Dodge is made quite a splash with its Speed Week and Never Lift Campaign. They are closing a chapter and doing away with the Charger and Challenger as we know them in 2023. From there, they debuted new products like the Hornet small SUV, as well as the all-electric Charger Daytona Banshee concept. They’ve also announced that they are bringing back the SRT Hellcat Durango for the 2023 model year. If we rewind the clock, the premise was that Dodge was supposed offer it for the 2021 model year only. But with a few tweaks and some extra plant investment, the Durango SRT Hellcat is back, but the most unlikely people are not happy about it: Dodge’s own customers. One owner has gone as far as seeking legal counsel.
Image copyright Steven Pham, Muscle Cars & Trucks
The Drive spoke to alleged Durango Hellcat owner Stacy, who requested to have his last name omitted from public media for the sake of privacy, and he mentions that he felt obligated to stand up to Dodge based on principle alone. He has taken to social media to voice his displeasure and has garnered both supporters and cynics. Currently, Stacy is consulting with an unnamed attorney who believes there’s a valid case for legal action. We’ll see.
The comeback of the Hellcat Durango has effectively diluted the exclusivity of the 2021 model year. When that model was announced, marketing slogans such as “This will be a single year run” and “you’ve only got one shot to buy one” have now become a foundation for Stacy’s argument. The ideal situation would be to not produce any more Hellcat Durango models at all, however Stacy believes that if they go forward with production, 2021 Durango Hellcat owners should be compensated at the very least.
To that end, the MSRP of the 2021 Durango Hellcat was just over $80,000, but they continue to fetch $100,000 on the open market. This means that the 710 horsepower SUV remains highly collectable, and will likely continue to be as time passes.
The 2021 Durango Hellcat was produced in limited numbers, as just over 3,000 of them were built. During the reveal for the 2023 model, Head of Dodge brand Tim Kuniskis was met with encouraging yelps, yells, and a round of applause from those in attendance on day one of Dodge’s Speed Week.
Image copyright Steven Pham, Muscle Cars & Trucks
