While it seems more and more consumers are joining the practical group who favour the blandly designed, rollover happy family-haulers we call crossover SUVs, Dodge continues to build the kind of cars that stir the emotions of gearheads from Southern California to Saudi Arabia. Coming off the heels of the 2018 only, limited release of Dodge Demon, Fiat Chrysler brings a new range-topper to its 2019 Challenger lineup; the 2019 Hellcat Redeye, Top Gear noted.

Hellcat; what's in a name?

Named for the Grumman fighter plane used by Allied Naval forces in World War II, the Hellcat debuted in 2015 and immediately began to shut down all contenders.

From Fords and Chevys to Lamborghinis and Ferraris, the 707 horsepower Hellcat continued to turn in the fastest times. It claimed a place high above all other muscle cars past and present.

Three years later Dodge brought out an even more pungent Challenger model, the 840 hp, Demon. But unless you had $84,995 and were among the lucky 3,000 US or 300 Canadian buyers, this was beyond reach. For 2019, Dodge seeks to fill in the gap with new horsepower figures and a lower price for the standard Hellcat (10 more horsepower for $5,000 less) and a new king among the Challengers called the Hellcat Redeye.

Take the Redeye

The new Hellcat Redeye is what Steve Beahm, head of Passenger Car Brands-Dodge, SRT, Chrysler and Fiat for FCA North America describes as: "...a Hellcat that’s been possessed by a Demon,” Motortrend reported.

The Hellcat Redeye makes use of the standard Hellcat's suspension and platform with a slightly detuned version of the Demon's motor a supercharged 6.2-liter (378 cubic inch) V-8 HEMI mill. This means that the motor puts out 797 horsepower, 707lb-ft torque and will propel the car to 203mph. 60mph comes quickly in just 3.4 seconds and it'll run the ¼ mile in a mere 11.1 seconds.

Without a frame of context that may not mean much, but the Hellcat Redeye is very fast.

While the Demon was primarily built for track use, the Hellcat Redeye is designed to be a high-output daily driver. However, this means a few sacrifices, so gone are the Demon’s drag mode suspension tuning and transbrake, though line lock was retained.

Also, somewhat unfortunately like the Demon, the Hellcat Redeye is only available with an automatic transmission. Still, the Hellcat Redeye is aggressive and comes in either a standard or wide-body styling. Out front, it features a functional dual snorkel hood scoop that pays homage to muscle cars' past. It delivers an additional 10 horsepower and adds to its menacing look. Needless to say, this Redeye is one drive you won't mind taking.