An 808hp Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Makes Sense

Over the past week or so, there have been multiple sightings of what some outlets are calling a narrow-bodied Dodge Challenger SRT Demon because the car is wearing the 840 horsepower drag-ready muscle car’s huge hood scoop design. Adding credence to these reports is the fact that some spy shots (which we do not have permission to use) show the infotainment screen of the mysterious test car with 808 horsepower displayed rather than 707, so in addition to the unique hood of the newest Challenger, this test car seemingly shares the engine as well, but that is where the similarities seem to end – leading me to believe that there is a far better chance of Dodge working on a Hellcat Challenger with 808hp rather than a Demon with skinny tires.

The Newest Challenger Test Car Sightings
The mysterious red Dodge Challenger caught wearing the Demon’s hood with the massive air opening and boasting of 808hp might have the hood and the alleged power output, but it is wearing Hellcat wheels over the massive Hellcat brakes, meaning that the 18 inch wheels and drag radials from the Demon will not fit.

This leads me to believe that Dodge might be looking to give the Hellcat Challenger a grand send-off with an 808 horsepower model which would feature the new 2.7L supercharger rather than the current 2.4L unit. This would be similar to the current Hellcat Challenger in most ways, including the brakes, the suspension, the premium interior and the exterior body design, but rather than the 707hp Hemi, it would deliver 808 horsepower when running on premium gasoline. It would not come with the high octane PCM for 100 octane gasoline, so it likely wouldn’t offer 840 horsepower, but with 808 – it would serve as a stronger version of the Hellcat Challenger which has proven to be so popular with buyers around the US.

Like the new Jeep Trackhawk, the 808hp Hellcat Challenger could feature the Torque Reserve system, as well as the line lock, launch control and the advanced cooling system of the Demon, but I don’t expect it to include the TransBrake or the other “race only” features. This would allow Dodge to make use of the items developed for the 840hp street legal drag car without actually competing with the 9-second quarter mile machine.

Of course, if Dodge does roll out a Challenger SRT Hellcat with an 808hp version of the 6.2L Hemi, it will likely aggravate current Hellcat owners who “only” have 707 horsepower, but in the long run, this rumored 808hp Hellcat would essentially serve as a Hellcat 2.0 – not a Demon with narrow tires. Ultimately, many Hellcat Challenger (and Charger) owners have proven that the supercharged Mopar muscle cars can make good use of 800+ horsepower without any significant chassis changes, so before the current Dodge Challenger races off into the sunset, there is a chance that we could see a Hellcat with more horsepower than the current 707hp models.

In much the same way that Ford beefed up the Shelby GT500 Mustang over the years – building from 500hp and 662hp – the Hellcat Challenger could grow from 707hp to 808hp before the generation ends in the next few years.