Page 30 - Hellcat News Today

In the first part dedicated to the history of the HEMI we covered the origins of the first generation, how it evolved, and how it rose from the ashes to become one of the most spectacular V8s of the 1960s. In this article, we’ll take a look at the modern iterations that started life as workhorses, then morphed into insanely powerful Hellcats and Demons.

Let’s face it, if you’re going to buy a used Charger, you might as well go for a facelifted seventh-generation model, because it has the most modern design and the best performance. In other words, it stands head and shoulders above the sixth-gen car, which dates back to the mid-2000s.

We knew this day was coming, but at least now we have somewhat of an expiration date. The Hellcat represents the pinnacle of internal combustion engine muscle cars. The result of 70 years of progress. Yet, according to Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis, the Hellcat’s days are numbered, and the future is clearly fully electric.

The younger muscle car-oriented among all of us probably remember when David Freiburger and Mike Finnegan of Roadkill resurrected a classic Dodge Charger. They then fitted it with a 707-horsepower Hellcat HEMI engine, one of the very first restomods built to do so. The General Mayhem, as it was known, was completed a staggering seven years ago. Now, it seems someone's come along and done the same thing to the iconic 1969 model year.

As you’re well aware, Jeep is preparing to launch the Gladiator 4xe next year. Better late than never, a 392-engined option will be subsequently added to the lineup, according to senior brand manager Brandon Grimus.

707 horsepower is no joke, and without a bit of skill, you're likely to end up in a ditch. Of course, Dodge doesn't want that, so they'll send any SRT Hellcat buyer to a driving school they just sponsored.

The folks over at American Muscle Performance have been working on a Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat this year, slowly building it into an ever-improving drag strip weapon. The first step was to get it to run 10s, which was done with the help of a ported blower snout, 2.65 upper pulley, JLT cold air intake, FIC 1200 fuel injectors and a DTP Performance ethanol tune, among several other mods.

It’s not déjà vu, but Hennessey’s crazy Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat, equipped with the HPE1000 package. We’ve already covered it several times, so why did we decide to revisit it? That’s because it was used to drop the jaw of one of their employees, a marketing analyst, who had never had the chance to experience speeds in excess of 100 mph (160 kph).

What should one of the most explosive and powerful running backs of all time be driving in his spare time? Various exotic and luxury models? Sure, all football players have those types of cars in their garages. However, there is something to be said when someone like Cowboys star Ezekiel Elliot chooses the most powerful SUV ever made as his daily driver. It’s the perfect match.

It’s never wise to challenge a seventh generation Dodge Charger with a sixth-generation model. The gap between the two is quite simply enormous. Without considering any modifications, the most powerful sixth-gen Charger you could get was the SRT-8 version, powered by a 6.1-liter HEMI V8 engine, good for 425 hp. Not bad by 2010 standards, but poor compared to anything with a Hellcat badge.