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NINE LIVES: DODGE HELLCAT V8 ENGINE TO DIE IN 2024

The 707 Horsepower Supercharged V8 Engine Originally Debuted For The 2015 Challenger

2021 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye Muscle Car Ubly Dragway
Image copyright Steven Pham, Muscle Cars & Trucks.

With powerful billionaires and politicians safely deplaned from their G650 private jets after flying across the world to attend the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, having decreed the rules for thee, hundreds of Automotive Media Professionals™ have similarly flew across America to the 2021 Los Angeles Auto Show last week to gawk at a new electric minivan with a rotating touchscreen. But because we care about the environment, MC&T decided to stay in Michigan where the November cold keeps out the weak, and thus covered the auto show from afar. And with that said, there is news that environmentalist mandates and corporate policies set forth by those flying in private jets aim to squeeze your right to buy a 707 horsepower Dodge Hellcat V8 engine.

2021 Dodge Charger Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye
Photo copyright Manoli Katakis, Muscle Cars & Trucks.

Dodge Hellcat V8 Engine: 2015-2024

According to Joel Feder at Motor Authority, Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis has confirmed that the Hellcat V8 engine will see its end by the end of 2023, nine years after the 707 horsepower engine was originally introduced in 2014 for the 2015 model year.

Cats are said to have nine lives, and nine years is all that the people get from factory Hellcat muscle cars. Is it some sort of metaphorical play? Or is it just how things have played out? Coming from the folks in Auburn Hills, whom are the industry masters of a good easter egg, we won’t leave out the former. But listening to their French overlords that make up the Stellantis senior management team, we understand that each of the company’s 15 brands selling both in America and abroad have to prove their worth by selling electric vehicles, and performing well in the marketplace in the process.

For the Dodge brand, which has done incredible things in the past decade to define what it means to drive an American performance vehicle, have largely used the halo effect of the Hellcat V8 to do it. Tim Kuniskis noted in the report that the cars could still meet emissions requirements with the Charger and Challenger, unlike the short-lived Durango SRT Hellcat, but Stellantis doesn’t seem too fond of spending more money on carbon credits on anything that isn’t a Ram pickup truck.

Dodge Power Dollars Charger SRT Hellcat Widebody Redeye Stellantis Muscle Car Indigo Blue
photo copyright Manoli Katakis, Muscle Cars & Trucks.

The Performance Legacy Of The Dodge Charger And Challenger Hellcats

For the money, there was nothing that came close to offering the kind of power one could find in a Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat or Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat. It continues to be that way, and the vehicles have only gotten more effective over time. Each and every Hellcat Charger and Challenger muscle car is sold as a widebody now, which helps all of that power find the pavement, and improves lateral grip. And that’s just the beginning. Should customers seek more power, there’s the Dodge Charger and Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye models, kicking out 797 horsepower. Opt for the Jailbreak upgrade on the 2022 models, and that jumps to 807 horsepower, just like the Challenger Super Stock.

Two more years left. Then they’re history.

2021 Dodge Muscle Car Family Durango Hellcat Charger Redeye Challenger Super Stock
Image via Stellantis.

Written by Manoli Katakis

Muscle Cars & Trucks was founded by Manoli Katakis - an automotive media veteran that has been covering the latest car news since 2009. His journalism has uncovered dozens of major product changes, updates, plans, and cancellations long before automakers were ready to make things official.

Some highlights over the years of his reporting include the uncovering of the Zora trademark before anybody else reported on the coming of a mid-engine Corvette, as well as the dead-accurate reporting of the coming of the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2, two years before it hit the market, and even before the debut of the concept vehicle. This type of reporting has immediately continued here, with reports of the original seventh-generation Camaro plans being shelved, as well as what's in store for the Chevrolet Silverado.

Some of his work can be found on massive automotive media outlets, such as Motor1. He also has been a guest on the 910AM Radio Station with Detroit News auto critic Henry Payne, as well as the enthusiast-oriented Camaro Show podcast.

Over the years, Manoli has interviewed various automotive industry titans, leaders, and people that make things happen otherwise. These include figureheads such as GM CEO Mary Barra, GM President Mark Reuss, automotive aftermarket icon Ken Lingenfelter, Dodge firebrand Tim Kuniskis, along with various chief engineers of vehicles such as the Ford F-150 & Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro & Corvette, and many more.

At MC&T, Manoli is taking his journalism expertise, deeply planted sources, driving abilities, and automotive industry knowledge to new levels, covering more vehicles and brands than ever before. This is the place where you will continue to read groundbreaking stories about American performance vehicles, pickup trucks, and sport utility vehicles. Here is where you’ll also read insights and quotes from various automotive subject matter experts on the latest relevant products, as well as some of the latest official news from their manufacturers.

Fun facts: he also once beat Corvette Racing driver Tommy Milner in an autocross with a Chevrolet Bolt EV. The biggest vehicle he’s ever driven is a John Deere mining truck. Besides a go-kart, the smallest vehicle he’s driven has been a Hyundai i10. He’s also spent time in the cockpit of various American performance vehicle icons, including the fifth-generation Chevrolet Camaro Z/28, Dodge Challenger Demon, and Ford Mustang GT350R. He has reviewed dozens of trucks, SUVs, and performance vehicles over the years.

One of his favorite new vehicles on the market today happens to be the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison. He is also a card carrying member of the Sports Car Club of America, and regularly participates in Detroit Region autocross events.

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