Dodge shook up the automotive world in the summer of 2014, with the debut of the 707 horsepower 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT HELLCAT. Go forward three years and Dodge creates the 840 horsepower 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon, the fastest quarter-mile production car ever. Now a year later Dodge introduces the next step of its Challenger SRT arsenal with the 2019 Dodge Challenger SRT HELLCAT Redeye. Powered by the same engine as the SRT Demon but with separate tuning, this kitty pumps out 797 horsepower on premium unleaded gasoline. The two cars have their own personality.
Many SRT Demon enthusiasts have been up in the air about the SRT HELLCAT Redeye, since their was only a one-year limited run on the SRT Demon. But we can tell SRT Demon owners, that the SRT HELLCAT Redeye is its own thing. Where the SRT Demon was built for the drag strip, the Redeye is the next step in the HELLCAT’s street presence.
While the SRT Demon is all about the fastest quarter-mile time, the SRT HELLCAT Redeye is tuned for the street. Sure you can take it to the track and it will perform great, but don’t expect to pull down the same quarter-mile time as the SRT Demon.
SRT Demon could be optioned to be a stripped down drag car, that only featured a driver seat (although only 16 SRT Demon models came with just a single driver seats). The Redeye comes standard with front, passenger and rear seats (you can delete the rear seat while ordering). The Redeye also doesn’t come with all of the big brother SRT Demon’s drag racing tech. Sure Redeye comes with the line lock option for 2019, but so does all R/T Scat Pack, SRT HELLCAT and SRT HELLCAT Redeye models. The Redeye features SRT Performance Page settings similar to the standard SRT HELLCAT (so no Drag Mode here, but the Redeye does get Track mode settings).
Like the SRT Demon, the SRT HELLCAT Redeye only comes with one transmission option which is the 8-speed TorqueFlite 8HP90 automatic. No transbrake on the Redeye either. However, in the Redeye you have the option of equipping the car with two final drive ratios, a standard 2.62:1 or available 3.09:1. The SRT engineers retuned the 6.2-liter Supercharged HEMI V8 that is equipped with 2.7-liter supercharger from the Demon for more ease for street use. Keep in mind, that the SRT Demon version before equipped with the goodies from the Demon crate made 808 horsepower and 717 lb.-ft with Premium 91 octane fuel. The SRT HELLCAT Redeye makes 797 horsepower and 707 lb.-ft. of torque on the same fuel. That’s only a loss of 11 horsepower and 10 lb.-ft. of torque.
The Redeye makes use of the SRT Demon’s SRT Power Chiller™ which lowers the intake air temperature further on the Challenger SRT HELLCAT Redeye, resulting in improved performance.
Performance wise, the SRT Demon maybe king of the drag strip but the SRT HELLCAT Redeye Widebody will destroy the car on the road course. While the NHRA-certified runs the quarter-mile time of the SRT Demon at 9.65 seconds @ 140 mph, the SRT HELLCAT Redeye Widebody will run a 10.8 seconds @ 131 mph in its fastest setup. The non-Widebody Redeye will run the quarter-mile at an incredible 11.1 seconds @ 131 mph.
A huge difference between the SRT Demon and the SRT HELLCAT Redeye, is you don’t have to purchase a widebody version of the Redeye. Yes, both standard and widebody versions are available. While the 20-inch “Devil’s Rim” widebody wheels which were optional for SRT Demon owners are standard on the SRT HELLCAT Redeye Widebody as are on all Challenger Widebody models. Wheel choices on the standard non-Widebody Redeye gets the same options of wheels as the non-Widebody SRT HELLCAT.
You can equip the SRT HELLCAT Redeye, just like you can a standard 2019 Dodge Challenger SRT HELLCAT. The option list between the two cars are virtually identical.
In short, if the performance of the Dodge Challenger SRT HELLCAT was good but not good enough for you; the new SRT HELLCAT Redeye is what you are looking for. But as to those SRT Demon buyers, you shouldn’t worry. The exclusivity of the Demon is safe. These two machines, have two different purposes. The SRT HELLCAT Redeye just takes the bad kitty to next level of crazy.
