It's hard to know where to begin with the Dodge Durango Hellcat, because it's a car full to its third row of seats with extremes. Obviously it's instinct to look first at the 710hp and 645lb, the National Hot Rod Association-approved 11.5 second quarter mile and the 3.5-second 0-60mph dash; but there's also the 8,700lb (3,946kg) towing capacity, the 400 per cent increase in rear downforce, the 14,600rpm maximum speed of the supercharger or the 180mph top speed. The Durango Hellcat is all just enormous, ridiculous numbers. And that's great.
The deranged Durango has been a little while coming, the first Hellcat-engined cars having made their debut back in 2014. It won't be around for long, either, US buyers having just the 2021 model year to get their mitts on the ultimate in fast family wagons. And you thought the Jeep Trackhawk was a bold idea...
Described by Dodge as 'for muscle car people with families', the Durango Hellcat follows the guidebook set out by its siblings as far as the powertrain goes. 710hp hasn't got any less silly in a fairly affordable, practical, series production car over the past half a dozen years, so that remains, courtesy of the supercharged 6.2 Hemi V8. It's paired to a TorqueFlite 8HP95 eight-speed auto and, yes, apparently that means 5,000lbs of Durango can reach 60mph in 3.5 seconds.
There are one or two engines tweaks, though, "ensuring it reliably handling the rigours of spirited driving in track situations for sustained periods of times without needing to de-rate is power output due to high temperatures." Yeah, seriously. So there's a new dedicated cooling circuit for the charge air coolers in the supercharger housing, water jackets between the cylinders, piston-cooling oil jets and sodium cooled exhaust valves. Dodge SRT is seemingly very serious about all 710hp being used on a regular basis, whatever the conditions.
Moreover, the modifications for "spirited driving in track situations" don't just apply under the bonnet. There's been an overhaul of the suspension promising a 20 per cent increase in total rebound control, 2.5 per cent less understeer and better stability thanks to a five per cent improvement in roll gradient. Hardly earth shattering (the aforementioned 400 per cent boost in downforce is still just 63 kg - at the top speed) but suspicion is you'll appreciate any chassis help available when trying to manhandle a 710hp Durango about the place. Braking is taken care of by big Brembos, 400mm discs at the front and 350mm behind. Dodge claims that its work on the Durango Hellcat has yielded a 1.5-second lap time improvement around a 2.1-mile track compared to an SRT 392 model, though you sense the vast majority of the time comes from having a weapon of mass destruction under the bonnet rather than any transformative chassis changes.
The seven inside a Durango SRT Hellcat will be treated to an interior that "feels wider" than the outgoing model (maybe useful give some lockdown diets), a new Uconnect 5 infotainment system, more storage bins, wireless charging and unique Nappa leather upholstery. While Dodge has conveniently engineered in a "throaty, aggressive sound that lets bystanders know this three-row muscle car is something special", those outside can also identify the mega-Durango with fresh LED lights inspired by the latest Charger Widebody, 20-inch wheels, Hellcat badges, a bespoke front splitter and the new rear spoiler. Given where the world currently is on performance SUVs, it could be said that the Durango doesn't actually look all that extreme give the power on offer. Ignoring the sheer size, of course. And maybe go without the Viper stripes...
So that's the Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat, then, perhaps the daftest - and therefore perhaps also the most likeable - fast car we've seen this year. Dodge is suggesting that this is "the Charger of the three-row SUV segment", which promises to be a memorable experience if nothing else. There isn't yet a price confirmed for US customer, though it can't be far off given the Durango's imminent arrival. And then we can wait for the Redeye Hellcat in 2022 - right?
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