The delightfully bonkers 6.2 liter Hellcat V8 was once the pinnacle of performance across much of Stellantis’s vehicle lineup. While the Dodge Durango Hellcat was once the lone oasis of Hellcat fueled fun, Stellantis has been out to help the V8 reclaim some of its old stomping grounds especially with the recent unveiling of the reborn Ram TRX.

A notable omission has been a return to the muscle car segment with the Hellcat being phased out of that arena when the previous generation Charger and Challenger were killed off in an overly ambitious move to EVs spearheaded by former CEO Carlos Tavares. A new report suggests the V8 could return and help Stellantis bring more firepower to the Charger.

Hellcat V8 would help complete vehicle lineup

This is according to a report from Mopar Insiders with their inside sources saying that a V8 powered model might be under development. Stellantis has remained quiet on the matter but Mopar Insiders claim their sources come from individuals who are familiar on the matter.

If development of such a model is indeed underway, it would go against some past statements we have heard from Dodge officials who claimed the V8 would not be able to fit in the current car without making extensive revisions to the car including the nose, the structure and the cooling system The V8 would also allow Dodge to cover all of its bases with the six-cylinder covering the mianstream market, the EV appealing to tech focused style buyers, and the V8 rounding up old Challenger owners looking for raw power.

When could we see it?

With the current generation Charger being designed with only two power trains in mind, we don’t see the Hellcat making an appearance in the model in the near future.

This could change when the model is updated and refreshed with these updates potentially giving Dodge engineers an opportunity to make many of the changes needed to make the V8 fit inside. If this plan goes through, the Hellcat could appear exclusively as a two-door (a nod to the Challenger) to help boost its halo credentials especially with the cancellation of the Banshee variant.

The lone question in the room is how much power the brand would give the Hellcat if it were to return. Things have changed since the Challenger was put out to pasture and Ford has moved quickly to solidify the Mustang’s hold on the market. The Mustang Dark Horse SC for example promises to push the performance bar even higher and the Hellcat would have alot more on its plate than it did when it originally appeared.