Lovers of the cars movies will be happy to hear that the Hornet is back, especially thanks to Dodge, and we won’t have long to wait. The American automaker will release the 2023 Dodge Hornet later this year. In fact, this latest addition to Dodge’s muscle cars is directly inspired by the original Fabulous Hudson Hornet that made NASCAR so exciting to watch.
The news is out about the new Dodge Hornet
Dodge is proud to announce a new Compact Utility Vehicle (CUV) joining its lineup known as the Hornet. It is a hybrid with a 1.3L turbo engine and an electric motor. There’s an estimated 285 horsepower and 383 lb-ft of torque.
Many of the most desirable features aren’t standard, so if you want the full Hornet experience you’ll have to pay a little extra. Some upgradeable features include 20-inch rims, a 10.25-inch touchscreen, steering wheel paddle shifters, semi-automatic parking, a 360-degree surround view camera, a power tailgate, a best-in-class -class available 13- Speaker+Subwoofer, and a Harman Kardon Sound System. Standard safety equipment includes automatic emergency braking, lane support warning, automatic countersteering and blind spot monitoring with rear cross path detection.
An exact price and release date are not yet available, but you can sign up for updates if you see a 2023 Dodge Hornet in the future.
How Fabulous Hudson Hornet Inspired Dodge
According to Automoblog, the Hornet’s nameplate can be traced all the way back to the Fabulous Hudson Hornet in 1951. While the 2023 Dodge Hornet didn’t make a full remake of the beloved Hudson Hornet, it has become a modern reinterpretation. There’s a lot of emphasis on new technology, but the exterior of the Dodge Hornet is definitely reminiscent of the original, which was such a hit when NASCAR started.
It’s the name that will probably get Dodge the most attention for the latest model in its lineup. For many unfamiliar with the history of NASCAR, the Hornet car brand is still familiar, thanks in part to the Disney movie carsin which an old hornet was one of the main characters.
It wasn’t the Disney movie that inspired Dodge. It was the racing roots that go back to when NASCAR was a struggling company and the car that took home a significant number of wins.
The fabulous Hudson hornet
According to the NASCAR Hall of Fame, the Fabulous Hudson Hornet was one of the main reasons the racing company is so big today. In the early 1950s, NASCAR struggled to get off the ground. It desperately needed backers, and one of the first to step forward was the Detroit-based Hudson Motor Car Co. Because of this, Hudsons were very prominent on NASCAR’s tracks.
In 1951, the Hudson Motor Car Co released the original Hornet and covered the sides with the “Fabulous Hudson Hornet”. It wasn’t long before the Hornet was racking up victory after victory on the track, and the Hornet became a household name.
1952 was undoubtedly Hudson’s best year, as Hornets won 27 of 34 races. There were other entertaining stories revolving around the hornet, such as a rhesus monkey riding a shotgun named Jocko Flocko. His driver, Tim Flock, won a championship race in 1952.
Even though very few without a keen interest in automotive history remember the Hudson Motor Car Co, it actually ranks third with both Oldsmobile and Toyota on the NASCAR Premier Series manufacturers’ all-time championship list. This is because Hudson took home titles in 1952, ’53 and ’54.
It all came to an end in 1957 when Hudson closed its doors for good. The good news is that the Hornet has now been given a new lease of life with Dodge. While the Dodge Hornet is unlikely to make it to NASCAR’s tracks, it’s still fun to breathe new life into a beloved car from the past.
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