Dodge wasn’t prepared for the popularity of its new 707-horsepower SRT Hellcat models. All 2015 model-year cars already are spoken for, and dealers this week began ordering the 2016 models.
But even if it’s hard for enthusiasts to buy the current Dodge Challenger and Charger SRT Hellcats — named after their supercharged Hemi engine — the high-performance muscle cars have people talking about the brand. They are buying Dodge and Hellcat merchandise. And they’re attending Dodge events across the country, including an estimated 40,200 people at Woodward Dream Cruise events.
“It’s an absolute milestone of Dodge history,” Dodge and SRT President and CEO Tim Kuniskis said recently in his Auburn Hills office. “It’s the ’71 Hemi all over again.”
Demand for the cars led to months-long waiting lists and a small number of dealers engaging in irresponsible ordering practices, including accepting deposits and orders despite limited supply without telling customers their orders may not be filled.