Dodge Charger Hellcat Is Coming Back With Over 700 HP
Muscle car fans want one thing and one thing only from Dodge: to bring back the HEMI V8-powered Charger.
It looks like their wish is about to be granted as Dodge's parent company Stellantis last week showed no fewer than 20 new cars to select U.S. media outlets, and a HEMI V8 Charger was among these models that are slated to debut by 2030.
While Dodge has hinted several times at the return of the HEMI Charger, this is the first concrete evidence that the new Charger is indeed getting the automaker's signature V8 engine. Mind you, it's not getting any HEMI V8 but the top-dog supercharged Hellcat unit, as a previous report suggested.
The New Hellcat Charger Will Have Over 700 HP
Detroit Free Press saw the car and confirmed that the engine is a "supercharged HEMI V-8 that puts out north of 700 horsepower." Since new Hellcat-powered models like the Ram 1500 SRT and 1500 Rumble Bee SRT get the Hellcat V8 in a 777-horsepower state of tune, we can only hope that the Charger will get the same amount of power.
Still, we don't think many Dodge fans would mind if the Charger Hellcat got the 710-hp version of the supercharged 6.2-liter V8 that's available in the Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat.
According to the Detroit newspaper, the new Hellcat Charger shown to the media featured a new aggressive front end, a generous hood scoop and a tall wing at the back, along with the obligatory SRT badge that designates the Street and Racing Technology performance sub-brand.
Ever since the 707-hp Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat launched in 2014, the supercharged 6.2-liter V8 has been Stellantis' range-topping, mass-produced performance engine. However, when the eighth-generation Charger entered production in 2024, it only offered an all-electric powertrain, disappointing Dodge's hardcore fanbase.
The gas-powered Charger Sixpack launched in late 2025 is clearly a step in the right direction-it outsold the electric Charger 7 to 1 in Q1 2026-but as good as the twin-turbo inline-six is, a HEMI V8 will always be at the top of the list for die-hard muscle car fans.
The Hellcat Charger Won't Be Dodge's Top-Dog Muscle Car
It's worth noting that the Hellcat Charger shown to the press is a distinct vehicle from the SRT Copperhead halo muscle car teased during the Investor Day 2026 event. That vehicle caused the most buzz of all the new vehicles announced at the event.
It's little wonder it did as we're talking about a two-door halo car with a seriously aggressive, Charger-inspired front end, a towering rear wing reminiscent of the original Charger Daytona and an SRT badge.
No details were offered about the powertrain, but given that the SRT Copperhead has a hood scoop and two large oval exhaust tips in the center, it definitely packs a gas engine, most likely a Hellcat V8 taken to the max.
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This story was originally published May 26, 2026 at 5:00 PM.