Dodge SRT Charger Hellcat Redeye: Inevitable Evolution

Dodge Charger Redeye improves power delivery across the board versus the standard Hellcat, especially where you use it most.

I recently had a chance to travel to Carolina Motorsports Park to test the 2021 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye. I own a 2016 Challenger SRT Hellcat and I have logged many miles in Hellcat Chargers with 707 horsepower. That includes track testing in all of the current Dodge Challenger and Charger models. Many people ask whether or not the Redeye with more power is really worth the price difference and today, we explain why the answer to that question is a resounding “hell yes.”

Redeye Naysayers

When talking about two similar cars like the 2020 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat and the 2021 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye, there are typically two camps. The first group sees a jump from 707 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque to 797 horsepower and 707 lb-ft of torque as a welcome addition to an already-incredible performance sedan. This group understands things like the torque curve and power delivery, and they see the different ways that the extra power improves performance in just about every situation.

The other side in the discussion believes that when talking about cars with more than 700 horsepower, you can’t reasonably or legally make use of the difference of 90 horsepower on the street. These folks typically point out that having the extra peak power only helps when you are moving at high speed, at wide open throttle, and those conditions are not typical for most people. In some fashion, those folks are right. Adding 90 horsepower and 57 lb-ft of torque to the Hellcat Charger does lead to improved peak power output and that peak output occurs at wide open throttle at high RPM in fourth gear.

What these critics of a car like the Charger Redeye don’t take into account is the gradual increase in power throughout the powerband, leading to a muscular Dodge sedan that is quicker than the current Hellcat four-door in every possible metric.

Power Delivery Differences

When the critics of the 2021 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye point out that its peak power advantage only helps on the big end, they are partially correct. The extra 90 horsepower definitely makes a big difference when you are wide open in third and fourth gears. At that point, traction isn’t as much of an issue for the 305 millimeter-wide Pirelli PZeros, even though this is where the engine makes the most horsepower. This allows the 4,600-pound sedan to accelerate very quickly from the area of 60 miles per hour up to 150 miles per hour or beyond. Frankly, it is unbelievable how hard the Charger Redeye pulls through the mid-range when all 797 horses are running their hardest. It is, without question, noticeably stronger on a long, high speed pull than the original Hellcat sedan.

However, the critics are right that most people don’t make high speed pulls like that. Fortunately, even when the engine isn’t making 797 horsepower, it is making noticeably more power at the same point in a hard pull. The torque output of the Redeye engine ramps up much more quickly, leading to the quicker low-end acceleration numbers. I drove the Redeye in damp enough conditions that I couldn’t get a legitimate 0 to 60 pull without at least a little wheelspin, but when climbing into the throttle on the track and on the highway, the Redeye Hemi reaches and exceeds the output of the original Hellcat in a hurry.

Really, that is where the 2021 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye shows it advantages best. Rolling along at 30 miles per hour and hammering the throttle allows the supercharged Hemi to quickly get up into the range of 700 lb-ft, but it is more likely to get traction at that slow roll. Even on the damp track, the Charger got a great amount of grip, so we could use all of the power when coming out of the turns. With a bit of a wiggle from the back end as the tires work to grip, the speedometer climbs quickly as the Redeye engine puts down all of that power. With each shift, the engine just pulls harder, shoving you back in the seat and quickly doubling-up over any American speed limit.

There aren’t many vehicles sold in the United States with nearly 800 horsepower and over 700 lb-ft of torque, so there aren’t many vehicles that will pull as hard from a dig up through 200 miles per hour than the 2021 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat. That sounds like a marketing slogan, but it is the truth, and even on a wet track, it is not hard to use all of those acceleration capabilities.

If you have never driven a 707-horsepower Charger Hellcat, the Redeye would simply seem like an insanely powerful sedan, but if you have experience in the original Hellcat cars, the power advantages are immediately clear. If you are considering buying a 2021 Charger Hellcat or Redeye, and you aren’t particularly turned off by the added cost, you want to buy the Redeye. Whether you are looking for the hard low-end acceleration at the drag strip, the mid-range pull on the road course or the big top-end pull of a high-speed pull, the Redeye advantage is undeniable.

Similar Everywhere Else

In terms of appearance, the “standard” 2021 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat looks practically identical to the Redeye. The only exception is the red-painted eye in the Hellcat badging. Both models share the same hood, front fascia and standard widebody design. Both come with a variety of 20-inch by 11-inch wheels wrapped in the aforementioned Pirelli PZero tires, and both supercharged Charger models come with the new 400-millimeter front brake rotors under six-piston Brembo calipers.

In fact, the picture immediately below this paragraph is a 2020 Charger SRT Hellcat from last year’s media drive, while all of the other pictures here show the Redeye from the more recent event. The only real difference is that it was sunny when I tested the 707-horsepower Hellcat and cloudy when I had the Redeye.

On the inside, the 2021 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat and Redeye have the same basic standard and optional features. The Redeye model has unique badging and unique graphics on the startup animation, along with a 220-mile-per-hour speedometer, but beyond that, the two cockpits are largely the same.

Other than the engine output, the other key difference is the price. The 2021 Hellcat Charger with 717 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque starts at $69,995. The 2021 Charger Redeye starts at $78,595, so it costs $8,600 more than the standard Hellcat. If you are looking at buying one or the other and you can foot the bill for either, you want the Redeye. The standard Hellcat model is a blast to drive, but that extra horsepower and torque throughout the power band makes a big difference and it is worth every cent.

Photos: Patrick Rall

Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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