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Is Dodge Testing an AWD Dodge Charger Hellcat?

We all love a good burnout, as well as an enticing sideways session, but we have to agree with the fact that an all-wheel-drive version of the Hellcat would only add to the value of the badge.
Dodge Charger test cars 1 photo
Photo: YouTube screenshot
The idea has been floating around ever since Dodge introduced the 707 hp madness, but now a Charger Hellcat was spied altitude testing and there's a chance added front axle traction is the reason why the muscle sedan was being evaluated.

The video below, which comes from TFL Car, shows a host of Fiat Chrysler vehicles performing a high altitude testing session in Colorado's Rocky Mountains. Aside from a Chrysler Pacifica, which the engineers didn't bother removing the camo from despite the official unveiling having already taken place, the crew also spotted a pair of SRT Chargers.

While one of the sedans was a 392, the other was a Hellcat. The presence of the blown 6.2-liter model raises a lot of questions and it's hard not to wonder whether Dodge is weighing the possibility of offering AWD as an option.

To the best of our knowledge, this would be a first in the muscle car world - AMGs don't count since they're a bit more premium than regular muscle.

Then again, the premises for such a car are there. It's enough to remember the 447 hp Challenger GT AWD Concept Dodge introduced at last year's SEMA to understand that.

We also have to take into account the fact that Jeep has already confirmed the Hellcat V8 will be used for the Grand Cherokee (coming July 2017), an AWD offering that's tentatively called Trackhawk (here's a spy video). Oh, and let's not forget that Dodge showrooms already accommodate the Charger AWD, albeit as a non-performance offering.

The only problem we have is that the footage allows us to throw a glance at both the front and the rear wheels of the said Hellcat. With the small hubcaps at the center of the rims missing, we can clearly see the axle nut for the rear wheel, but we can't say the same when it comes to the front wheel. So this is either a case of poor visibility, or a situation that sees the front axle not being gifted with half shafts.

Sure, Fiat Chrysler's tight budget means they've perfected the art of rich facelifts and derivatives, but will they cross the traditional RWD line? We hope so and yet we're tempted to bet on a negative answer.

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About the author: Andrei Tutu
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In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist.
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