The jewel of every Dodge dealer in town has been the demonic Hellcat V8 engine found in vehicles like the Challenger and Charger. If you’ve been saving up in hopes of bringing one of these beasts home, you may have to change your plans. Dodge recently announced that the Hellcat V8 will no longer be available beyond the 2023 model year. That means there’s only a limited amount of time to pick up this beast from your Dodge dealer.
Who Is To Blame For This?
While playing the blame game won’t keep this engine from disappearing from your local Dodge dealer, it is one of the bigger questions being asked right now. The most significant reason behind this news is emissions. Some relatively new federal rules regarding emissions played a role in this decision.
Dodge, of course, can continue to manufacture the Hellcat V8 and meet all of the strict emissions policies. The challenge is that the cost of the engine would go up, and drivers might take on compliance fees.
Dodge Is Going Green
While federal emissions rules aren’t necessarily helping make the Hellcat V8 practical, these policies aren’t the only thing driving Dodge’s decision. This popular American automaker is also taking some huge strides to go green.
Dodge is coming out with a new, all-electric muscle car for 2024. All of the details about this beast haven’t been fully released, but expectations are pretty high. We do know that the fresh eMuscle is likely to take on the larger architecture from Dodge’s parent company Stellantis. The new platform mounting will put the motor and battery pack below the load floor, which makes more room for passengers and cargo.
Dodge is shooting to offer up to 500 miles per full charge, along with the full capability and attractiveness we’ve come to expect from Dodge muscle cars.
Going Out With A Bang
The Hellcat engine isn’t going to slip away quietly into the night, though. The final models that will show off this impressive engine are going to make the record books. Dodge enthusiasts are stoked about the upcoming Challenger and Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye Jailbreak models that will produce a massive 807 horsepower.
These new models can also be configured with tons of appearance options, colors, trim details, and more that will make each model a completely unique car.
It may be sad to hear that the Hellcat V8 is disappearing from Dodge’s muscle cars, but that only means there is room for something even better. Keep an eye on your local Dodge dealer to see what exciting thing is coming your way.
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