recent launch in Phoenix. The company calls it the Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust, and it’s meant to mimic the sound of classic American muscle, but has it worked?
A Made-Up Name for a Made-Up Roar
First, the name. Someone made it up on the spot because it sounded cool and referenced the Fratzog logo that Dodge has revived for the new Charger Daytona. The Fratzog logo itself is a bit of a mystery, and the name is also likely made up, so it just seems to be the type of thing Dodge does. If you thought the exhaust was essentially a speaker, you’d be right. If you remember those two 10-inch subs your buddy had in the trunk of his Mitsubishi Lancer thumping out so much bass that you didn’t even know what was playing, well, this is a bit like that, just much more sophisticated.
You can make it louder by switching drive modes. Auto is pretty civilized; Sport gets louder, and Track and Drag, which come with Scat Pack stage 2 trim, really open things up.
The system uses dual high-efficiency transducers and dual passive radiators housed in a custom enclosure and stuffed behind the rear bumper. It pumps sound out through specially designed chambers, which are a bit like exhaust pipes, and it uses inputs from the accelerator position, speed and torque output to generate its muscly sound. It provides real-world feedback that otherwise isn’t there.
Amplifying Thrill, Not Lap Times
When you push the start button, there’s a sharp, throaty bark that settles into a lumpy idle with a futuristic warp drive signature, reminding you that this is something completely new. You can make it louder by switching drive modes. Auto is pretty civilized; Sport gets louder, and Track and Drag, which come with Scat Pack stage 2 trim, really open things up. There’s sound coming through the speakers inside, but it’s the Fratzonic exhaust outside that bellows. Dodge says it can go as loud as 126 decibels or as loud as the gas-powered Hellcat. That’s above the human pain threshold and about as loud as a concert. There’s even a noticeable bass rumble that you can feel in the car, a product of the bass from the Fratzonic exhaust.
If you hear a Charger Daytona drive by, it sounds like a V8. It’s pretty authentic. The start-up sound is a bit embellished, however, but the sounds generated under regen-braking are pretty cool. If none of this works for you, it can all be turned off in the infotainment system.
While it doesn’t provide any tangible benefit during track or performance driving, it still enhances the experience. And in a car that’s all about generating experiences, the Fratzonic chambered exhaust is a great addition. This likely won’t be the last EV to do it, either.
