the Hellcat, a supercharged powerplant based on a 6.4-liter V8, would easily generate 500 to 570 hp and could likely arrive boasting more than 600 ponies.

Dodge is set to introduce a mild update for its Challenger for the 2015 model year, an update that's expected to include the addition of a new supercharged HEMI V-8 for the range-topping SRT model. The new supercharged HEMI V-8, which has been nicknamed the Hellcat, is believed to be a 6.2-liter unit, and according to some recent comments from SRT boss Ralph Gilles it may just be more powerful than the 640-horsepower V-10 in the Viper supercar.

"We have a situation where, you know-- we may have a situation--where the flagship car is not the most powerful car in our arsenal,” Gilles told Hot Rod magazine. “So we have an internal horsepower race as well as an external one."

The Challenger SRT with the Hellcat will likely be a special model, similar to the 2014 Chevrolet Z/28 which is priced at $75k. This means pricing will probably fall well north of even the Challenger SRT 392’s $46k starting price, which makes sense if the car ends up the most powerful in SRT’s lineup.

The good news is that the mighty mill is expected to end up in other SRT products. Let’s hope one of them is a hardcore Viper developed along the lines of the GTS-R racing version; such a car might just be the ticket to dethroning the 2015 Corvette Z06 in the American supercar wars.

Stay tuned for an update.

The updated 2015 Dodge Challenger range made its debut recently at the 2014 New York Auto Show, albeit with the highly-coveted SRT variant noticeably absent. This is because Dodge engineers are still validating prototypes for the SRT, one of which has been spotted near the automaker’s main test facility in Michigan.

It has a unique hood scoop not featured on any other model from the 2015 Challenger lineup. The car also has SRT-spec wheels, Brembo brakes, lowered suspension and a large splitter. Camouflage up front is likely hiding an “SRT” badge, while at the rear there have likely been some tweaks to the tail-lights.

Dodge is now thought to be working on more than one Challenger SRT variant: the regular version you see here and a more extreme one nicknamed the Hellcat. Though the prototype shown here is wearing a “392 HEMI” badge, the car is believed to be running a new supercharged engine.

During its five-year strategy presentation yesterday, Dodge parent company Fiat Chrysler Automobiles confirmed that the 2015 Challenger SRT will feature a supercharged 6.2-liter V-8. The same engine was also confirmed for the 2015 Charger SRT.

This makes sense as the previous SRT-only 6.4-liter HEMI V-8 is now available in the regular Challenger lineup, where it makes upwards of 485 horsepower and 475 pound-feet of torque. Expect considerably more power to be delivered by the new supercharged engine in the 2015 Challenger SRT. For the special Hellcat model, we’ve heard that it may deliver more than the 640 horsepower of the Viper supercar’s V-10. Some have suggested the Hellcat’s engine rating may go as high as 700 horses.

A debut for the 2015 Challenger SRT is likely to take place towards the end of the year, suggesting a Los Angeles or Detroit auto show appearance. It’s not clear if the Hellcat model will be ready at this time--it may end up being launched towards the end of the current Challenger’s cycle as a special run-out model, ahead of the arrival of an all-new Challenger in 2018.

For the special Hellcat model, we’ve heard that it may deliver more than the 640 horsepower of the Viper supercar’s V-10. Some have suggested the Hellcat’s engine rating may go as high as 700 horses.