With a slightly revised Dodge Challenger pinned to launch later this year, the range-topping SRT8 model will feature a brand new supercharged Hemi V8 engine currently known as the ‘Hellcat’. This engine will boast some serious performance and could resultantly create in an internal horsepower race within SRT.
While speaking with Hot Rod Magazine, SRT boss Ralph Gilles said, “We have a situation where, you know– we may have a situation–where the flagship car is not the most powerful car in our arsenal. So we have an internal horsepower race as well as an external one.”
While it is known that this new engine will have a supercharger and eight cylinders, it is unknown just how many liters it will displace. Some reports state it will by a 6.2-liter unit while others say it will displace 6.4-liters. However big the engine is, it is expected to arrive with either an eight-speed automatic transmission or a Tremec six-speed manual ‘box. It is obvious which gearbox we would prefer.
The new supercharged V8 has been described as a “last hurrah” for the company before fuel economy standards limit horsepower outputs for American manufacturers. The engine will be built alongside the 5.7-liter and 6.4-liter Hemi V8s currently produced by Chrysler and is expected to produce 640 hp if not a little bit more!
[Via Motor Authority, Image via Autoblog]
