The Hellcat Hemi SRT Dodge Challenger Could Debut at the Woodward Dream Cruise

After months of speculation as to when the Hellcat Hemi powered Dodge Challenger SRT would be unveiled and some disappointment for those of us who expected it to drop in New York last month, it looks as though the next generation SRT Challenger with the blown Hemi could debut at the 2014 Woodward Dream Cruise in Detroit.

We have known for quite some time that the next generation SRT variants of the Dodge Challenger and Dodge Charger would be powered by the new supercharged Hellcat Hemi. Even though the Chrysler Group hadn’t offered up any information about the alleged blown Hemi prior to last week’s new 5-year plan statement, spyshots and leaked information have given us just enough to discuss over the past half year or more and all of those discussions pointed towards a 2014 New York International Auto Show. However, when the Big Apple show came and went with no mention of the Hellcat Hemi or the next generation SRT Challenger – we were left wondering when the highest performance Mopar muscle car would arrive. Fortunately, the 2014 Chrysler Group 5-year plan included the first few official bits of information on the new Hellcat Hemi and the 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT.

First, the announcement confirmed that the next SRT Challenger will indeed be powered by a supercharged 6.2L Hemi V8; although no power figures at all were included in the official information. It is still widely expected that the Hellcat Hemi powered Dodge Challenger SRT will pack somewhere in the area of 580 to 625 horsepower.

Second, the 2015 (or possibly 2016) Dodge Challenger SRT will arrive in August 2014, according to the 5-year plan. The graph that predicts an August arrival of the SRT Challenger also states that the non-SRT 2015 Challenger that was introduced in New York will arrive in July...so those dates should indicate when these models are expected to go on sale around the country. However, with August less than three months away and no major auto shows scheduled between now and then, it leaves many of us wondering just when the Hellcat Hemi Challenger will be introduced. It is my belief that the SRT Challenger will make its global debut at the 2014 Woodward Dream Cruise in mid-August with the order bank opening shortly after, before the end of the month.

In the modern era of the automobile, there are often long periods of time between when a car is introduced and when it actually goes on sale. The 2015 Ford Mustang was introduced in December 2013, but it won’t go on sale until later this summer. The new C7 Corvette Stingray was introduced in January 2013 and didn’t go on sale until the summer of that same year. The 2015 Dodge Challenger was introduced in April and it will seemingly go on sale in July so with a three month turnaround time from introduction to public sale, the 2015 Challenger is one of the quicker cars to reach dealerships relative to the public debut of the car. However, back in the day it was more common for companies to introduce a car and immediately begin taking orders on that vehicle – such as the 1964 Mustang being introduced on April 17th 1964 and going on sale on April 18th. If the Chrysler Group opts to introduce the Hellcat Hemi powered SRT Challenger at the 2014 Woodward Dream Cruise with an expected sales launch that same month, I believe that the company will offer the SRT Challenger for sale immediately after being unveiled.

Also, while it might seem odd for the Chrysler Group to pick the Woodward Dream Cruise as the unveiling grounds for the new Dodge Challenger SRT with the Hellcat Hemi, it really shouldn’t. Although a large public event like the Dream Cruise has historically been reserved for showing off customized versions of vehicles that have already been introduced, the WDC has grown to be one of the largest automotive enthusiast events in the USA and the vast majority of attendees are there to see high performance American muscle cars. There is arguably no show in the world that has more performance minded potential buyers in attendance and with the Woodward Dream Cruise getting such intense media coverage over the past few years – the WDC introduction of the Hellcat Hemi Challenger might put it front of more prospective buyers than any auto show.

Right now, all that we know for sure is that the next SRT Dodge Challenger with be powered by a 6.2L supercharged Hemi and that it will arrive in August. The rest is just speculation on my part, but the introduction of THE most powerful Mopar muscle car of all time making its debut at the largest American muscle car event in the US sure has a sweet ring to it. Of course, should any information become available before August, you will find it here on TorqueNews.

Click any of the thumbnails above for a closer look at the 2015 Dodge Challenger R/T Shaker.