Supersonic Sedan: Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye
You’ve probably never looked at the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat and thought to yourself, “There’s no way I’m going to buy that thing until the factory makes one with 797 horsepower and a stop speed of 203 mph.”
Those are figures best left to high-end exotics even rich people rarely drive, not the plebeian family sedan. Besides, Dodge has already done so much to make the Charger as menacing as possible, and the Hellcat variant is already the fastest production sedan in existence. There would be nothing to gain by adding another 80 horsepower and 57 lb-ft of torque except continued bragging rights. It’s a preposterous notion. Yet Dodge happens to be a ridiculous company, absolutely loves bragging, and has earned the right to do so.
Our coverage of Dodge’s latest and greatest performance products continues with the all-new Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye.
The ancient Charger and Challenger have continued to be incrementally improved by the manufacturer, arguably becoming the best examples of modern-day muscle (with more flavors than Baskin-Robbins). While Dodge seems incapable of thinking inside the box, it remains keenly aware of what Americans have historically wanted from the automobile: lots of options, room for the whole family, and as much horsepower for as little money as humanly possible.
We cannot yet speak to the price of the new Charger Redeye with any authority, but it has the power angle down pat. By swapping the 2.4-liter supercharger for a 2.7-liter unit and then slapping it back atop the 6.2-liter V8, Dodge has increased the sedan’s maximum output to an impressive 797 hp and 707 lb-ft of torque.
Those enhancements also required bumping up the redline to 6,500 rpm and higher boost pressures, setting off a chain reaction of new parts required for the vehicle to repeatedly defy the laws of physics. Dodge told us engineers had to add a second fuel pump, burlier valvetrain, superior oiling, and upgraded rods and pistons.
It also had to get pretty creative with its cooling solutions — which now include a new hood (with an SRT Power Chiller) and clever ducting from the cold air intake near the front. As you might have expected from a widebody variant, it also happens to have 3.5 inches of added girth to facilitate 20×11-inch wheels that anchor 305/35 Pirelli rubber.
Dodge says the package works out to be only a tenth of a second slower in the quarter mile than the Challenger SRT Super Stock we told you about earlier today. Despite the Charger being intentionally designed to be the more livable of the two, it certainly doesn’t seem to have sacrificed much performance. We guess Dodge’s figures were measured under perfect conditions on a pristine drag strip. The Redeye’s 10.6 seconds at 129 miles per hour seems a little ambitious for the boulevard, especially since it’s running on less-grippy tires than the Super Stock.
The sedan’s higher top speed (203 mph) will obliterate it on a longer stretch of road, however, and 0-60 in the “mid 3s” is more than adequate for the daily commune. Fortunately, you’ll be able to make several attempts to test those metrics. The super-sexy Charger borrows the Demon’s torque converter and launch control system for the hardest and most repeatable launches Dodge could provide.
Production is slated to commence at Brampton Assembly in Ontario this fall, with deliveries assumed to commence in early 2021. Expect it to sticker above the standard SRT Hellcat ($70,000) by at least a few grand.
A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.
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All that HP and torque, but still can't keep up with a Tesla Model S in the quarter mile. At least it's starting to get close now.
Dodge should make a sedan that's just best in class instead of fastest in class.