For Benna CDJR’s fourth installment on the top 50 Dodge models of all time, we show the models that almost made it to the top ten and may well belong there, in your opinion. As before, the rankings were determined by Autoevolution. At this level, most of these models will be familiar to Dodge enthusiasts.
20. 1984 Caravan
It may not light up the streets or adrenalin like Dodge’s muscle cars, but this could well be the most influential model Dodge ever produced. The design brief was to develop a vehicle that could seat up to eight people, provide car-like comfort, and fit in a standard-height garage. Originally based on the humble K-car platform, the Caravan, and its Plymouth Voyager twin introduced the modern Minivan concept to America and, in some ways, the Western world, as it beat the similar-in-concept Renault Espace by a few months. With the addition of a Chrysler version called Town & Country, the minivans sold over 14.6 million units worldwide. In the process, they created an entirely new genre and began the decline of the station wagon body style.
19. 2021 Durango SRT Hellcat
By 2021, Dodge had decades of experience dropping absurdly overpowered drivetrains in moderately sized vehicles, and they weren’t about to let that fade with the popularity of SUVs. As Dodge’s only SUV at the time, the Durango was fitted with the Hellcat engine previously seen in the Challenger and Charger. It produced an insane 710 horsepower and 645 lb-ft of torque, making it the most powerful gas-powered SUV ever made. The engine hauled this hauler from 0 to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds, which makes it the quickest 3-row SUV ever. The model was dropped in 2022 but returned for 2023.
18. 2004 Ram Rumble Bee
The Rumble Bee name was derived from the Coronet-based Super Bee muscle car. Though also available in black, the Solar Yellow version was covered in enough day-glo yellow paint to be seen from space. Exclusively available with the regular cab and short bed, the Rumble Bee featured 20-inch wheels, lower body cladding, a bed cover, and of course, the black stripe (yellow on black trucks). The trusty 5.7-liter Hemi V8 sat under the hood scoop producing 345 horsepower and 375 lb-ft of torque. Over 10,000 Rumble Bees were produced across two years.
17. 1970 Super Bee Hemi
Speaking of the Super Bee, it first appeared in 1968 as the Dodge’s counterpart to the better-known Plymouth Roadrunner. Both featured a low-priced bare-bones version of the mid-size platform but with all the available high-performance hardware. Drivetrains included the 383 Magnum V8 and the 440 with the six-pack carburetor system. A grand total of 42 units were built with the 425 -horsepower 426 Hemi, making them the rarest Bees in the world. The 1970 model makes this list due to the very aggressive twin grill treatment, a version of which was picked up by the 1971 Charger.
16. 1970 Challenger T/A
Late to the pony car party, Dodge immediately entered the Challenger into the SCCA Trans-Am series, which had become the competition home of Mustangs, Camaros, Barracudas, AMC Javelins, and Firebirds (which famously appropriated the series’ name). As with the Mustang 302, Dodge figured a small block was the best way to compete, so both the race car and required homologation production cars were fit with the 340 cu-in. V8 with the six-pack carburetor system, which produced 290 horsepower in the T/A. A heavy-duty suspension supported the car, and disc brakes were fitted in the front. A fiberglass hood was fitted as a weight-saving feature. The T/A was only in showrooms for the 1970 model year, with 2399 units finding buyers.
15. 2017 Viper GTS-R
The GTS-R was the Viper’s swan song. Built for the Viper’s last year and commemorating the model’s competing in the GTS endurance racing class, the 100-unit $145,000 GTS-R, stayed as close to the racing vehicle as street legal requirements would allow. All were white with twin blue stripes and featured the massive rear wing, front corner winglets, a front air dam, and seven holes in the hood plus front fender vents. As always, the Viper was powered by a naturally aspirated V10, with this version displaying 8.4 liters and rated at 645 horsepower and 600 lb-ft of torque.
14. 1968 Charger R/T
Introduced two years earlier as a dramatically shaped mid-size fastback, Dodge changed things up for 1968. They kept and improved upon the simple but aggressive body-wide grille that concealed quad headlamps. But behind was a less dramatic but arguably better-proportioned coupe body with coke-bottle curves for the lower “fuselage” body. This is the Charger everyone remembers. R/T stood for Road/Track, though Dodge played with the term “Rapid Transit” in their marketing. Under the T/A’s low flat hood was a standard 375 hp 440 cu-in Magnum V8 with the 425 hp 426 Hemi as an available option. The Charger R/T lasted until 1971, when it had a major design change. The 426 Hemi disappeared, but the 440 remained, though was detuned to 280 hp because…70s.
13. 2015 Charger SRT Hellcat
It was a disappointment to many Dodge fans when the 2006 Charger returned as a 4-door sedan. But it was rear-drive and full-sized in a world of front-drive mid-size sedans and even built from the bones of the previous Mercedes-Benz E-Class, so it was still rather special. A redesign for 2011 upped the aggression, but it was the facelift for 2015 that really hit the mark. Not only did the front’s low profile grille with integrated headlights do justice to the original, but with the SRT Hellcat, it was blatantly overpowered to an extent the original Charger could only dream of. Its supercharged 6.2-liter V8 produced a supercar-level 707 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque. Supercar performance figures followed, including 0 to 60 in 3.4 seconds and having a 207 mph top speed. It was the fastest production 4-door sedan to be had anywhere and remained so until Dodge added “Redeye” to the name in 2021.
12. 2015 Challenger SRT Hellcat
Built on the Charger and Chrysler 300 platform, the revived Challenger had something of a disadvantage against the smaller, similarly revived Camaro and contemporary Mustang. Dodge responded by supercharging its biggest Hemi V8, christening it the Hellcat, and putting it in both the Challenger and the above-mentioned Charger. With the same 707 horsepower and torque as the Charger, the Challenger was curiously slower than the Charger with a 0-60 time of 3.6 seconds. Nevertheless, the power was way beyond anything in the Camaro and Mustang stables, including the Shelby GT500. Dodge has since made even more powerful Challengers, but it was the SRT Hellcat that took that first giant leap.
11. 1998 Viper GT2 Championship Edition
Inspired by the GTS-R that took a class win in the 1997 FIA GT Championship, the limited-edition 1998 GT2 started what the 2017 GTS-R finished. Like the latter, it had a front air dam, front corner winglets, lower side sills, and a strut-supported rear wing, but all were more subtle and better integrated into the overall design. In this form, the 8.0-liter V10 produced 460 horsepower, which was a slight bump over the rest of the model line and over a hundred horses over the contemporary Corvette. Like the GTS-R, production was limited to 100 units making it a sought-after collectible today.
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