Cue AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell,” because the folks at Hennessey want to get 2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat drivers on the road to Hades as quickly as possible. Why else would the famed tuning company see a need to tweak this three-row SUV’s supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 engine from 710 horses to an eye-widening 1,012 ponies?
Yes, you read that right. Hennessey has a kit for the Durango SRT Hellcat that ups the total number of ponies in the Dodge SUV’s stable to over 1,000. Christened the HPE1000, this mighty Mopar promises to hit 60 mph in 2.8 seconds and cross the quarter mile in just 10.8 seconds. That’s a claimed 0.8-second improvement over the standard Durango SRT Hellcat’s manufacturer estimates of 3.5 and 11.5 seconds, respectively.
What goes into the HPE1000 kit? Well, quite a lot. Per Hennessey, a so-equipped Durango SRT Hellcat features a new 2.7-liter supercharger with an upgraded pulley and a high-flow bypass valve, stainless steel headers, less restrictive catalytic converters, new fuel injectors, and an improved throttle body and a reworked air induction setup. Hennessey also replaces all the gaskets and fluids it deems necessary (Hennessey does not disclose on its site, however, the specific gaskets or fluids).
All those upgrades come at a cost, though. Specifically, $34,950. That sum includes installation costs, too, a feat that typically takes three-to-four weeks, per a Hennessey spokesperson. And that’s not including the cost of a Durango SRT Hellcat itself, which starts at $82,490. (Those looking to save a few dollars can instead opt for the HPE900 package, which costs $24,950 and nets a total of 912 horses from the Durango’s supercharged V-8 engine. )
Hennessey backs up its work with a year or 12,000-mile warranty (whichever comes first). Plus, the tuner adds a number of badges to the SUV in order to let passersby know this is no ordinary Durango SRT Hellcat. Hear that? That’s the sound of hell’s bells getting closer as this family SUV cruises ever faster into the depths of the underworld.
