The company increased output in March after warning customers that many shady dealers were taking orders and deposits for Hellcat-powered Chargers and Challengers that would likely not be produced for the 2015 model year. Dealers reportedly placed orders for more than 9,000 units by mid March.
Dodge and SRT brand chief Tim Kuniskis claims approximately 4,000 Hellcat powerplants have left the company’s Saltillo, Mexico, engine factory so far this year.
“We’re going to build more for 2016,” he told Automotive News. “We stopped taking all Hellcat orders months ago so that we could catch up to that demand, and then we will launch the 2016s.”
Despite the limited availability of the 707-horsepower Challengers and Chargers, Kuniskis suggests the Hellcat variants have successfully served as ‘halo’ models that help drive sales of standard packages. The company has sold approximately 88,000 muscle cars so far this year.
Separate reports suggest the company is preparing to add a third Hellcat model to its lineup, with a new range-topping Jeep Grand Cherokee ‘Trackhawk‘ that is rumored to be arriving in showrooms next year.
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