Dodge Charger Hellcat: You Know You Want To
707hp of supercharged V8 fury arrives in the UK ready to ruin an M5's fun
There won't be any race spoilers here but the attention the Hellcat received was incredible. At a runway with Porsches, racing bikes, Nissan GT-Rs, a Ferrari and a McLaren, the big Dodge drew admirers from everywhere. People wanted to see it, hear it and take pictures of it. Predictably too the Hellcat left two gigantic lines of rubber and clouds of smoke at the startline and for, er, much of the quarter-mile as well. As a spectacle it was just brilliant.
But there is a way you can improve on the Hellcat recipe: more doors. We all know fast saloons are cooler than fast coupes - think M5/M6, C63 AMG, those kind of things - and that's definitely the case here. Say hello to a Dodge Charger Hellcat. In the UK.
The Charger is mechanically identical to the Challenger so there's the same 205mph potential and infamous 707hp, but with the practical benefit of four doors. That means the Challenger probably looks like a more traditional muscle car but the Charger certainly doesn't struggle for visual intimidation. Especially black with more black.
This Charger is in the UK with Clive Sutton, which also has Corvettes, Mustangs and mahoosive SUVs in its stock. The price? £79,950. Yikes. Certainly more than it would cost in America but also right up with the European rivals from Mercedes, BMW and Jaguar. Obviously there are the import costs to consider but anyone wishing to import their own and save money may struggle with demand massively outstripping supply for all Hellcats. It's the only Charger in the UK for sale right now...
At any price though, a Dodge Charger Hellcat will never be a rational choice. Left-hand drive will always be an insurmountable issue for some, you'll have to explain what it is all the time and it surely won't be as simple to maintain as a car purchased in the UK. Doesn't stop us really wanting one though. And a lot of tyres. God bless America!
DODGE CHARGER SRT HELLCAT
Price: £79,950
Why you should: 707hp, four doors, 205mph
Why you shouldn't: £79,950, M5, E63
See the original advert here.
[Source: AutomotiveNews]
As an aside, I priced up the most expensive Corvette, with convertible body, Z06 spec and every extra, and it came to the equivalent of £73550 in the US
On PH, someone is advertising the slightly cheaper coupe version for £149,995
I'll save people doing the maths, but that's £73550 difference.
Ok, shipping, taxes when it gets here, and various jobs to get it through the requisite test, but asking DOUBLE? Really?
It backs up what is said in this article about pricing, and personally I think we are ripped off on this side of the Atlantic.
Out of interest, a fully-optioned Hellcat costs the equivalent of £42,734 brand new in the US.......
£80K is also VERY silly - it will lose half of that before you've said the 's' in 'yes' (that's >£1-$1!!)
Take a more mundane auto, commoner to UK roads - throw in a crate V8 and some trickery (superchargers are nice) - save £50K at least
Protip: steel wheels would be cool ;0
Whilst I cannot speak for the Charger, The Challenger is an awesome weapon. Makes a C63 sound anaemic. I've owned a lot of different cars over the years and the wife puts the Challenger Hellcat as number one by far. It is the only fast car I have owned that does not make her feel sick. The power is linear, just nails her in the seat for as long as you keep the loud pedal pressed.
Whilst I cannot speak for the Charger, The Challenger is an awesome weapon. Makes a C63 sound anaemic. I've owned a lot of different cars over the years and the wife puts the Challenger Hellcat as number one by far. It is the only fast car I have owned that does not make her feel sick. The power is linear, just nails her in the seat for as long as you keep the loud pedal pressed.
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