The News Wheel
No Comments

The Hellcat V8 Engine Almost Wasn’t a Thing

Decrease Font Size Increase Font Size Text Size Print This Page

A moment of silence to be thankful that it is a thing

When Dodge unveiled the 2015 Challenger SRT Hellcat in the spring—and then the 2015 Charger SRT Hellcat over the summer—the game changed dramatically. Other performance carmakers were shaking in their racing boots, as the Hellcat V8 engine powering the two beasts was capable of generating 707 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque, something that they simply could not compete with. In fact, the Challenger SRT Hellcat is the most powerful muscle car ever, and the Charger SRT Hellcat follows as the most powerful production sedan in the world.


Price Points: 2015 Dodge Charger Pricing


Hellcat V8 Engine

The 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat

But the Hellcats also have speed. Both are the fastest in their segments.

That’s why it’s so scary to think that the Hellcat V8 engine was almost never produced, according to Automotive News. Apparently, when Fiat was still figuring out how to tackle Chrysler Group’s future, the Hellcat had just been proposed (back in 2011). There were more pressing concerns as the company rebuilt itself following its bankruptcy, so the idea was tabled.

Hellcat V8 Engine

The 2015 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat

The SRT engineers knew they had something good, however, and they fought and fought for the Hellcat engine until, eventually, they got their way. And, because of that, we now have the wonderful V8 that we do today. In honor of those engineers, let’s listen to that baby roar.


Related: The 2015 Charger Engine Is a Celebration of 100 Years of Engineering


News Source: Automotive News (sub. req.)