Lucas Bell 
The Dodge brand has played an enormous role in reigniting the American muscle car wars in recent years, backed by the performance available from the full line of Charger and Challenger models. While there is no denying the popularity of these aging brutes, as enforced by their sales figures, the next generation muscle cars are rumored to be coming for the 2023 model year. FCA Head of Design Ralph Gilles recently published a sketch on his Instagram that might hint at what the next-gen Dodge muscle cars could look like. With some splitter guards attached. Permanent ones.
For those who are unfamiliar with Gilles’ background at FCA, it is safe to say that he has been a part of some fan-favorite projects. He worked as the President and CEO of the SRT brand, as well as the Senior Vice President of Design at Chrysler before he was promoted to his current position in 2015. Gilles penned the 2005 Chrysler 300 and was the lead designer for the fifth generation SRT Viper.
The sketch in question details a hulking orange coupe that is unmistakably a muscle car. The design features some nods to the Dodge muscle cars of the past, including fat fenders, hood pins and a large front grille area capable of feeding a V8 plenty of air. However, the sketch is also quite modern in the way it utilizes skinny LED headlamps and a large front splitter, complete with some built-in yellow splitter guards. Seeing as FCA’s efforts can’t seem to curb the annoying trend of owners leaving them on, the designers at this point can only have some fun with it.
Gilles states in the post that this is the reason that this particular design fell on the cutting room floor, something we hope is as much of a joke as it is a real statement.
Splitter guards aside, we certainly wouldn’t mind if the next generation of Dodge muscle cars came out sporting some of these design cues. The current Challenger makes no quarrels about the fact that it was inspired by the 1971 model, though Gilles’ sketch suggests the brand is open to bringing these cars into the modern age.
