Step aside, SRT!
Earlier this year, Dodge unveiled the 2018 Durango SRT at the Chicago Auto Show. Capable of producing 475 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque using its HEMI V8 engine, the Dodge Durango SRT was declared the most powerful three-row SUV in its class.
Still, many Dodge drivers crave even more power. The world wants—no—needs a Hellcat-powered Dodge Durango!
That is precisely what one Arizona automotive enthusiast received, courtesy of his loving spouse and Plum Floored Creations.
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As a gift for her husband, the owner of a 2011 Dodge Durango R/T wanted to upgrade their SUV into a Hellcat-powered machine. Of course, since Dodge does not sell a Hellcat engine for the Durango, she had to think outside the box and turn to Plum Floored Creations.
Plum Floored is a custom Mopar shop located near Phoenix. While the Plum Floored staff have modified many Mopar vehicles in the past, transforming a Durango into a Durango Hellcat was a new one for them.
Certainly not as simple as just dropping a Hellcat engine into the right spot
Complicating matters was the age of the Durango. While it may have still been a part of the Durango’s most recent generation, it was built before the model’s refresh in 2014, which made improvements to the vehicle’s transmission.
Nevertheless, with a little ingenuity and a lot of skill, Plum Floored Creations was able to tackle the task. To modernize the drivetrain, the Mopar shop added a new six-speed ATS Stage 3 transmission unit to the vehicle.
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Of course, to produce a Hellcat-level performance, Plum Floored Creations installed a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 Hellcat motor under the hood. The standard 2.3-liter supercharger was exchanged for a 2.9-liter Whipple unit to handle the new levels of power produced.
Just how much power is this custom Durango able to produce? According to testing, 698 horsepower at the crank and 570 horsepower at the wheels, both far higher than the Durango SRT’s 475 horsepower.
You can hear the Durango trade its previous purr for a Hellcat roar in the video below:
After adjustments to both the brakes and wheels, all of the necessary mechanical changes were made. Next came the vehicle’s aesthetic upgrades.
Plum Floored Customs added leather seats with red cloth highlights in the cabin. They also worked with FX Graphixs to create a custom Hellcat logo for the exterior.
In the end, the entire project cost somewhere around $40,000. Now if that isn’t an act of true love, we don’t know what is.
News Source: Motor Authority
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