The days of the supercharged Hellcat V8 are numbered, but don't tell that to Hennessey. Amid Dodge's recent unveiling of special Last Call models comes this monster from the Texas tuning shop. It's called – deep breath – The Hennessey HPE1000 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody Jailbreak. And by the time you read that, it will either be going over 100 mph or atomizing copious amounts of rubber. Or both.
You know the drill at Hennessey. Take fast cars, add more power, and make them faster. In this instance, Hennessey starts with the already capable Challenger Widebody Jailbreak prepackaged with 807 horsepower. The supercharger is massaged, pulleys are swapped, new headers and exhaust are bolted up, there's a new intake, new fuel injectors, and an engine tune to make it all work together. The end result is 1,000 horsepower, 948 pound-feet of torque, and a V8 soundtrack that sounds downright evil.
The HPE1000 isn't new to Hennessey's lineup, but this is the first time we've seen it applied to the Jailbreak. Launched near the end of 2021, the Jailbreak introduced a bevy of color combos and other customizations not available on other Challenger models. It also bumped the Hellcat V8 to 807 hp, giving it the slightest of advantages over a standard Hellcat Redeye. With 1,000 hp, Hennessey has obviously taken that to the next level while offering some peace-of-mind with a two-year, 24,000-mile warranty on the package.
Of course, Dodge is preparing to send the current-generation Challenger and its Hemi V8 into the sunset. The Detroit automaker announced seven Last Call models in August – special-edition Challengers and Chargers largely based on the naturally aspirated Scat Pack trim with 485 hp. Numbers five and six, however, stepped up to Redeye Widebody territory with the 807-hp Hellcat Hemi.
Gallery: 2023 Dodge Challenger Black Ghost
As for number seven, that's still a mystery. It was supposed to debut at the 2022 SEMA Show but it's been postponed. Rumors say it will be a version tuned to develop over 900 hp, making it the most powerful factory-built Dodge Challenger of them all, Demon or otherwise.
