Dodge Set to Introduce Hellcat Drag Pack

Oh man, to think it’s almost been a year since Dodge unveiled the 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon. With only 3,300 units produced for the entire 2018 model year, Dodge made the Challenger SRT Demon a very exclusive model. Now, with the 2018 New York International Auto Show coming up, there’s talk of even more power coming from Dodge. Multiple sources, including AutoGuide and Hellcat.org, have been discussing a possible Hellcat makeover trend that includes Dodge offering 75-percent of the features found in the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon as add-ons for the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat.

Dodge and Mopar Packages

It all started with the “If You Know You Know” campaign by Dodge when teasing the Challenger SRT Demon release. Debuting at the 2017 New York International Auto Show, the Demon shared the spotlight with a Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody, the Dodge Durango SRT, one of Ram’s first limited edition truck packages (2018 Ram Limited Tungsten Edition), and the 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk. Around the same time, Dodge released the new Scat Pack Dynamics Package.

A true miracle for Dodge enthusiasts on a budget, the Scat Pack Dynamics Package from Dodge allowed anyone with a Dodge Challenger or Dodge Charger Scat Pack trim to add a little more style to their vehicle. The package included 20-inch lightweight forged aluminum wheels in low gloss black that are bolder and wider, Pirelli all-season tires for better grip, 6-piston Brembo calipers and rotors in the front, and 4-piston in the back for superior stopping power. In a sense, Dodge was offering a package that would let Scat Pack owners turn their budget-friendly Dodge Challenger or Charger into a Hellcat but without all of the Hellcat’s power.

That same year, Mopar debuted its new 707HP “Hellcrate” at the 2017 SEMA Show. Designed to be used on older cars (yeah right, who’s gonna listen?), the Mopar “Hellcrate” is a 6.2-liter supercharged Crate HEMI® Engine Kit that gives a vehicle the same 707-horsepower engine found on the Dodge SRT Hellcat models. A collection of components chosen and designed to add horsepower and torque to an already installed engine, the kit includes a powertrain control module (PCM), power distribution center, engine wiring harness, chassis harness, accelerator pedal, ground jumper, oxygen sensors, charge air temperature sensors, and fuel pump control module for the 6.2-liter supercharged Crate HEMI Engine kit. Available from Mopar, the kit is worth $2,195; buyers can opt in for installation for about $20k.

Dodge Challenger Hellcat “Drag Pack”

Now, set for a 2019 release, is the Dodge Challenger Hellcat Drag Pack. The Hellcat Drag Pack is an available package designed for Challenger SRT Hellcat models, and the packages adds a fraction of the power and 75-percent of the components found in the 2018 Challenger SRT Demon. Meaning, for those looking to get a Hellcat with the same mean feeling as the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon, you’re in luck! With the Drag Pack, the Hellcat gets a boost in horsepower and looks a lot like the SRT Demon.

The Hellcat Drag Pack immediately adds about 18 units of horsepower to a Challenger SRT Hellcat – just enough to feel a difference. But the main changes of the package are aesthetic.

Now, there’s a lot that goes into the 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon that may not fit into the average street car. Sure, the sticky 315 Nitto drag radial tires may not meet regulations for the average vehicle, but tires stickier than the standard Pirelli tires that come standard on the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat would be nice. The AirGrabber hood scoop will definitely be migrating over with the Drag Pack, so rest assured there is definitely some Dodge SRT Demon appeal, even without the power. Just note, this package is only available for the standard Dodge Challenger Hellcat and not the Widebody Hellcat.

Performance options are still unclear. One option that may be available with the new package could be the intercooler power chiller that keeps the air entering the Demon engine super cold. The Demon’s Torque Reserve system and TransBrake system are unlikely but possible options. The brake system could be improved, and the drag strip suspension settings from the Demon may also appear in the Hellcat Drag Pack.

Right now, a lot of the details are still up in the air. The definite greenlit additions are the AirGrabber hood scoop, the increase in horsepower, and a “Drag Mode” that will be added to the Uconnect system on Dodge Challenger Hellcat trims that opt-in for the Hellcat Drag Pack. Other than that, well, we may just see it at the next New York International Auto Show, set for March 30 – April 8.

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