Dodge Challenger Hellcat: You Know You Want To

It's Murica day and what better way to celebrate than with 707hp!

Happy Fourth of July, people! The day the United States of America gained independence from Great Britain is a fully-fledged day of celebration in the States, with Independence Day parties from coast to coast. And given how we don't like to miss any chance to have a party, how about bringing a little of the Independence Day spirit over to the UK, with a wildly powerful rear-wheel-drive Dodge V8? Go on, you know you want to.

Here, we have just the thing: a 2016 Dodge Challenger Hellcat, complete with stick-shift manual. Hellcat spec means the Challenger's 6.4-litre Hemi V8 is swapped for a 6.2-litre supercharged 707hp V8, toppling even that new Porsche 911 GT2 RS 'widow-maker'. The 0-60mph drag, they reckon over in the US, takes 3.9 seconds, and top speed is just 1mph shy of 200mph. The NHRA has certified its quarter-mile time of 10.8 seconds on street- legal drag tyres, at which point it's doing 126mph. Choose production tyres, and it clocks 11.2 seconds and 125mph.

So it's more than a little bonkers. And available here in the UK, registered and ready, for £69,995 from the David Boatwright Partnership in Essex. How could you not want to? The big two-door sedan-coupe Challenger is so gloriously American, with period styling cues everywhere, from its rubber black boot lid spoiler to its twin round headlights and gaping bonnet scoop above. You can't help but love it.

The spec is decent, with Laguna leather and a UK/EU-ready sat nav system. Adaptive dampers switch between Street, Sport and Track modes, adjusting compression and rebound accordingly, and you can limit the power to 'just' 500hp if you want something a little more manageable. As for the gearbox, it's a good ol' six-speeder: no seven-speed nonsense here.

Buy one and you will stand out. It's loud to look at, never mind when it's actually running, and the big, bold Tor Red machine (combined with plentiful black detailing) looks even more like a real-life Hot Wheels car when parked in staid old Britain. It's not the most sophisticated of machines, of course - buy a Merc-AMG C63 or Audi RS5 if you want that sort of stuff - but it's wonderful nonetheless and those of the right mindset will surely be clamouring for it.

Even if you're not now, get a few celebratory Sam Adams Boston beers in you this evening and see how you feel. Independence of thought and all that - go forth and be an American pioneer!

Dodge Challenger Hellcat
Price: £69,995
Why you should: 707hp, £70k, just look at it!
Why you shouldn't: Left-hand drive, bit of an animal, £70k

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MJ85

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