Dodge Hellcat Cars Get Lots More Power from Direct Connection
Dodge Hellcats and Redeyes could gain 100+ horsepower without voiding their warranty.
Yesterday, Dodge boss Tim Kuniskis appeared in a video on the company’s consumer website and in that video, he formally introduced the Never Lift Business Plan. Kuniskis first teased this program back in August, explaining that as we moved forward, we would get advance notice of new programs in the pipeline. In this first video, he introduced a handful of programs, the most exciting of which is the return of Direct Connection.
As was the case back in the 1970s and 1980s, Direct Connection will provide Dodge owners with information on how to make their car perform better on the street or the track. This will include a technical hotline and a website with performance information, but most importantly, Direct Connection will offer performance stage kits for various Dodge vehicles. There are no real details on these kits, but the press release stated that owners stand to pick up around 100 extra horsepower – and when installed by an approved dealership, the factory warranty is maintained.
“Dodge is a pure performance brand, and the reintroduction of Direct Connection will empower members of the brotherhood looking for increased performance without violating emission requirements or the factory warranty,” said Tim Kuniskis. “We’re doubling down on our commitment to Direct Connection by pairing it with our new Dodge Power Brokers program, so when customers want to unlock the true horsepower potential of their Dodge muscle car, they can connect with a network of dealerships as their trusted resource.”
Hellcat Tuning Kits
There really hasn’t been any official information shared on the Direct Connection tuning kits for the Dodge Hellcat cars, but the press release references gains of around 100 horsepower and there is an image with the press release of an aftermarket tuning device. That device screen display appears to be a great deal like the Diablosport Trinity display, so we are guessing that Direct Connection is working with Diablosport on the in-house tuning packages.
More importantly, in the lengthy video in which Kuniskis introduces the first phase of the Never Lift plan, we see the tuning device along with a Hellraiser pulley. With a tune and a Hellraiser pulley, a standard Hellcat (707-717hp) or a Redeye can easily pick up an extra hundred horsepower. The Hellraiser pulley is made by Litens, the same company that provides the stock pulley on every new Hellcat car. Like the stock pulley, the Hellraiser pulley uses the internal clutch system, reducing wear and tear on the supercharger.
Best of all, if you buy a tuning package from Direct Connection and have it installed by an approved Power Broker dealership, you will maintain your factory warranty. In normal cases, a pulley and engine tune will cause huge headaches if you try to file a warranty claim for a drivetrain component, but the Direct Connection kits add around 100 warranty-friendly horsepower.
Other Likely Upgrades
In addition to showing us the pulley and tuning device, Tim Kuniskis mentioned in the debut video that some items from the 2018 Demon will be available from Direct Connection. The video then shows an image with a set of axles, a driveshaft and a rear differential, followed by an image of a torque convertor. Adding the torque convertor from the Demon will help a Hellcat get out of the hole a little quicker while the beefier axles, driveshaft and differential will help to handle the added power.
The new Direct Connection program is expected to begin rolling out at Power Broker dealerships starting on December 15, 2021. In the meantime, you can watch the debut video below from the Dodge YouTube channel.
