Don't Look Now, But the Hellcat is Getting a Dual-Snorkel Hood

Photo: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles U.S. media website.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles just released a couple of semi-obscured teaser press photos of the 2019 Dodge Challenger SRT. And, yes—it looks like they're on a mission to make the Hellcat look even more badass.

The headline in the teaser blurb shows that Fiat Chrysler is clearly trying to amp-up the drama of the Dodge Challenger Hellcat's menacing mystique and sinister visage, incorporating the phrase "no rest for the wicked."

Photo: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles U.S. media website.

Not that there's anything wrong with that. We've said here before that Challenger, compared to competitors like Camaro and Mustang, stands out as the current-generation muscle car/pony car that most successfully captures the soul of the legendary original.

So bring it on, Chrysler! A pony car with true attitude that's raw and authentic, rather than cartoonish, is just what contemporary car culture needs. And that's what Challenger, more than any other model, has been delivering.

We have just one request: consider also releasing a new-generation Road Runner as well. Surely they could resurrect the Plymouth nameplate for the purpose of marketing a single model. But they could just as easily badge the Road Runner as a Chrysler to maintain an identity separate from Dodge.

The teaser—which was just that, amounting to a single paragraph from Fiat Chrysler's media department, not even a full press release—was limited in detail. It stated that "Dodge is again reaching back to its 100-plus-year history as it evolves the Challenger lineup for 2019, introducing a new dual-snorkel hood on Hellcat models that pays homage to the distinctive Mopar design themes from some of its most famous muscle cars."

Fiat Chrysler also says that the dual snorkel hood is more than just a cosmetic accoutrement: "This new fully functional hood harkens back to the mid-60s and early-70s, but with a modern interpretation that looks even more sinister and provides maximum air intake to the supercharged powerplant."

Stay tuned for more information about the 2019 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, as Fiat Chrysler Automobiles promises more details this summer.