Updated on April 2, 2020
Say It Ain’t So! 707-Horsepower Hellcat Replaced by Four-Cylinder “Housecat”
Mopar fans are up in arms following Chrysler Fiat’s announcement today that the supercharged 707-horsepower Hellcat V8 engine, a popular option for Dodge Charger and Challenger models, will be discontinued.
A spokesperson for the automaker said the Hellcat will be replaced by a mildly upgraded version of the turbo 1.4 liter from the Jeep Renegade, and the model will be renamed the Housecat.
Dodge Challenger Housecat wheezes by during pretty darned nice weather testing. The cars feature unique Housecat graphics (inset)
“While a truly amazing engine, the Hellcat no longer makes sense from a fuel efficiency standpoint,” explained Dodge spokesperson Tulip Schnout. “The Housecat is cute and full of spunk, and we’re sure drivers will love it.”
The new Challenger and Charger Housecats feature a slightly higher performance version of the 1.4 liter engine bolted into the Renegade, where it makes 160-horsepoweer. “The Housecat is rated at 162-horsepower,” said Schnout. “And it’s bolted to a DMDC6ST, or double-mostly-dry-clutch 6-speed transmission.”
Jason Glotz, who wanted to trade his 2015 Challenger Hellcat for a 2020 model, told Parksplug he broke into tears in the Dodge showroom when he first heard the Housecat’s “flatulent” exhaust note and high-pitched “Meow” horn. “I might just have to kill myself,” said the downtrodden Glotz.
