A woman in Phoenix surprised her husband by transforming his 2011 Dodge Durango R/T into the first Hellcat Durango.
The Hellcat-powered Jeep Trackhawk has finally been introduced, but Dodge fans who want a go-fast SUV are “only” able to get the 486hp Durango SRT. At least, they are only able to get that much power from the factory, as Plum Floored Creations in Phoenix, Arizona has created the first Hellcat-powered Dodge Durango.
According to our sister site Motor Authority, the wife of a 2011 Dodge Durango R/T owner wanted to give her husband the gift of monster power, so she contacted the custom Mopar shop Plum Floored Creations and asked them to make her husband’s Durango R/T the first Durango Hellcat. Plum Floored accepted the project and the rest is high performance history – although it wasn’t as simple as just pulling the 5.7L Hemi out and installing the supercharged 6.2L Hemi.
The biggest problem that the shop ran into when creating their Hellcat Durango was that the 2011 engine computer didn’t allow for proper control of the Hellcat Hemi’s bypass system. To fix this, the stock 2.3L IHI supercharged was replaced with a 2.9L unit from Whipple. To make that supercharger setup fit, the cylinder heads had to be machined, but to preserve the Hellcat’s 707 horsepower rating, boost levels were dropped from 11.6psi with the stock blower to 11psi with the Whipple. The shop also added a custom 3-inch exhaust system to let the blown Hemi breathe and the result of the build is 570 all-wheel horsepower.
Next, the factory 5-speed automatic transmission was replaced with a 6-speed ATS Stage 3 transmission which will handle all of that power, but the company used the standard Durango R/T AWD parts – stating that the unique launch characteristics aren’t too much for the stock unit.
Once Plum Floored Creations had figured out how to make big power and how to put it to the ground, they needed to make sure that the 700hp SUV would stop, so they added 6-piston Brembo front brakes with 15-inch rotors and 4-piston Brembo rear brakes with 13.8-inch rotors. That created another issue, as the standard R/T wheels wouldn’t fit over the big brakes, so the shop swapped on 22×10-inch wheels wrapped in 285/40 high performance tires all around.
Finally, the Hellcat Durango received a custom SRT-inspired hood with functional heat extractors, a classic Mopar billboard-style Hellcat graphic on the sides and unique bright red cloth with black leather bolsters.
The video below offers a look at the 707 horsepower Durango Hellcat, so crank up your speakers and enjoy!
"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.
