Why the Dodge Challenger Hellcat X "Only" Makes 805hp

Before getting into the details on the Hellcat X, let’s look at the fact that we are referring to this one-off muscle car’s output as being “only” 805 horsepower and 800lb-ft of torque. It is hard for many people to attach “only” to the description of a car with over 800 horsepower, but with the stock Hellcat Hemi offering at least 707 horsepower and 650lb-ft of torque, 805 horsepower and 800lb-ft of torque with an extra pair of turbochargers seems a little low.

Fortunately, there is a good explanation as to why the Challenger Hellcat X “only” has 805 horsepower and 800lb-ft of torque.

Hellcat X Packs “Safe Power”
When the first news snuck out of Carlisle, Pennsylvania that someone had built a twin-charged Hellcat Challenger that features both the stock Hellcat supercharger and a pair of turbochargers, muscle car lovers went crazy in speculating as to how much power the Hellcat X could offer. However, when the official details were announced with “only” 805 horsepower and 800lb-ft of torque, some critics questioned why the twin turbo setup added to the supercharger didn’t add more than 98 horsepower and 150lb-ft of torque

There are two important factors to consider when looking at the output of the Challenger Hellcat X. First, keep in mind that this is a car built for a charity giveaway, so while they wanted it to turn heads, the builders couldn’t invest a fortune into the car during the build and that brings us to the second factor. This is not a fully built engine – it is simply a stock Hellcat Hemi with a twin turbo setup applied to the factory supercharger setup. This means that when the turbochargers compress the air and send it to the engine, that air is first hitting the supercharger setup and when that air gets there, it is very hot.

The Hellcat Hemi supercharger is remarkable and it is a big part of the awesome power levels, but that supercharger is designed to take free flowing air and shove it into the engine. With the Hellcat X setup, the air reaching the supercharger is compressed so it is both denser and hotter. The more boost you add from the turbochargers, the more heat and pressure that will be applied to the top side of the Hellcat supercharger, so in keeping turbo boost pressures lower, the team can help to avoid excessive damage to the supercharger. Adding more boost with the turbochargers would have led to more power, but it would have also led to more abuse to the engine.

This means that the Hellcat X setup is safer than a twin-charged setup with twin turbochargers and a supercharger, but it also means that we aren’t seeing the massive power gains that we see from other twin-charging setups which use more aftermarket components.

Fortunately, even with “only” 805 horsepower and 800lb-ft of torque, the Dodge Challenger Hellcat X should be one wicked-fast muscle car. The chassis, brakes and suspension of the standard Hellcat Challenger are designed to make the most of the high stock power levels and the increases to 805hp and 800tq shouldn’t push the chassis beyond its capabilities – meaning that this Challenger should be able to use its power just as well as the factory-stock Hellcat Challenger.

So, if 805hp is enough for you and you would like a chance to win this gorgeous custom Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat along with an equally gorgeous 1970 Dodge Challenger, head over to the Dream Giveaway website to buy your tickets!