2028 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Confirmed by Supplier Documents

According to Autoguide / Automotive News, internal supplier planning documents confirm Stellantis is targeting late 2027 production of a new Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat for the 2028 model year. The supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI V8 is coming back in both two-door and four-door body styles, with an annual production target of roughly 12,000 units. The new Charger will be rear-wheel drive only.

That's a lot of power going to two tires. And if the existing Hellcat generation taught us anything, it's that the brakes are the first system that tells you exactly how much power that is.

The Platform That Already Has an Answer

The 2028 Hellcat Charger will almost certainly carry forward the chassis and brake architecture Dodge has been refining since the SRT Hellcat's introduction. For anyone already in a 2015-2023 Charger or Challenger Hellcat, that's relevant: the aftermarket already has well-developed, thoroughly proven hardware for your car, and renewed factory enthusiasm for the nameplate only deepens support for the existing generation.

At the front, Dodge fits a six-piston Brembo caliper that copes well with street driving and occasional hard pulls. The weak point has always been thermal management on repeated hard stops. That's where a compound upgrade changes what the brakes feel like under real conditions.

Hawk Performance HB649 Brake Pads

The Hawk Performance HB649 Series Brake Pads are a direct-fit upgrade for 2015-2023 Dodge Charger and Challenger SRT Hellcat applications, working with the factory Brembo six-piston front calipers and the OE rear setup. Here's what they bring:

• Fitment: 2015-2023 Dodge Charger and Challenger SRT Hellcat, front and rear positions
• Construction: Hawk's HB649 compound is engineered for high-load duty, with a friction formulation that builds heat resistance quickly without requiring a long warm-up phase
• Street drivability: Lower cold-bite penalty than a full race compound, so the first stop of the day doesn't feel wooden
• Dust and noise: Cleaner than OE on brake dust, with a chamfered and slotted backing plate design that reduces squeal under normal operating temperatures
• Price: $237.59 per set

On a car making 707 to 807 horsepower from the factory, the pads are doing a lot of work. The OE compound was spec'd for a broad range of driver profiles and use cases, which means it's conservative on the high end. A purpose-built performance pad like the HB649 narrows that range toward the enthusiast end: firmer initial bite, more linear feel through the pedal, and better fade resistance when you're using the brakes hard on a canyon road or a road course event.

At $237.59 for the set, it's also the most accessible entry point into a meaningful brake upgrade on the Hellcat platform, before you work your way up to two-piece rotors or a full caliper kit.

A Good Moment to Think About the Platform

Stellantis committing real production capacity to a 2028 Hellcat Charger is a vote of confidence in the whole lineage. The 2015-2023 cars aren't going anywhere in terms of parts support and aftermarket development, and owners of those cars now know the platform has an active successor rather than a dead end. If you've been putting off a brake upgrade, the timing is good: the hardware is mature, the fitment data is solid, and the market isn't cooling off.

For a full picture of what a front-to-rear brake upgrade looks like on the 2021+ generation, see our Complete Brake Upgrade Guide for the 2021+ Dodge Charger and Challenger Hellcat.