Just a couple weeks ago, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) announced that the SRT label is returning to its roots within the Dodge brand portfolio.
The reconsolidated nameplates are off to powerful start with the introduction of two new co-branded models, the 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT and Challenger SRT Hellcat.
They've certainly got the horsepower to back up that claim. The 'base' Challenger SRT model gets a modest power boost for its 392 (6.4-litre) Hemi V-8 engine, from 470 to 485 horsepower, with a corresponding peak torque increase from 470 to 475 lb-ft.
But those impressive outputs pale in comparison to the 600-plus horsepower rating for the Hellcat's all-new supercharged 6.2-litre Hemi – the most powerful V-8 engine ever produced by the Chrysler Group.
Both models feature new, SRT-exclusive forged-aluminum wheels and the Hellcat get the largest standard front-brake package ever offered in a Chrysler vehicle. It also features new Pirelli tire technology with class-exclusive Y-Plus rated four-season tires
Visually, there's a new vertical-split grille design and a larger, power-bulge aluminum hood with a dedicated "cold-air" intake – a styling cue from the first Viper coupe built in 1996. The hood above the Hellcat engine also includes dual air extractors.
A key design element on the Challenger SRT Hellcat is an exclusive Air Catcher inlet port that feeds ram-air directly into the engine air box through the driver-side parking lamp.
Inside, an all-new, driver-focused cockpit is said to be designed for performance enthusiasts with and to include state-of-the-art technology
No pricing information has yet been released for the 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT coupes, which will be built in Canada at FCA's Brampton, ON, assembly plant. Production is scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2014.