After more than a decade away from the sport, Dodge is returning to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2027. The automaker officially announced its comeback last week, partnering with Kaulig Racing, which operates Ram’s entries in the Craftsman Truck Series.
This will give NASCAR four manufacturers competing in its premier series once again. Dodge will join Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota, with its new race cars wearing Charger branding.
This won’t be a road-going version of the Charger you can buy at your local dealer, though. It will be a purpose-built stock car developed for NASCAR’s strict competition requirements, which dictate much of the car’s powertrain and design.
Plenty of questions remain about Dodge’s new NASCAR entry, including the engine configuration and its final design. Until the official debut next month, here’s everything we know about Dodge’s NASCAR race car.
What Will Dodge Call It?
2027 Dodge Charger NASCAR Cup Car Rendering By Motor1
Photo by: Theophilus Chin | Motor1
While Dodge has not confirmed it will call its new NASCAR car the Charger, NASCAR has. Dodge used the Charger name during its last outing in the series in 2012. The Charger is Dodge’s current performance model, available in two- and four-door configurations.
It makes sense for Dodge to capitalize on the Charger name as the brand distances itself from the decisions made by Stellantis’ previous CEO. Dodge is adding the 600-horsepower Charger Super Bee to the lineup and preparing a new Charger Hellcat with a supercharged 6.2-liter V8.
What Platform Will It Ride On?
Dodge’s NASCAR racer will use the series’ existing Next Gen platform, introduced for the 2022 season. The architecture uses a steel-tube chassis with an independent rear suspension, a five-speed sequential transmission, and a rear transaxle.
When NASCAR announced Dodge’s return last week, John Probst, president of NASCAR Event Management, said the new car has already passed the wind-tunnel portion of testing. Dodge is expected to have the panels in hand sometime in mid-November, ahead of the reveal early next month.
What Will It Look Like?
2027 Dodge Charger NASCAR Cup Car Rendering By Motor1
Photo by: Theophilus Chin | Motor1
Dodge’s new NASCAR entry will wear Charger styling cues, but don’t expect it to look exactly like the production vehicle. NASCAR’s Next Gen platform gives manufacturers some leeway in designing their vehicles, like with the front fascia, hood, and fenders, but the cars share the same basic proportions.
Our Dodge NASCAR rendering gives the stock car the Charger’s distinctly rectangular front-end design, with a narrow, wide grille between a pair of headlight stickers. The front fenders feature a distinct hump.
At the rear, it is mostly business, with a sticker for the rear taillights and a diffuser for maximum aerodynamic efficiency. The rear fenders feature a sharp crease that extends to the front fender.
What Will Power It?
Dodge can’t run whatever it wants in its Charger NASCAR. The racing series has strict specifications for engine builders, with NASCAR running 5.8-liter, 358-cubic-inch, naturally aspirated V8 engines. Horsepower is capped at 750 depending on the track.
Like other manufacturers, Dodge will reportedly source its first engines from Earnhardt Childress Racing (ECR), which supplies Chevrolet. The automaker hasn’t provided any engine specifications but is allegedly working on a deal with ECR.
If ECR is supplying the engines, it will have to design a new, technically distinct engine for the brand. ECR can’t ship a Chevrolet engine to Dodge.
When Does It Debut?
Dodge will reveal its new NASCAR car on December 4 during the Snowball Derby at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida. Fans will see the car’s Charger-influenced design, and we should learn more about which engine supplier is providing the powertrain unit.
Dodge will return to NASCAR with the start of the 2027 season on February 27, with Kaulig Racing, which will field two full-time entries. This will be Dodge’s first appearance in NASCAR’s Cup Series since 2012, when Brad Keselowski won the 2012 NASCAR Cup Series championship.
AJ Allmendinger and Ty Dillon will pilot the two entries when the season kicks off next year, with the two returning to Kaulig Racing.
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Source: NASCAR.com, NASCAR.com
