We all love the Hellcat, the ubiquitous badge that represents 707 or more supercharged horsepower thrown into a Dodge or Jeep product that was never designed for the task. After an era that saw the engine go into everything from a Ram to a Challenger to two other levels of Challenger, the Hellcat as we know it is finally headed for retirement. We've known the end was coming soon since February, but exactly how long the big power would last was a mystery until today.
2023 will be the final model year for this incarnation of the Hellcat, Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis told Motor Authority. That leaves just two years of Hellcats to buy, just two more years to walk into a dealership and walk out with between 707 and 840 horsepower worth of Charger or Challenger.
It is not the end of big horsepower at Dodge, however. Kuniskis added that the company plans to reveal an electric concept early next year, previewing an announced electric muscle car that will debut for sale in 2024. Also in 2022, Dodge will reveal a brand-new plug-in hybrid not based on an existing model and a third, unrelated project that has not been discussed yet.
Whether or not those cars wear a Hellcat badge in the future, expect big horsepower to be a core tenet of Dodge's strategy in its electrified era. Until then, we have two more years of Hellcat as we know it.
Via Motor Authority.
After admitting earlier this year that the days of the Hellcat engine are numbered, Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis is now setting an expiration date.
"I will have this car, this platform, this powertrain as we know it through the end of '23. There's two more years to buy a Hellcat, then it's history," he told Motor Authority while attending the Los Angeles Auto Show.
- Also: 2021 Dodge Challenger Hellcat Redeye: Old-school Power and Fun
- Also: 2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat: What the Hell is That?
The supercharged 6.2-litre V8 that famously delivers more than 700 horsepower can not only be found in SRT Hellcat versions of the Dodge Charger, Challenger and Durango, but also in the Ram 1500 TRX. It was also offered in the outgoing Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk.
Photo: FCA
With regard to the Durango SRT Hellcat, Dodge made it clear right from the start that the almighty SUV would be available for a single model year only [2021] as the Hellcat engine would no longer meet emissions regulations on that platform.
Kuniskis warns that it will be the same thing with other Hellcat-powered models two years from now.
In the meantime, the company hopes to appease and please hardcore Dodge enthusiasts with one reveal or exciting announcement every three months as part of its new 24-month business plan called “Never Lift.”
Photo: Stellantis
We’ve already seen new Jailbreak editions of the Charger and Challenger SRT Hellcat, which crank output to 807 horsepower while also allowing customers to order any colour combination and add new factory-custom options to create their dream muscle car.
The end of the Hellcat engine in 2024 will be immediately followed by the launch of Dodge’s first-ever all-electric muscle car. In fact, Kuniskis says that a concept will be revealed as early as this winter. It won’t be just for show, either: the car will be fully operational and available for brief media test drives. Performance specs are expected to be announced at the same time. We’ve been told that 0-100 km/h times could be as quick as two seconds.
Photo: Dodge
In 2022, Dodge will also unveil a brand new model available with a plug-in hybrid powertrain [rumoured to be a small SUV called Hornet]. A third major reveal will occur later in the year, but Kuniskis can’t say what it is for now.
To sum up, a lot of big changes are coming at Dodge. We’ll know more in the next few months, so keep following The Car Guide or subscribe to our newsletter.
Watch: 2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat Packs 710 Horsepower
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Dodge killing off Hellcats after 2023 to make room for 2024 EV
But CEO Tim Kuniskis says we'll see that electric muscle car revealed in 2022
Dodge will show off its new electric concept vehicle early in 2022, and discontinue its roaring Hellcat V8 engines, after 2023, the brand’s chief executive recently confirmed to an automotive news outlet.
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The concept EV muscle car the automaker shows off next year will be a fully operational model capable of high-speed driving, Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis told Motor Authority at the L.A. Auto Show mid-November. The automaker will also reveal the EV’s performance specifications once its patents have been finalized.
Dodge previously acknowledged plans to transition to electrification earlier this year; a plug-in hybrid and the reveal of a third new model are also expected in 2022. And of course, we now know, too, that Stellantis’ most gasoline-hungry marque plans to send off its popular V8 with a bang, via trims like the new Jailbreak variants for the 2022 Charger and Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody models en route.
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The Jailbreak modifications allow customers to order various previously unavailable option combinations; also, they’ll receive a powertrain recalibration that boosts their output to 807 horsepower.
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Straight Outta Brampton: Why the Dodge Hellcat twins are the new gods of rap
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Dodge confirms its honking gas-guzzling V8s are not long for this world
“For those looking for increased performance, we will launch Direct Connection next month. But for those looking for a unique appearance, we are going to let customers run free through the styling archives,” Kuniskis said.
“We’re taking most of the parts and pieces we’ve used over the years, adding a few new ones and letting customers build their own ‘One of One.’ So, if you’re dreaming about owning a Stinger Yellow Challenger with Brass Monkey wheels, Hammerhead Grey seats, Blue Brembos and Red badges: I’m not sure we should, but we’ll build it for you.”
The Jailbreak cars are the first volley in Dodge’s “Never Lift” campaign, which will launch a stream of new models and initiatives over the next two years. The automaker also plans to revive its Direct Connection brand for performance upgrades and parts next month.
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