I have been all over the map lately. First, we were at SEMA, and then we hit the Tail of the Dragon in Tennessee. After that, I spent time in Las Vegas. Before all of that, I was even in Maui. I have literally not seen the inside of my house in weeks. However, today I am taking you with me to the LA Auto Show. I did not know exactly what to expect here. Fortunately, Dodge finally has a presence again. We are here to check out the Mopar domination at the LA Auto Show.
We walked straight into the Dodge and Ram booth immediately. The first thing I saw was a beautiful green Charger Six-Pack. This is the four-door version. We just talked about the stats on this car in my last video. Now, here it is in real life. In fact, we got to drive this exact car at the Tail of the Dragon recently. As a result, getting a second look allows us to examine the details closer.
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The Charger Six-Pack and Interior Quality
There is a lot of talk about the cargo space. Specifically, many of you dislike the hatchback design. You wish they would release a traditional trunk version. However, I do not have a problem with it. It does not look like a hatchback until you actually pop the thing open. Visually, it works. Once you open it, you realize just how huge that cargo space really is.
Let’s talk about the interior. We have discussed this cabin a lot. A lot of you hate these screens. Frankly, I do too. I wish they kept some analog gauges there. On the positive side, they definitely updated the Uconnect system. At the Tail of the Dragon, it seemed very responsive. Some people claim it is not. However, compared to the old version I deal with daily in my Challenger, this is actually nice.
I want to be honest with you guys without just talking trash. However, the interior pistol grip shifter and AC buttons feels wildly cheap. That is just the reality of it. It feels cheap, but it does the job. Furthermore, the back seats are huge. Remember, the four-door is the exact same size as the two-door. All they did was shorten the front doors and add a rear door. Basically, everything else is the same. This strategy definitely saved them money. That is why it only costs $2,000 more to get the four-door option.
The Death of the Dodge Hornet
We need to address the elephant in the room. Or rather, the missing elephant. Currently, there are no Dodge Hornets here. Right around the corner, there is an Alfa Romeo Tonale. As you know, Dodge rebadged the Tonale as a Hornet to sell in America. Unfortunately, it flopped bad. Now, looking around the Dodge booth, the Hornet is completely absent.
You heard it here. The Hornet is officially dead. It is gone and never coming back. In fact, I do not think anybody reading this is going to miss it. We are never going to see that GLH model. Eventually, the car is going back to being what it should have always been: an Alfa Romeo. From an Alfa Romeo standpoint, it is not a bad car. However, from a Dodge standpoint, it was a bad car. Killing it was something that needed to happen.
Hellcats and Hemi’s Survive for 2026
Now, let’s look at something we can actually get excited about. The Durango Hellcat is back. I am so glad they kept this thing around. The model on the floor is a Jailbreak edition. It features the forged carbon fiber interior, which I love. Importantly, these are CARB legal for California again. For a while, that was a major issue. Initially, they said no to California. Now, you can get them everywhere.
In addition to the Durango, the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 is here. This is a 2026 model year vehicle. They are continuing to build them with the V8. Originally, this was supposed to be a one-year run. They told us to “get it while you can.” Now, it seems it is every year. They are putting Hemi’s in everything still. They did not just stop. Consequently, this is a very good sign for the future.
The Maserati MC20 to McPura
Since Dodge is under the Stellantis umbrella, we also checked out the Maserati Cielo McPura. They are changing the names, but the performance remains. This car has a 621 horsepower 3.0L twin-turbo V6. However, I need to clarify something. Specifically, some people think this is the same engine they are putting in the Chargers. Actually, it is not. This is a totally different engine.
The technology is impressive. They are getting 621 horsepower out of a V6. For comparison, my Lamborghini Huracan has a V10 with 610 horsepower. This Maserati is lighter and has more power. Therefore, it will likely beat my Huracan all day long. However, you have to be into that kind of thing. It just does not sound the same. I am taking the V10 all day long.
Full-Blown Performance Builds
Actually, the real excitement at the LA Auto Show wasn’t just the factory cars. Full Blown Performance is out here with some insane Mopar builds. They do the most insane work on these Hemi cars. For example, they have a Whipple supercharged Ram TRX on display. It is pushing about 900 horsepower. Next to it, there is an orange Trackhawk that looks incredible.
I spoke with the builder at the booth. He confirmed the TRX is making 900 horsepower. Furthermore, they have a Durango build there as well. These guys are delivering 800, 900, even 1,000-plus horsepower packages. It is like a candy store for horsepower junkies. Additionally, we discussed the new twin-turbo inline-six engine. He believes getting 1,000 horsepower out of that platform will be cheaper than the V8s. With just a bigger turbo, downpipe, and a tuner, you could be there for five grand.
Final Thoughts from LA
Overall, the show is not like it used to be. There used to be so much more. Now, there is a lot of EV garbage everywhere. It is not even funny. People line up to ride in these things until they find out how much they cost. However, the Dodge booth saved the day. We saw cool builds and confirmed the Hemi is sticking around.
We learned the Hornet is dead. Fortunately, that is a good thing. Now, we just have to stay tuned to see when the Hemi comes out next year at this car show. Then we can all rejoice. Finally, we are done with the electric cars. Burn them all.
