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Dodge//SRT Is Working On A Last Hurrah For Its Supercharged HEMI Program!

Is An E85 Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye In The Works?

Dodge//SRT turned the high-performance car world on end in 2014, with the launch of the 707 horsepower 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat. The launch started an amazing trend of supercar performance muscle cars at a price that the average person could afford. 

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In 2017, the American performance automaker then once again shook the foundation of the entire performance industry with the unveiling of the limited-edition 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon. An 840 horsepower street-legal drag racing machine capable of dominating the drag strip. The Challenger SRT Demon became an instant legend, thanks to an NHRA-certified 9.65-second @ 140 mph pass making the Demon the fastest 1/4-mile mass-production car in the world.

The Challenger SRT Demon was the first-ever, street-legal factory-production car designed to run on 100+ unleaded high-octane fuel. That fuel is readily available at select gas stations, specialty shops, and drag strips. To be able to unleash the high-octane mode capability, an owner would have had to purchase the available Demon Crate, as Direct Connection Performance Parts included in the kit were a new powertrain control module calibrated for the high-octane unleaded fuel and a new switch bank for the center stack that included a high-octane button.

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The SRT Demon left the factory with a powertrain control module configured for 91-octane premium unleaded pump gasoline, which delivers top-level performance. The switch to the Direct Connection controller enabled the supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI Demon V8 engine to extract the maximum power from the knock-resistant fuel at high pressures and optimum spark timing. 

The Challenger SRT Demon was engineered to be able to run on a mix of 100+ octane and premium unleaded fuels without hurting the engine, but the high-octane function wouldn’t activate if the combined fuel octane was too low. A message in the gauge display told the driver the car would use the premium fuel calibration until the engine was shut off and restarted. 

The ultimate result was a boost of up to 40 horsepower and 53 lb.-ft. of torque with 100+ octane in the fuel tank of the SRT Demon.

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Since then, Dodge//SRT has offered a number of configurations of its muscle cars with around 800 horsepower with the supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI® Demon V8. The powerplant has been incorporated in the SRT Hellcat Redeye, SRT Super Stock, and SRT Jailbreak lineups, all offering around the same horsepower as the Demon without its magic high-octane race fuel mode.

So what are we getting at?

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Dodge//SRT has mentioned that the Hellcat era will be coming to an end once the next-generation Dodge Challenger (LB) and Charger (LF) come to market in 2024. The new generation of muscle cars will offer more efficient and emissions-friendly internal combustion engines (ICEs) and a battery-electric vehicle (BEV) powertrain that will be able to outperform the current Hellcat lineup.

While Dodge has announced that it will show off a conceptual version of its all-new eMuscle car later this summer, it doesn’t mean that Dodge//SRT isn’t working on something special for the last hurrah for the supercharged HEMI in the Challenger.

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According to our sources, Dodge//SRT will be launching another high-performance limited-edition model before the current generation comes to an end. But what makes this new car special is that instead of running on 100+ octane race fuel, it will be able to run on ethanol (E85) instead.

Those sources have indicated that the car should be a limited production (like that of the SRT Demon) and capable of producing stronger numbers than the SRT Demon. How much horsepower we do not know, but Mopar’s Direct Connection Stage 3 Kit for the Hellcat Redeye puts out 885 horsepower with 100+ octane, Hellephant pulley, and tuning. Although not confirmed we expect horsepower to be upwards of 850+ for the E85 tuned Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody. 

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The sources also stated to us that the car will be part of the brand’s “Never Lift” campaign, Dodge’s 24-month road map to the brand’s performance future.

We hope to be learning more about the car in the upcoming weeks. So stay tuned.

Mike Volkmann

Michael Volkmann, a mechanical engineer in the steel industry, autocrossed and road-raced Neons. Michael has drag raced his 1971 Duster 340, 2015 Dodge Charger SRT392, 2009 Challenger R/T, and Neons, of which he’s owned seven — one SRT4, three ACRs, and three Sport Coupes.

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Dodge really needs to send the charger out with a manual transmission.

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Not 4 figures? I’d have guessed 999. But that’s close enough. So the new electric muscle is probably going to start at 1001?

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909 is plenty.... traction is the limited factor. Make is AWD and that would be awesome.

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Good stuff! Hopefully they are working on a street worthy 426 hemi for the next gen cars. I think it goes without saying, but I don't think Challenger and Charger fans are interested in any sort of EV version of the car. I know I'm not.

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