Dodge is building toward something. The brand will pull the cover off what it calls its most powerful SIXPACK-powered Charger ever during the press preview at M1 Concourse in Pontiac, Michigan, on August 7, one day before the 11th annual Roadkill Nights Powered by Dodge opens to the public on Woodward Avenue.
No horsepower figure has been disclosed. The current production ceiling is the 550-hp Charger Scat Pack, running the 3.0-liter twin-turbo SIXPACK high-output engine. Whatever Dodge is bringing to M1 Concourse is meant to clear that bar.
The reveal lands at an awkward moment for the brand. The previous-generation Charger sold nearly 76,000 units in 2023. The new Charger managed just 7,421 units in all of 2025, its first full year on sale, and Dodge brand sales fell 49% year-over-year in the first half of 2025, dropping from 92,735 units to 47,481 units. The SIXPACK gasoline models are showing signs of recovery: the Hurricane-engined Charger has reached 4,583 total units in sales, with Q2 2026 posting a 404% increase over Q2 2025. That trajectory is encouraging, but the volume gap versus the old car remains wide.
A new high-output variant, announced with maximum theater at a fan event tied to the Charger’s 60th anniversary, is a signal that Dodge believes more horsepower is the answer. Whether the production volumes will follow is a separate question the brand has not addressed.
The event itself is getting a meaningful structural change this year. For the first time, Roadkill Nights runs two live racing venues simultaneously: the traditional street-legal drag racing on Woodward Avenue, anchored by the Direct Connection Grudge Match in SIXPACK-powered Charger Scat Packs, and a new road course track shootout for cash and prizes on a closed circuit inside M1 Concourse. The format roughly doubles the amount of competitive racing on offer.
The Grudge Match itself has a new format this year. The twin-turbo, 550-hp Charger Scat Pack serves as the spec vehicle, with the winning car and driver taking center stage at the 2026 SEMA Show.
The autograph and fan access lineup is also expanded. Dodge NHRA drivers Tony Stewart, Leah Pruett, Matt Hagan, and Ida Zetterstrom will sign from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Direct Connection Alley. Pruett and Hagan will also perform burnouts on Woodward in their 12,000-hp Dodge Nitro-powered dragsters. Ram NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series drivers Corey Lajoie, Brenden Queen, and Justin Haley follow from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the Ram display.
On the entertainment side, Roadkill hosts Mike Finnegan and David Freiburger return. Finnegan will race the Rotsun against Street Outlaws star Jeff Lutz in the Roadkill Monza in a best-of-three format, and he will debut a new build alongside returning fan favorites Stubby Bob and the Rotsun. Freiburger joins two-time Grudge Match winner Morgan Evans on the livestream beginning at 2 p.m. ET, available on YouTube.com/Dodge, YouTube.com/MotorTrend, and DodgeGarage.com.
Tickets start at $25, with tiered packages available. Stellantis employees get free admission with a valid badge and can bring one guest at no charge. Children 12 and under are free.
The sales math says Dodge needs this reveal to translate beyond the show. A 404% quarterly jump from a small base is momentum, not volume. The SIXPACK models have the trajectory; they need the numbers to match.
Source: Dodge. Images courtesy of Dodge.
