Is The Dodge Charger SRT Ghoul A Real Car?

The American public is clearly craving more muscle cars, as interest has spiked for the rumored Dodge Charger SRT Ghoul. The intrigue of this revived Charger revolves around the discussion of a 7.0-liter supercharged Hellephant V8 engine producing 1,000 horsepower and 950 pound-feet of torque. Is this hypothetical beast actually in the works at Dodge?

Unfortunately for Charger fans, no. The Ghoul started as an April Fools prank by CarBuzz that grew all the more believable as respected and usually serious news outlets started spreading the story. It was described as the final hoorah before Dodge's shift to an electric fleet, but the prank started to lose credibility once car enthusiasts took a closer look.

First, the Hellephant is a crate engine that would not pass emission standards for a production car. Second, it's plain old massive and would require a bit of a redesign to fit into and work with the Charger without major modifications.

While the Dodge Charger SRT Ghoul is just a well executed prank, there are actual plans from Dodge to bring back the Charger. The 2025 Dodge Charger Sixpack is currently planned for a mid-2025 release with a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged inline-six gas engine for those who aren't ready for the Dodge Charger Daytona EV just yet. The Dodge Charger Sixpack will put out either 420 or 550 hp depending on trim level — less than the Daytona EV, and certainly less than the Hellephant provides, but still nothing to sneeze at. 

Dodge has made it clear that there are no plans for a V8 version of the new ICE charger. This may be upsetting for some American muscle car enthusiasts, but the Dodge Charger Sixpack's engine should still provide plenty of thrills. Even so, it's hard to stop imagining a Charger with 1,000 hp in a drag race.