Since the introduction of the 707 horsepower Dodge Challenger Hellcat and Charger Hellcat models last year, Dodge has made significant gains in the War on Tires. Unfortunately, many tires remain un-obliterated despite their best efforts. But wars are marathons, not sprints, and so Dodge is set to “substantially increase” Hellcat engine production
So says Automotive News, which reports that the Hellcat twins were such an unexpected hit for Fiat Chrysler that the automaker is still working hard to catch up on a “huge flood” of orders. They’re no longer taking orders on 2015 models, but are working to fill existing ones before starting 2016 production, Dodge and SRT brand head Tim Kuniskis said.
The popular Hellcats are having a halo effect across the lineup, Kuniskis said. “We’ve sold 88,000 muscle cars [this calendar year], Challengers and Chargers, and 4,000 of those have been Hellcats. It’s a small sliver of what we sell, but it really creates a halo for the rest of the lineup,” he said. “For example, the next highest car, the Scat Pack Challenger, I have essentially a zero-day supply. It’s sold out.”
Which is nice to hear, because if you buy a Scat Pack Challenger you certainly aren’t settling. It’s a wonderful car with more than enough power.
But “more than enough” won’t win the War on Tires; obscene power will. So for next year Dodge will increase the number of Hellcat engines to meet this increased demand. Automotive News says the automaker won’t put a number on how many they plan to make, but so far this year alone their Saltillo, Mexico has built 4,000 engines alone.
So more Hellcats are coming, and more Hellcat engines. Is that because some of them are destined to find their way into a Jeep Grand Cherokee’s engine bay? Fiat Chrysler won’t say, but I would assume the answer is yes.
The war rages on.
Photo credit Kurt Bradley
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