The Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat is a 'don’t mess with me' type of car. It's got a HEMI V8 that sets it in motion, plus that monstrous look that makes drivers move away when they see it in their rearview mirror. Yet Hennessey came to the conclusion that those were not enough. So they had to do something about it.
Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat. It comes from hell and goes wherever it wants. It looks every inch a predator, ready to eat the oh-so-popular crossover SUVs for breakfast. Highway, country roads, drag strip. Literally anywhere. Well, not literally anywhere, but that sounded just right in our story. Oh, alright, scrap that.
The model drives through the gate of the Brampton Assembly Plant in Ontario, Canada, taking with it the 6.2-liter HEMI. The power plant is capable of churning out 717 horsepower (727 PS) and 656 pound-feet (484 Nm) of torque, all steered straight to the rear axle via an eight-speed automatic transmission.
Those are the figures that make the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat flash from 0 to 60 mph (0 to 97 kph) in 3.7 seconds and run the quarter mile in 10.8 seconds. That is supercar level in a muscle car. Well, Hennessey thought that was far from enough and came up with the Hennessey H1000 Dodge Challenger Hellcat. But we'll get there.
What Hennessey did was upgrade the supercharging system, install stainless-steel long tube headers and high-flow catalytic converters. They came up with a high-flow induction system and a crank case ventilation system.
Photo: Hennessey
All these took the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat to an obscene 1,000 horsepower (1,014 PS) and 948 lb-ft (1,285 Nm) of torque, which predictably translates into better performance, which the tuner decides to keep under wraps for the moment.
That is almost the power that the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 comes with: 1,025 horsepower (1,039 PS) and 945 lb-ft (1,280 Nm) on E85. So, we expect performance to be similar to that of the SRT Demon 170, which does the 0 to 60 mph acceleration in 1.66 seconds. That is way out of line, isn’t it? We can only hope. Plus the devilish smile, right?
The car is painted in the intimidating Destroyer Grey, which Dodge, Chrysler, and Jeep have been having in their lineups since 2017, with contrasting yellow elements. You know these guys, they have always come up with exciting names for the paint. The Hellcat badge is in Midnight Metallic.
The Challenger rides on 20-inch Devil Rims in satin carbon with Pirelli P Zero rubber and red brake calipers. The cabin is wrapped in black leather but there is no photo of the interior. Yet if this car was specced the right way, there should probably be seatbelts in Demonic Red in there to contrast with the dark theme.
Photo: Hennessey
The model that Hennessey worked on sports a Jailbreak body kit. The Jailbreakers come with aero extras and various customization options. You can even choose the color of the Hellcat badge that shows up on the front fenders, the color of the brake calipers, not to mention the shades of the leather and of the stitching inside the cabin.
For those who want to treat their SRT Hellcats the same, Hennessey offers chassis dyno testing, road testing of up to 500 miles (805 kilometers), and a serial numbered engine bay plaque, plus Hennessey exterior badging. The mods come with a warranty of three years or 36,000 miles (57,936 kilometers).
Hennessey Performance indicates “immediate delivery.” That is probably if you don’t already have a car to modify and you get the one that they are selling. As for the price, no word on that one. But what you must consider is the fact that Dodge is retiring the HEMI.
So this might be one of the last few chances to get a car powered by one. The muscle car has rolled out as a Last Call special edition in the US as well as Europe, and the HEMI will only remain in production until the end of the year.
Furthermore, Dodge stopped taking orders for the HEMI-powered cars at the end of July. The upcoming Charger, for instance, will have an electric version, which will look very much like the Daytona SRT Banshee Concept, that the company revealed in August 2022.
Photo: Hennessey
Both Dodge Charger and Challenger TVs should arrive sometime in 2026. They will also have ICE-powered versions, but the V8 will be replaced by the twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter Hurricane inline-six. The engine debuted under the hood of the 2023 Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer. It generates 420 horsepower and 468 lb-ft (634 Nm) of torque in base guise or 510 horsepower and 500 lb-ft (678 Nm) for the high-output variant. Most likely, it will be integrated into a hybrid setup, with the electric motor or motors providing the rest of the output that the Challenger and Charger got us all used to.
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