The Texas Department of Public Safety has added a Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat to its fleet in the northern part of the state, choosing an SUV with a supercharged V8 producing around 710 hp. The department announced the vehicle on its Facebook page, sharing photos of the black Durango and referring broadly to public safety, while leaving its exact operational role unclear.
710-hp Durango SRT Hellcat enters service with Texas Department of Public Safety
Under the hood, the Hellcat uses a supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI V8 producing 710 hp and 645 lb-ft of torque. Dodge quotes a top speed of 180 mph, or about 290 km/h, placing it among the highest-performance SUVs in the brand’s lineup.
The photos mainly show the exterior conversion, with department graphics on the doors and a protective push bar mounted ahead of the front bumper. Emergency lights sit on the bar, while additional lighting appears at the top of the windshield. The roof remains free of the traditional light bar.
The DPS did not show the cabin modifications in the images and only presented the SUV from the outside. The department has also yet to explain whether it will use the vehicle for patrol duties, emergency response, public events or another purpose. Describing it as a dedicated pursuit vehicle would therefore go beyond what the announcement actually confirms.
Texas had already added a Hellcat-powered vehicle to its service fleet in 2022, when a seized Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye joined the Highway Patrol. In that case, the DPS quoted 1,080 hp for the modified car, clearly distinguishing it from the model’s standard factory configuration.
The Durango’s supercharged V8 also brings substantial fuel consumption, even under standardized testing. For the 2026 model, the EPA rates combined economy at 13 mpg, equivalent to around 18.1 liters per 100 kilometers. That figure applies to the production model and provides a reference point rather than a measure of the department vehicle’s actual operating consumption.
The Hellcat sits at the extreme end of a Durango generation that debuted in 2010 for the 2011 model year. Its unusually long career continues through updates and new customization programs, including Jailbreak, which expands the number of configurations available for the SUV.