Dodge To Retire Supercharged Hellcats After 2023

If noise had a poster, the Dodge Hellcat cars would be its poster boy.

These American muscle cars (among the author’s favourites), look mean, especially when teamed with flashy colours. And they are insanely quick. So when Dodge announced it would be retiring these beasts after 2023, we thought they definitely deserved a swansong report from the ZigWheels team.  

The Hellcat’s highlight reel is its massive 6.2-litre supercharged V8 engine that delivers around 800 horses to the rear or all four wheels, depending on the model. This incredible piece of engineering is astonishingly quick, and the sound it produces...aah, an absolute aural pleasure. Nought to 100 comes up in around 3.6 seconds, and it maxes out around the 320kmph mark.  

The Hellcat is also considered the perfect drag race tool. For a premium, Dodge will offer you lighter and skinnier front wheels, a performance-based air filter, and even a specially tuned ECU. The last two extract more power from the engine to make the muscle car a faster sprinter. 

It's a shame that this iconic American will be discontinued. Reports suggest one simple reason behind this move -- the engine won't meet emission norms as they become more stringent going forward. 

So, what's next? Dodge CEO Timothy Kuniskis said it would be replaced by an electric muscle car whose concept form will be unveiled next year (the model will go into production in 2024).  

There's still time. If you have wanted these Hellcats for ever, don't think twice -- just get it.