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Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat in the works

In Autoblog's recent First Drive of the 2015 Challenger SRT with the 707-horsepower Hellcat V8 we found its engine to be as brutally powerful as the numbers would suggest, even if it wasn't the best handler. However, the muscle-car-styling just isn't right for some buyers that need four doors and proper rear seats to haul around the family. It appears that Dodge has their backs, though, because the Hellcat is very likely on its way into the Charger in the near future. Imagine the looks on your passengers' faces when you stomp down on the throttle.
According to Road and Track, when Dodge submitted the Hellcat for engine power certification to the Society of Automotive Engineers, the company included the Charger on the paperwork. That showed that the automaker wanted the engine checked out for the sedan, too. R&T reckons the 707-hp Charger would hit the road about a year from now, clearing the Challenger for a year of exclusivity with the powerplant.
When the Charger SRT Hellcat does hit the road, it may carry a very special accolade. Assuming nothing beats it in the meantime, it might be the world's highest horsepower production sedan. Think on that for a second. Even a Mercedes S65 AMG only has 621 horsepower, though a good bit more torque at 738 pound-feet to the Dodge's 650 lb-ft. So while the beastly engine is getting put into other models, where else would you like to see it? The Ram? Grand Cherokee? Let us know in Comments.

The Hemi deserves to die | Opinion

Hi. I'm Byron and I love V8s. I want them to stick around for a long, long time. But not all V8s are created equal, and I will not mourn the passing of the modern Hemi. You shouldn't either. While we may agree that its death is untimely, if you ask me, that's only because it came far too late.  Stellantis’ announcement of its new, turbocharged inline-six that is all but guaranteed to kill off the Hemi V8 has led to quite a few half-baked internet takes. The notion being suggested by some, that automotive media were brainwashed into believing the Hemi was in need of replacement, is so far divorced from reality that I openly guffawed at the notion. Journalists have been challenging Chrysler, FCA and now Stellantis for years to deliver better high-performance engines. The response has always been the same: “Why?” Why replace a heavy V8 with a lighter, all-aluminum one? Why repackage powertrains for smaller footprints and better handling vehicles? Why be better when “good enough” sells really, really well? I too mourn the departure of good gasoline-burning engines, but since when was the Hemi one? HereÂ’s a quiz: Name every SRT model with an all-aluminum engine. TimeÂ’s up. If you named any, you failed. They donÂ’t exist. This isnÂ’t GMÂ’s compact, lightweight small-block, nor is it a DOHC Ford Coyote that at least revs high enough to justify its larger footprint. The Hemi is an overweight marketing exercise that happened to be in the right place at the right time. That time was 2003, when Chrysler was still Chrysler — except it was Daimler-Chrysler and the "merger of equals" was doing a bang-up job of bleeding the company's cash reserves dry while doing virtually nothing to address its mounting legacy costs. "That thang got a Hemi?" was emblematic of the whimsical, nostalgia-driven marketing of the colonial half of the "marriage made in heaven." That was 20 years ago. 20 years prior to that, emissions-choked American V8s were circling the drain faster than a soapy five-carat engagement ring in a truck stop sink.

6k-mile 2001 Dodge Viper hits Bring a Trailer

I'm an unapologetic fan of the second-generation Dodge Viper GTS to the point where I keep my eyes peeled for nice examples of the final years of its production. This Bring a Trailer listing landed in my inbox when it went live Tuesday morning, and from the limited photos and information provided, it seems like a reasonably clean driver, rather than a museum-quality piece. For somebody who wants to experience a Viper that hasn't been beat on too extensively, this 6k-mile 2001 GTS may be just what you're looking for. Apart from the iconic launch model in white-over-blue, these later-year coupes represent some of the most desirable examples of the earlier Viper. Unlike the first few model years, they were equipped with anti-lock brakes. They didn't do much to improve the Viper's ultimate stopping capabilities, but at least they allow for a little more control at the limits of adhesion.  The later second-generation cars also benefited from suspension development that came out of Chrysler's factory racing program, and while a GTS isn't quite as track-ready as the hardcore ACR model, these later examples are certainly better suited to it than those from prior years. Their frames were also better-reinforced than those of earlier models.  The listing notes that the car shows some interior wear, and the paint seems less than pristine in the (admittedly low-quality) exterior photos provided by the seller, but by all accounts, everything on the car is original and in well-maintained, running condition. It has lived in California and Arizona for its entire documented life, and the underside is nothing short of immaculate.  Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.