Dodge’s new Charger Super Bee comes with a lesson in how to use it. On October 29, Dodge said buyers of the 600-hp 2027 Charger Super Bee Launch Edition will get a one-day high-performance driving course at Radford Racing School. The perk is part of a renewed partnership between the brand and the Arizona school.
It’s a smart pairing. The Super Bee is a Charger tuned for the track. Meanwhile, Radford already serves as Dodge’s official high-performance driving school.
The deal covers more than the new car, too. Owners of two other Dodge models also qualify. Here’s how the program works, what a day at Radford includes and why the Super Bee badge matters again.
What the Charger Super Bee Launch Edition brings
The Dodge announcement on the Stellantis media site lists 600 horsepower for the Launch Edition. Power comes from the twin-turbo SIXPACK H.O. engine with its own calibration, larger 56-mm Garrett turbochargers and more cooling capacity. Dodge also fits 16-inch Brembo brakes as standard, a first for a SIXPACK Charger.
The hardware list also keeps going. Standard 20×11-inch wheels wear 305-section summer tires, and Dodge adds functional aerodynamics and adaptive damping. When Jalopnik covered the reveal in August, it put torque at 531 lb-ft, the same as the Scat Pack. However, the Super Bee makes 50 more horsepower.
Jalopnik also reported a 0-60 mph time of 3.6 seconds and a claimed 11.8-second quarter-mile. That made it the quickest gas-powered Charger on sale, by Jalopnik’s count. Still, the electric Charger Daytona Scat Pack is quicker, at 3.3 seconds to 60 mph.
A day at Radford, included
Each driving day follows a set formula. According to Dodge, it’s about 80 percent time in the car and 20 percent in the classroom. Students run lead-follow laps on Radford’s 1.6-mile road course. Then they move to a slalom course and a skid and drift pad.
The curriculum also covers accident avoidance, safe-driving techniques and braking drills. In addition, instructors teach Dodge-specific features such as Launch Control and Line Lock. Those are tools many owners never try on the street, so a closed course is the right place to learn them.
Dodge CEO Matt McAlear summed up the idea in one line. “Dodge builds performance. Radford helps our owners put it to work,” he said in the release. Chuck Sundstrom, Radford’s general manager, said the partnership goes beyond learning to drive fast. In his words, it builds confidence and advanced skills in a safe, controlled setting.
Who else qualifies
The Super Bee joins two models that already qualify, so the program now covers three Dodges. The Charger Scat Pack makes 550 hp and 531 lb-ft from the SIXPACK H.O. engine, Dodge says. It comes with standard all-wheel drive, a selectable rear-drive mode, Launch Control and Line Lock.
The other is the Durango SRT Hellcat, including the Jailbreak version. Its supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI V8 makes 710 hp and 645 lb-ft, according to Dodge. As a result, the eligible cars range from a twin-turbo six-cylinder sedan to a three-row SUV with a supercharged V8.
Dodge says Radford keeps about 80 Dodge performance vehicles. Overall, the school runs more than 100 race-prepared vehicles, from sedans and SUVs to open-wheel formula cars and go-karts. If you don’t own a Dodge, you can pay for a one-day class instead. Past students can also put credits from a new qualifying purchase toward an advanced course.
The return of the Charger Super Bee name
The Super Bee badge has a long history at Dodge. Jalopnik noted that the Coronet Super Bee came first, and the first Charger Super Bee followed in 1971. The name came back in 2007, and the last new Charger Super Bee arrived in 2023.
However, this one breaks with tradition in a big way. Jalopnik pointed out that it’s the first Charger Super Bee with a six-cylinder engine. Yet with 600 hp, few owners will miss the V8 on a road course. If you like the older cars, our look at why the Dodge Charger R/T scared everyone who drove it shows how much the badge game has changed.
The Launch Edition also gets its own look. Jalopnik listed Sucker Punch, Shady and Diamond Black paint, plus cloth high-back seats with Citrus Peel inserts. There are Super Bee stinger graphics and Hyper Lime brake calipers as well.
When you can get one
Dodge expects the Super Bee at dealerships in early 2027. Pricing was not part of this announcement, and Jalopnik said Dodge had not announced it at the reveal either.
Our take: a free day of instruction is the most useful extra any performance car can come with. Plenty of buyers will never take a 600-hp sedan near its limits on their own, but a structured day on a closed course changes that. Dodge notes that Radford opened in 1968, and the school sits in Chandler, Arizona.
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