SRT Hellcat and Hemi Engines Might Not Survive Through 2019

BOLD RIDE

Copyright © 2015 Bold Ride LLC.

 

Posted by Jeff Perez

 

 

The Dodge Charger and Challenger Hellcats are some most attention-grabbing, tire-scorching, hair-igniting cars of the past decade. With a 6.2-liter supercharged Hemi V8 making an astounding 707 horsepower, they could be the pinnacle of the modern horsepower wars. But the rein of the Hellcat will be finite, as we’re just learning that the Hellcat line may be killed off in 2019.

We live in an era of increasingly stringent fuel economy regulations and consumer expectations of higher and higher MPGs. In response, automakers are downsizing engines, and Dodge’s parents company Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is no different.

According to MotorAuthority, that sourced JeepTrackhawkForums, FCA is set to drop all Hemi V8 engines from the SRT lineup. That includes the 6.4-liter V8, as well as the at-issue 6.2-liter unit.

So what will power SRT vehicles going forward? Apparently future SRT offerings will be propelled by either a turbocharged inline-4, or a turbo V6. Automakers all over the world are getting 300 and 600 horsepower, respectively, from these types of engine setups, so it’s not all that insane. With future cars guaranteed to be lighter and more focused on cornering than straight-line power, this is likely to be a winning combination. Really, when has SRT let down the enthusiast community?

With 2018 as the last model year that the Hellcats will be offered, you have to ask yourself, how fast will performance buyers will scoop up the remaining Hellcats? Dodge may have already sensed the potential for increased demand, as the Detroit News reports, pricing for the Charger and Challenger Hellcats has jumped by as much as $2,500 for the 2016 model year.

A Challenger SRT Hellcat will set you back $62,495, while a Charger SRT Hellcat will cost $65,945. And that is before the inevitable dealer markups.

The last several years have been unprecedented for high-horsepower muscle cars. Will another automaker up the ante before 2019? Or is the end of an era around the corner?