Supercharged V8 muscle car icon closer to return
The final piece in the Dodge Charger V8’s puzzle has reportedly been put in place, with the flagship performance Hellcat set to return.
Dodge is one step closer to putting the supercharged 6.2-litre V8 from the old Challenger Hellcat into the new-generation Charger, according to inside sources.
Specialist publication MoparInsiders reports word from sources within Dodge that a new Charger Hellcat has been green-lit for development, potentially launching in 2027 as a 2028 model year vehicle.
Since the new Charger’s launch in 2024, it has been available as either a two- or four-door (the former replacing the Dodge Challenger) with either an all-electric or a twin-turbo 3.0-litre straight-six powertrain, but without the V8s which were commonly available in the previous-generation models.
While yet to be confirmed by Dodge, parent company Stellantis has been re-adding the Hemi V8 engine to its vehicle lineup within the past 12 months.
After previous CEO Carlos Tavares effectively killed the Hemi V8 across the most popular model lines in the US, new CEO Antonio Filosa has been instrumental in bringing it back, first in the Ram 1500, and later the Jeep Wrangler.
Potential customers have been vocal about wanting the V8 back in the Charger, as Ford effectively has the V8 ‘pony car’ market tied up with the Mustang, after production of the Chevrolet Camaro ended in December 2023.
Tim Kuniskis, the head of Stellantis in North America, as well as the man leading the reborn SRT performance division, has previously said the Charger likely won’t get the 5.7-litre V8 found in the Ram 1500, instead only the Hellcat and Ram 1500 TRX’s supercharged 6.2-litre V8 would be considered.
“The only way it makes sense to charge for [an optional Hemi] now is I have to go all the way up to a Hellcat,” Kuniskis told Motortrend at the Detroit motor show.
“If you were to put a V8 in the car you would probably go to Hellcat (6.2-litre) instead of 5.7 (litre). The reality is when you get into that rare air, the take rate is pretty small.”
It’s worth noting that while the Ram 1500 underwent a significant mid-life update which saw the V8 removed before its later return, the Charger runs on a completely different platform, the STLA Large architecture which only supports the twin-turbo straight-six.
Dodge Charger V8 return will only happen with supercharged Hellcat
However, Stellantis has restarted production of the supercharged 6.2-litre V8 after bringing back the 1500 TRX pickup, which also resulted in increased inputs from 523kW and 882Nm to 579kW and 922Nm.
It’s worth noting the previous generation Charger Hellcat made up to 594kW and 959Nm in its ultimate Redeye trim, much more than the ‘High Output’ twin-turbo six which 410kW and 720Nm in the Charger currently on sale.
Despite the links to the return of the supercharged V8 in the Charger, there’s no word on whether it would be rear-wheel drive like previous Hellcats, or adopt the all-wheel drive system of the current twin-turbo six-cylinder model.
