Hennessey Challenger Hellcat Roars on the Dyno with 1,011 RWHP

Hennessey finds a way to take an already over-the-top muscle car to a new stratosphere of power.

If you’ve ever been in a dysfunctional relationship or had an unfulfilling job for too long, you probably know this phrase well: Enough is enough. You just can’t take it any more and have to make a change. But you’re probably also aware that those words don’t have the same weight in the automotive world. For a lot of gearheads, too much is not enough. Companies like Hennessey Performance (HPE) know that a car can always be more powerful.

Just look at what it does with the Dodge Challenger. The stock Dodge Challenger Hellcat in its least powerful, pre-2019 form has 707 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque. The 2019 model’s supercharged 6.2-liter Hemi V8 generates 10 more horses. Hennessey offers packages that can bump up the Hellcat’s output (at the crankshaft) to a minimum of 852 horsepower/845 lb-ft (HPE850 Upgrade) and take it as high as 1,012 horsepower/969 lb-ft (HPE1000 Upgrade).

The first one tweaks the Hellcat’s software, adds a high-flow intake system, and alters the lower pulley to raise boost to 14 psi. The HPE100 Upgrade includes long-tube headers with high-flow cats, a beefier fuel pump and throttle body, and a 4.5-liter blower. Assuming a 15-percent drivetrain power loss, that means those horsepower figures dip to 724 and 860, respectively, at the rear wheels.

That brings us to this recent video from Hennessey. Their description says the car on the dyno is a Challenger SRT Hellcat. Judging by the vents in the hood, it’s not a 2019 model. And given the final output, this car has something more than even Hennessey’s HPE1000 Upgrade (think HPE1200).

Once this monster is done trying to tear loose of its restraints, the numbers come in. Its baseline rear-wheel figures were 641 horsepower at roughly 6,100 rpm and approximately 620 lb-ft at almost 4,200 rpm. With HPE’s upgrades installed, those figures climbed to 1,012 horsepower at 6,700 revs and 896 lb-ft at close to 5,200. If you do a little reverse math and work backward from a 15-percent drivetrain loss, you’ll get at-the-crank numbers of 1,191 horsepower and 1,054 lb-ft.

That means it takes a little longer to get to that extra power, but judging by the numbers and the sound, it’s definitely worth the wait.

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Derek Shiekhi

Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.

After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.

While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.

Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.

In addition to writing for a variety of Internet Brands sites, including JK Forum, H-D Forums, The Mustang Source, Mustang Forums, LS1Tech, HondaTech, Jaguar Forums, YotaTech, and Ford Truck Enthusiasts. Derek also started There Will Be Cars on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

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