Super Power: The 6 Coolest Vehicles To Use The Hellcat Engine - SlashGear (2024)

Cars

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ByJason Parker/Dec. 11, 2023 10:15 pm EST

Muscle car enthusiasts are well aware of the Dodge Hellcat engine and logo, but if you're unaware, the engines in Hellcat-stamped cars and trucks have a ridiculous amount of horsepower. It all comes from its supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine that — when it was unleashed in 2015 — boasted 707 horsepower. Since then, the engine has been upgraded in many ways and is now powering multiple vehicles across GM's automotive landscape. Frankly, it was one of the hottest shows in town until Shelby recently unveiled the newest King of the Road.

Still, that 707 horsepower (and above in more recent efforts) is nothing to sniff at. The Hellcat engines come in Chargers and Challengers, but that's sort of expected. While they are definitely worth talking about, it's all the other vehicles that come with a version of the Hellcat engine that make it interesting.

It's also important to point out that while most car companies are moving towards electric, it is almost as if these companies are going for one last hoorah. The Hellcat engine will no longer be built after 2023 in order to make way for new models and engines.

Without further ado, check out the top vehicles that use the Hellcat engine and issue them a fond farewell until we see what's next.

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If you know about the Hellcat engine at all, you know it started with the 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat. What's cool about this particular car is that it looks a lot like muscle cars of yesterday, but it comes fully loaded with all the modern amenities we've grown accustomed to. The Challenger Hellcat sports the 707 horsepower 6.2-liter Hellcat V8 engine, which immediately puts it atop the muscle category and even made other American car companies consider adding more power.

However, the Challenger SRT Hellcat wasn't the last Challenger to get the upgrade. In 2022, Dodge put out the Challenger Hellcat Jailbreak, which pushed the engine even further, upgrading to a 797 horsepower V8. But perhaps the king of all Challengers was the 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon. The Demon took the Challenger to a whole new level with its 840 horsepower and 770 lb-ft of torque. The only problem? You'll need to power it with 100 octane fuel to hit those levels of horsepower, and last time we checked, that wasn't available at the corner gas station.

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When Dodge brought back the Charger name in 2008, it was on a four-door sedan, which definitely raised a few eyebrows among gearheads. It sported a respectable 5.7-liter V-8, but something about turning a famous muscle car name into a family sedan didn't sit well with some folks. Fortunately, Dodge brought the Charger up to speed (literally) with the SRT Hellcat. Using the same engine found in the Challenger from the same year, it offered the 707 horsepower 6.2-liter Hellcat V8. It had a top speed of 203 mph and immediately became the most powerful sedan anywhere, beating out competing cars from Audi, BMW, and Mercedes.

In 2021, Dodge gave the car an upgrade with the Charger Hellcat Redeye. This version of the car pushed the envelope with 797 horsepower and 707 lb-ft of torque. This was made possible through extensive upgrades to the suspension, half-shafts, and cooling systems. Whatever they did worked, giving the Charger the powerful upgrade it deserves.

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Once the Hellcat engine came out in 2015, Dodge decided it wanted to shoe-horn the engine into all types of vehicles. The 2016 Jeep Trailcat is an incredible off-roading machine and only appeared as a concept vehicle during Jeep's annual Easter offroad excursion to Moab, Utah. It was the 60th anniversary of the trip to the desert, and Jeep showed up with a bright green Jeep Wrangler with 39.5-inch offroad wheels. It also, of course, packed the power of the 707 horsepower 6.2-liter Hellcat V8.

What's even more ridiculous about this particular upgrade is that Jeep had to lengthen the wheelbase by a foot in order to fit the huge engine into the frame. We're not sure about you, but being that high up in the air with those wheels and all that engine sounds positively terrifying. Still, given the chance, it would be hard to pass up trying to drive that amazing-looking machine. Hats off to the folks at Jeep for even conceiving this monster, much less building it.

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Once Dodge started thinking of new ways of using the immensely powerful Hellcat engine, it landed on an unusual marriage between an SUV and a rocket. The 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk was the result, and it came loaded with a — you guessed it — 707 horsepower 6.2-liter Hellcat V8 engine. You have to keep in mind that this SUV comes loaded with its usual accouterments, and as such, it weighs 5,448 pounds. That's a heavy vehicle, by any standards. But that 707 horsepower V8 can do 0-60 in 3.5 seconds. In an SUV! That's insane.

Of course, with all that bulk and fewer aerodynamic features you'd find in a low-to-the-ground car, it doesn't hit the same top speeds as other cars with the Hellcat engine. Still, it makes us wonder how many of these behemoths we've passed on the highway, never even considering that the comfortable-looking SUV driving next to us could blow the doors off every other vehicle around it. The thought will make us look at SUVs differently from now on.

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When Dodge added the Hellcat engine to its Jeep Grand Cherokee, it must have figured it would work as well or better in its 2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat. Like the Jeep, the Durango comes equipped with the same 707 horsepower 6.2-liter Hellcat V8, and it does so inside of an SUV with three rows of seats for the whole family. We don't know about you, but all we can think about are the kids in the back holding on for dear life on the way to soccer practice.

Unfortunately, the Durango SRT Hellcat for 2023 is already sold out. But maybe it's for the better; EPA estimates for the SUV clock in at just 12 mpg in the city and a minuscule 17 mpg on the highway. With that said, the cabin is luxurious, with heated seats, an infotainment system, and paddle shifters on either side of the steering wheel. It also has a standard automatic stick between the front seats.

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In Dodge's quest to try the Hellcat engine in all sorts of different form factors, it decided to try its hand at upgrading a full-size truck to ungodly speeds. Enter the 2021 Ram 1500 TRX. Powered by the same supercharged 6.2-liter Hellcat V8, this truck is based on the regular 1500 Ram but adds a better suspension, a stronger frame, and is controlled by an eight-speed automatic transmission. It can do 0-60 in 3.7 seconds, making it faster than most cars. Whoever's idea it was to put this engine into a full-sized truck should probably be committed, but we are sure glad it's here.

This thing is built for offroading, too. It comes with 35-inch all-terrain tires on its 18-inch wheels, givingit over a foot of ground clearance. It also has a ton of underbody plating to protect against the inevitable rocks kicked up by all that power. Of course, a truck isn't worth much if it can't tow things, but rest assured: The Ram1500 TRX can tow just about anything you throw at it, from boats to trailers.