The 2021 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye is the range-topping version of Charger four-door sedan lineup. An upgrade to the more familiar Charger SRT Hellcat, the Redeye borrows its looks, drivetrain, and technology from the Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye. And just like the coupe, the sedan includes drivetrain components from the Challenger SRT Demon. Since there won't be a Demon version of the Charger, the 2021 SRT Hellcat Redeye is the most powerful version of the American sedan. What's more, it's also the fastest and most powerful mass-produced sedan in the world. Let's find out more about it in the review below.

Exterior

The Dodge Charger is an already aggressive sedan in Hellcat trim, but the Redeye package takes things up a notch. But the fender flares aren't just design features; they also enable the Charger to ride on wider, 20-inch wheels. These are finished in Carbon Black paint, which matches the window trim, the decklid spoiler, and the front hood.

The Redeye upgrade also adds new features up front. There's a new mail-slot grille opening right below the main intake, while the front bumper vents have been redesigned to improve aerodynamics and cooling. The engine hood is also new and features a big intake in the center. The latter also helps with the sinister look. Everything else is mostly carried over from the Charger SRT Hellcat, including the black badges and the black "SRT Hellcat" logos on the front fenders and the trunk lid. Around back, there's a black spoiler and a black diffuser with a couple of round exhaust pipes. A quad layout for the exhaust would have been nice, though.

The Hellcat Redeye is available in any Charger color, which includes both flashy and more mundane finishes. The 2021 palette now features

-* F8 Green

-* Frostbite

-* Go Mango

-* Granite Crystal

-* Hellraisin

-* IndiGo Blue

-* Octane Red

-* Pitch Black

-* Sinamon Stick

-* Smoke Show

-* TorRed

-* Triple Nickel

-* White Knuckle.

And just like the Hellcat, the Redeye can be ordered with dual full-length stripes that run across the fascias, roof, and deck lid. The engine hood remains black, but you can order these stripes in either red, blue, silver, Gunmetal Gray, or Carbon. Go with the Satin Black Appearance Package, and you get a hood, roof, deck lid, and rear spoiler hand-painted in, you guessed it, Satin Black for a more sinister look.

Interior

This means that it comes standard with sportier seats wrapped in Laguna leather and with embossed SRT Hellcat logos. The silver stitching on the seats and center console, the Light Black Chrome trim, and the Gunmetal "SRT Hellcat" badge on the dashboard also come standard. There are a couple of packages you can choose from as well. The Alcantara Appearance Package adds Alcantara inserts on the seats. Then there's the Carbon & Suede Package, which adds real carbon-fiber trim to the dashboard and console bezels and Dinamica suede headliner, sun visors, and A-pillars.

Because this sedan will hit more than 200 mph, there's a new speedometer that reads up to 220 mph. The displays also feature a new SRT Hellcat Redeye logo, while the badge on the dashboard also includes a "Redeye" badge. Finally, the key fobs feature the same SRT Hellcat Redeye logos.

Drivetrain

But this doesn't mean that they're identical. The Redeye's engine is actually notably different, as are other drivetrain components and many of the settings.

What sets the 2021 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye apart from the regular Hellcat?

The most important difference is that the 6.2-liter V-8 engine actually comes from the Challenger SRT Demon. This means that it features major upgrades over the Hellcat engine. It comes with a 2.7-liter supercharger, the largest of any production car, 14.5-psi boost (versus 11.6), a higher rev limit at 6,500 rpm (versus 6,200 rpm), and two dual-stage fuel pumps instead of one. The engine also features strengthened connecting rods and pistons, high-speed valve train, fuel injection system, and improved lubrication system, and an upgraded torque converter with an 18-percent increase in torque multiplication.

Upgrades also include the race-spec cooling system found in the Challenger SRT Demon. Both the mail-slot grille and the hood vent help send 1,134 cubic feet of air per minute to the engine and the supercharger, while the Power Chiller system diverts air-conditioning refrigerant from the cabin to a chiller unit connected to the heat exchangers in the supercharger. Race Cooldown, an industry-first feature that debuted in the Demon, keeps the engine's cooling fan and coolant pump running after the engine is shut down.

Is the 2021 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye more powerful than the regular Hellcat?

. When it comes to torque, the Redeye delivers an extra 57 pound-feet compared to the Hellcat's 650-pound-foot rating. These figures make the SRT Hellcat Redeye the most powerful Charger ever built. And since Dodge won't offer a Demon version, this won't change anytime soon.

Dodge didn't say how quick the Redeye is to 60 mph, but it did reveal a quarter-mile benchmark. The Hellcat Redeye needs 10.6 seconds to complete the run, 0.36 seconds quicker than the Hellcat. Trap speed comes in at 129 mph, four mph more than the standard Hellcat.

The top speed of the Redeye is also higher than the Hellcat. While the Hellcat Widebody hits 196 mph, the Redeye is capable of going up to 203 mph. That's the highest top speed for any Charger yet and a benchmark that only supercars can surpass.

Although there's no official 0-to-60 mph rating for the Redeye, it's safe to say that it's quicker than the Hellcat. The latter hits 60 mph in 3.6 seconds, so the Redeye model should be able to do it in 3.4 clicks, if not even quicker than that.

The Redeye is also quicker on the race track. Dodge says that this model is 1.2 seconds faster than the Hellcat on a 2.1-mile course.

How much does the 2021 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye cost?

Dodge has yet to release pricing information for the Redeye, but it will cost more than the SRT Hellcat Widebody. The latter comes in at $72,095, so the Redeye will fetch more than $80,000 before options. If the almost $12,000 difference between the Challenger Hellcat Widebody and Challenger Redeye Widebody remains in place for the Charger, the Redeye sedan could actually cost as much as $84,000.

When will the 2021 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye become available?

The order books for the Redeye open in the fall of 2021, and the first vehicles are scheduled to arrive in dealerships in early 2021.

Does the 2021 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye have any competitors?

There are no direct competitors for this car for Dodge's traditional rivals, like Ford and Chevrolet. Some premium midsize sedans, like the BMW M5 and the Mercedes-AMG E63 come close, but they still lack the oomph.

The range-topping BMW M5, for instance, comes with a twin-turbo V-8 engine that packs 617 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque. The Mercedes-AMG E63 S 4Matic also features a twin-turbo V-8 but rated at 603 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of twist. Both are notably less powerful than the Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye.

On the other hand, both of these German sedans feature AWD systems, which enables them to be quicker from 0 to 60 mph. The Bimmer hits the benchmark in 3.2 seconds, while the Merc charges up to that speed in 3.3 seconds.

But the comparison isn't fair no matter how you look at it, simply because the M5 and the AMG E63 are premium cars with fancier interiors, more tech, and significantly newer underpinnings. What's more, both cars cost in excess of $100,000.

Conclusion

It was a bit disappointing to learn that Dodge didn't want to build a Demon version of the Charger, but it made sense since the Challenger is more suited for drag racing than a sedan. But Dodge made up for it by moving the Redeye package developed for the Challenger to the Charger. An 800-horsepower sedan is decidedly ludicrous, but it's Dodge's tour de force before the old, and somewhat dated Charger goes into the history books in a little while. And it's cars like these that keep Dodge relevant, especially when paired with beefed-up versions of the Challenger and the Durango. Dodge has slowly turned into a performance division of FCA, and this is great news.

FAQ

Q: What sets the 2021 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye apart from the regular Hellcat?

The Redeye package is only about small details inside the cabin.