Yahoo Autos Tested: 2021 Dodge Charger Hellcat Redeye Adds More Power to the Mix
Thanks to Dodge, a 700-horsepower car isn't the rare occurrence it once was. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (Dodge's parent company) sells five models with versions of the company's supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 above that lofty threshold. One of the latest transplant recipients is the 2021 Dodge Charger Hellcat Redeye, a 797-hp speedball of nostalgia and excess.
A 707-hp Charger Hellcat already existed, but what makes this version special is the Redeye engine's 90 extra horsepower. To make the extra power, the Redeye has a larger 2.7-liter twin-screw supercharger that produces 14.5 psi of boost. Regular Hellcats make do with a 2.4-liter supercharger and 11.6 psi of boost. The Redeye's redline is also higher, 6500 rpm compared to 6200 rpm, and to properly feed the beast, it has two fuel pumps instead of one. Somewhat predictably, we averaged 13 mpg. Internal changes include stronger connecting rods and pistons, a stouter valvetrain, and increased oiling capability. To survive the power, the Redeye's drivetrain receives strengthened componentry as well, including, according to Dodge, a 15-percent stronger driveshaft and 20-percent stronger axles.
At the track, the Charger Hellcat Redeye proved to be the quickest rear-wheel-drive Hellcat variant we've ever tested. It hammered to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds, three tenths quicker than the last Challenger Hellcat Redeye we tested and only one tenth off the acceleration of the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500. Patience and a delicate right foot are required to avoid turning the Redeye's Pirellis into fusilli. Carefully roll into the throttle, avoid matting it until the transmission shifts to second, and it's possible to beat the Redeye's launch-control system. The century mark takes just 7.5 seconds to reach, a supercar-worthy time for a 4654-pound sedan.
Keep the accelerator pinned, and the Redeye hits the quarter-mile mark in 11.5 seconds at 126 mph, a mere two tenths behind the 483-pound lighter GT500's 11.3 second time at 132 mph. On a hot day the Redeye's SRT Power Chiller, an A/C evaporator that's plumbed into the intercooler, will reduce intake temps by a claimed 40 degrees. In 70-to-zero-mph braking, the Redeye bettered that same Charger Hellcat by seven feet with a near-sports-car-like stop of 155 feet.
