By now the entire automotive world has heard about and seen the SRT Hellcat — the all-new high performance variant of the popular Dodge Challenger that the Chrysler brass are promising will pack a stout 707 horsepower from its supercharged 6.2L, 392 Hemi powerplant. Touted as the most powerful production V8 engine ever produced, the engine features a twin-screw blower, aluminum cylinder heads, and forged pistons and rods, which all adds up to one killer factory vehicle that’s sure to place the Challenger right up there with Ford’s GT500 Mustang in the performance department.

With the ink on the press releases unveiling the new Hellcat to the world still wet, Mopar took full advantage of the race it’s held the title rights sponsorship to for more than two decades — the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals at the Bandimere Speedway near Denver, Colorado — to show off the new Hellcat in it’s natural habitat on the drag strip in front of tens of thousands of fans (and potential Hellcat buyers).

The folks at Mopar brought out well-known television personality Richard Rawlings of Discovery Channel’s “Fast ’N Loud” fame to drop the hammer on the new 2015 Challenger, and according to several reports from the track, ripped off a 12.14 at 118 MPH right out of the gate. This, after boiling a set of rear tires with a long, smoky, crowd-pleasing burnout.

While such a performance may sound slightly sub-par for such a powerful vehicle, remember that this run occurred at more than 8,600 feet of elevation where the air is extra thin — and where Pro Stock cars lose more than half a second of elapsed time. Suffice it to say, this is at least a low to mid-eleven second car off the showroom floor, and with some seat-time and a few well-chosen bolt-on’s, is a definite 10-second player while retaining every ability to cruise the highway or haul groceries.

Videos courtesy NHRA and Chrysler LLC