Pause That Dodge Charger Order, Report Claims Hellcat V8 Inbound For MY28

  • Insiders claim a Dodge Charger Hellcat is two years away.
  • Charger is currently only available with inline-six or EV power.
  • A 770+ hp halo model would boost profits and credibility.

Dodge swore it was moving on. The future was electric, and ICE fans would have to be content with six-cylinder Hurricane power. And yet here we are again, whispering about the return of a supercharged V8 like it’s a long-lost rock group plotting a reunion tour.

Stellantis has reportedly greenlit development of a Hellcat-powered Charger, according to sources cited by Mopar Insiders. Nothing is official, but the rumored target is mid-season MY28, lining up neatly with the model’s first mid-cycle refresh. That timing sounds perfectly plausible to us.

Related: This Dodge Charger Barely Left The Lot And Is Nearly 50% Off

Ever since Dodge pivoted to the electric Charger Daytona and the Hurricane-powered Sixpack models, fans have been asking for a V8 option. The EV is rapid, and the Hurricane I6 delivers solid power, up to 550 hp (558 PS) in its meanest spec, which is more than the old 5.7 and 6.4 Hemis made. But it doesn’t whine like a supercharged Hellcat, and it doesn’t terrify small animals when it drives by.

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Dodge executives have already invited comeback speculation. CEO Tim Kuniskis hinted earlier this year that if a V8 were to return, it would have to be the Hellcat. There’s no point engineering space for a V8 in your muscle car just to slot in something that’s outgunned by your own six cylinder.

Even Ram 1500 buyers have shown they will happily pay $1,200 more for a naturally aspirated Hemi, despite the less expensive Hurricane alternative being quicker, more powerful, and more fuel efficient.

Pause That Dodge Charger Order, Report Claims Hellcat V8 Inbound For MY28
Dodge

And we can probably consider the 2026 Charger Hustle Stuff Drag Pak (pictured above), a special race-only Charger designed for NHRA-sanctioned drag racing, another big teaser. Only 50 of the parachute-equipped, $235k quarter-mile weapons were offered, each fitted with a 354 cu-in (5.8-liter) Gen III Hemi V8 built up around a forged crank and rods and topped by a Whipple 3.0-liter twin-screw supercharger.

TRX Clues

When the Hellcat does find its way into the road-going Charger, as Mopar Insiders’ sources claim, expect it to come in hot. The old 717 hp (727 PS) recipe probably won’t cut it in 2028. With the updated Hellcat hardware already appearing in the new 2027 Ram TRX, a 777 hp (788 PS) or even punchier Charger doesn’t sound far-fetched and would go some way to offsetting the weight of the current Charger’s bigger body.

It also makes business sense. High-horsepower halo cars aren’t just ego exercises. They’re high-margin, low-volume profit machines. The TRX proved buyers will happily spend six figures for bragging rights and tire smoke. So is the Hellcat officially back? Not yet, but we don’t doubt for a second that it’s coming.

Pause That Dodge Charger Order, Report Claims Hellcat V8 Inbound For MY28
Michael Gauthier/Carscoops

The Auto World

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