Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat

Charger SRT Hellcat key specifications (2015)

How the Hellcat sedan was born

The seventh-generation Charger appeared in 2011 on the LD platform, a development of the LX of 2006 shared with the Chrysler 300. For the 2015 model year Dodge gave it a facelift with new LED headlights, a 7-inch digital instrument display and electric power steering, and every engine got the eight-speed automatic. The two-door Challenger SRT Hellcat received the same supercharged engine for 2015.

Dodge revealed the Charger SRT Hellcat on 13 August 2014 at the Vinsetta Garage on Woodward Avenue in Berkley, Michigan, before the Woodward Dream Cruise. The company verified its 204 mph top speed at the Chelsea Proving Grounds and claimed the title of the fastest and most powerful production sedan. In Car and Driver's test the car covered the quarter mile in 11.03 seconds at 126.61 mph, after 3.4 seconds to 60 mph. The earlier chapters of the nameplate, from the 1966 fastback to the 1969 Charger Daytona, are covered elsewhere on our site.

The supercharged Hemi and the two keys

The Hellcat V8 is a supercharged 6.2-litre version of Chrysler's Hemi. In the Charger it produces 527 kW and 881 Nm, which by our calculation is about 85 kW per litre. The only gearbox is the ZF-based TorqueFlite 8HP90 eight-speed automatic with paddles; the Hellcat was the only Charger to use this heavy-duty version.

Owners received two key fobs. The red key unlocks the full 707 hp; the black key limits the engine to 500 hp (373 kW), which Dodge intended for valet parking or for lending the car to someone less experienced. The SRT Performance Pages on the Uconnect screen display timers and engine data, and the speedometer reads to 200 mph. Buyers also got a day at the SRT Driving Experience. Our power converter turns all the hp figures into kW and PS.

Chassis, brakes and cabin

The Hellcat keeps the Charger's double-wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension, with adaptive dampers and selectable drive modes, including a custom mode that lets the driver combine settings for engine, gearbox, steering and suspension. Brembo supplies two-piece front discs of 390 mm with six-piston calipers. The 20-inch Slingshot forged wheels came in matt black or the bronze "Brass Monkey" finish.

Inside, the Hellcat has sports seats trimmed in leather and Alcantara, an 8.4-inch Uconnect touchscreen and room for three in the back, which made it a practical family car with supercar speed. The boot holds 467 litres. A Harman Kardon system with 18 speakers and 900 W was available as an option.

Widebody, Redeye and Jailbreak: the versions by year

The Widebody of 2020 added 3.5 inches (89 mm) of width, 20 × 11-inch wheels and Pirelli P Zero tyres in 305/35 ZR20 at every corner. Dodge quoted 0–60 mph in 3.6 seconds and a quarter mile of 10.96 seconds. The Redeye of 2021 used the 6.2 Hemi Hellcat High Output engine with 797 hp and 707 lb-ft; it ran the quarter mile in 10.6 seconds at 129 mph and reached 203 mph. In 2022 the Jailbreak package raised the Redeye Widebody to 807 hp and let buyers mix colours and trim freely. For 2023 Jailbreak was available on every SRT Charger, all Redeyes had 807 hp, and the King Daytona edition of 300 cars marked the end.

By our calculation the Jailbreak's 602 kW are 14 % more than the 527 kW of the first Hellcat sedan, with the same displacement.

Launch price and the last Hellcat sedans

The launch price in 2014 was 63,995 US dollars, including a gas-guzzler tax of 1,700 US dollars. That was about €50,000 at the exchange rate of the time, and by our calculation about 121 US dollars per kilowatt. Later versions cost more; the old version of this page quoted 67,995 US dollars for a 2020 car without stating which version.

Production of the LD Charger ended in Brampton with the 2023 model year, and with it the supercharged Hemi in the Charger. The eighth-generation Charger, built in Windsor from 2024, began as the electric Charger Daytona and is a liftback rather than a classic sedan.

Rivals and alternatives

The Charger SRT Hellcat had no direct four-door rival with a V8 in its price class. The Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro, mentioned in the old text as sales rivals, are two-door coupés. Closer in power and purpose were the Cadillac CTS-V and European super-saloons such as the BMW M5 and the Mercedes-AMG E 63, all of them more expensive in the United States. Within its own brand the same engine powered the Challenger SRT Hellcat, the two-door that also led to the Challenger SRT Demon.