Today Dodge trotted out the inevitable 710-horsepower 2021 Durango Hellcat, 797-HP Charger Hellcat Redeye sedan, and an 807 HP Challenger called the Super Stock that effectively replaces the Demon. The 2021 Durango R/T also got some revisions. Neat, I guess!
You can watch Dodge’s 25-minute launch event video on YouTube if you’re so inclined, but here are three choice lines the hypeman recited that summarise where the automaker’s at:
- “It’s amazing what you can cook when you stick to the recipe.”
- “We stay in our lane.”
- “This is what you can do when you set out to do one thing incredibly well.”
Welp, we certainly can’t criticise Dodge SRT for a lack of self-awareness! If it’s determined to be the outfit that just puts huge supercharged V8s in everything, I mean, I’m good with that. The Challenger’s still one of my favourite new cars, in spite of and because of how unapologetically anachronistic it is.
Speaking of which, let’s look at the 2021 Challenger Super Stock first because I’m far more interested in that than anything else in Dodge’s lineup now.
I like the wing! Here are the main claims from Dodge:
Cool Parts:
- Lightweight 18-inch-by-11-inch wheels in Low Gloss Granite finish, riding on sticky 315/40R18 Nitto NT05R drag radials at all four corners
- Lightweight all-aluminium Brembo four-piston brake callipers and 14.2-inch vented rotors
- Performance-tuned asymmetrical limited-slip differential with a 3.09 final drive ratio
Performance:
- 807 HP, 321 kg-ft of torque
- Eight-speed automatic transmission
- 0-96 km/h acceleration of 3.25 seconds
- Quarter-mile elapsed time of 10.5 seconds at 211 km/h
- 270 km/h top speed (tire-limited)
- Suspension optimised for launching
You can get more details from Dodge’s press release, and I’ll leave you with one excerpt on the car’s Track Mode:
“When Track mode is activated on the Challenger SRT Super Stock, the front Bilstein shocks are set for firm compression and soft rebound damping, while the rear Bilstein shocks are set for firm compression and firm rebound damping. That configuration is maintained as long as the car runs at wide-open throttle. When the driver backs off the gas pedal, the system switches to soft compression and firm rebound, front and rear, for improved handling.”
“During Track mode, the traction control system is disabled to enable the rear wheels to spin for a burnout, but the electronic stability control system remains engaged to help the driver with straight-line performance.”
The 2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat is exactly what it sounds like–Durango, plus Hellcat equals 710-HP three-row SUV. Dodge says it will build this vehicle for “the 2021 model year only.”
I liked the old Durango R/T, thought the SRT was goofy and pointless, and imagine this will be more wasteful than fun. But all my friends on Twitter are busily chirping about how great it is, so, maybe you’re into it too.
Dig into Dodge’s press release for the full lowdown on this firebreather; I’ll pull some of the high points for you.
Cool Parts:
- Launch Control – easily accessed from a toggle switch in the cockpit, manages tire slip while launching the vehicle to allow the driver to achieve consistent straight-line acceleration
- Launch Assist – uses wheel speed sensors to watch for driveline-damaging wheel hop at launch and, in milliseconds, modifies the engine torque to regain full grip
Performance:
- 710 HP, 293 kg-ft of torque
- More responsiveness with 20 per cent increase in total rebound control
- More grip with reduced understeer by 2.5 per cent, allowing the driver to go into a corner faster and exit quicker
- More stability turning into corners with an improved roll gradient of 5 per cent
- 3,946 kilogram towing capacity
The 2021 Durango R/T gets a mild facelift and a “Tow N Go” package that adds SRT fenders and “SRT wheels and tires, Brembo brakes, flares and sills, exhaust with tips and a lower valance, as well as additional drive modes – Track, Sport, Snow and Tow – accessed through the hard buttons on the all-new integrated centre stack.” It can tow 3,946 kg and hit a top speed of 233 km/h. But not at the same time… probably?
Finally, the new 2021 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye is, well, a sedan that can go really fast in a straight line. Complete details are in Dodge’s release and I’ll copy over some highlights.
Cool Parts:
- Largest factory supercharger of any production car – 2.7 litres versus 2.4 litres
- Increased boost pressure: 14.5 psi versus 11.6 psi
- Higher rpm limit: 6,500 rpm versus 6,200 rpm
- Two dual-stage fuel pumps versus one: At full throttle, the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye consumes 1.43 gal/min (5.4 litres/min) of fuel – enough to drain the fuel tank in just under 11 minutes, yet is still rated at 35 miles per gallon (9 kilometres per litre) when driven in normal highway conditions
- Larger induction air box with three sources of intake air: Functional, newly designed performance hood, mail-slot grille opening, air box opening near wheel liner
- Torque Reserve delivers up to 3.9 psi of boost at launch and up to 55 per cent more engine torque
- Only factory production sedan with both SRT Power Chiller™ and After-Run Chiller
- High-strength steel prop shafts provide a 15 per cent increase in torque capacity
- 41-spline half shafts provide a 20 per cent increase in torque capacity
Performance:
- 797 horsepower, 321 kg-ft of torque
- The Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye runs 1.2 seconds faster than the Charger SRT Hellcat on a 3 km road course, equal to about 7 car lengths after one lap.
- Quarter-mile elapsed time (ET) of 10.6 seconds at 208 km/h
- Top speed is 327 km/h
- 0 to 96 km/h in “the mid 3s”
Yikes. But, cool! Also yikes. I’d be happy with a base V8 manual-shift Chally myself, but it’s fun to have bigger beasts to look up to sometimes. Stay safe out there, folks.