Dodge continues to tease its ultimate muscle car, a Challenger SRT Hellcat-based monster that’s certain to eclipse the already bonkers Demon. Currently referred to as the Golbin over the video teasers released thus far, the mystery muscle car may run more than 20 PSI of boost.
When Dodge launched the 6.2-liter supercharged V8 engine we refer to as the Hellcat, the 2015 model flaunted 11.6 pounds per square inch from a 2.4-liter blower of the twin-screw variety. Supplied by Japanese company IHI, the supercharger grew to 2.7 liters in the Demon, with boost pressure also improved to 14.5 PSI.
The supercharger in the Redeye, Super Stock, and Jailbreak displaces 2.7 listers as well, and – obviously enough – also runs 14.5 pounds per square inch of boost. With this information on the table, take a moment to watch the video teaser below. One could argue that the yellow-eyed goblin is 7.1 pounds (3.2 kilograms) heavier than the leprechaun, but on the other hand, isn’t that a cryptic way of telling us to prepare for 7.1 more PSI?
21.6 pounds per square inch is a lot, but not impossible. Swapping in a smaller pulley comes to mind, and if the rumors turn out to be true, Dodge may have also modified the 6.2-liter Hellcat engine to run on 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. The E85 blend would be a natural evolution from the 100-plus-octane race fuel of the Demon. The research octane for E85 is higher than premium gasoline and 100-octane race fuel, although its actual rating varies depending on the seasonal blend.
The cooling properties, improved knock resistance, and its relatively affordable price per gallon make E85 an easy choice for Dodge’s most badass street-legal muscle car yet. And probably ever when it comes to internal combustion given that the Charger is going electric.
Big kahuna Tim Kuniskis didn’t confirm whether his engineers modified the Hellcat engine for ethanol. On the other hand, he did mention that seven engines were blown up to certify the Goblin-spec powerplant, which is another way of saying that a lot has been modified.
We can further guesstimate 900-odd horsepower at the very least, with the rumor mill suggesting 909 as a nod to the original 707-horsepower rating for the 2015 model. At the other end of the spectrum, hearsay also suggests a Bugatti Veyron-shaming 1,001 horsepower. As a brief refresher, Bugatti’s quad-turbo W16 hypercar launched in 2005 with 1,001 metric horsepower on tap, which converts to 987 mechanical horsepower.
Some voices also claimed that Dodge might have yanked out the 6.2 in favor of the 7.0-liter Hellephant, which is exclusively available as a crate engine that can only be used off public roads in vehicles manufactured before 1976. Speaking of the Hellephant, the 426-ci colossus is available with an E85 tune as part of Dodge’s Direct Connection parts division. It produces over 1,100 ponies, which brings us back to the Goblin-spec engine.
If the current most powerful Hellcat makes 807 horsepower and Dodge applies the lessons learned from the E85-converted Hellephant, then 900-plus horsepower is indeed possible for the yet-to-be-named special edition. The Challenger to rule all Challengers will be revealed on March 20th, 2023, in Las Vegas.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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