Tuesday 4th July 2017

Dodge Challenger Hellcat: You Know You Want To

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

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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!

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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

See the original ad here

[MJ85]

3.9 or 2.9 to 60?

[SirSquidalot]

Epic car, would be a certain purchase if my numbers came up!

[Ares]

MJ85 said:

3.9 or 2.9 to 60?

Shirley must be 2.9. The exec saloon brigade manage 3.9 with 200bhp less?

[Krikkit]

SirSquidalot said:

Epic car, would be a certain purchase if my numbers came up!

Me too, fantastically mad.

[mylesmcd]

They are a 1990's Mercedes E Class with around 200hp too much. The Scat Pack is a better experience (More noise).......

[parabolica]

Personally I prefer the Charger, but the Challenger does have presence. Someone round my way owns one ('just' a SRT I think) and although I thought they were huge to begin with, it's roughly the same size as my 6 series. So... there's my next car sorted.

[Shakermaker]

When did Challenger become the 2 door and Charger become the 4 door?

Wasn't it always the other way in the 60s/70s?

[parabolica]

Shakermaker said:

When did Challenger become the 2 door and Charger become the 4 door?

Wasn't it always the other way in the 60s/70s?

Nope. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodge_Challenger#Fir...

ETA the Charger was a 2-door variant until 1987; then when they re-launched in mid-2000s it became a 4-door.

Edited by parabolica on Tuesday 4th July 15:12

[Since1973]

I ran one of these for a year. Wonderful sense of occasion, noise and sheer instant supercharged grunt, but ultimately really quite tricky if you were properly 'on it'....hideous traction and massive weight. Even on super smooth dry tarmac, it liked a good ol' squirm. Great fun, but not as quick as the power figures suggest.

Still glad Dodge had the balls to make it (and the Demon) though..

[laters]

I am looking to import a charger srt at some point in the next year or two.
Was dreaming of a hellcat but looking at the figures a srt makes more sense for me.

[Matt Harper]

mylesmcd said:

They are a 1990's Mercedes E Class with around 200hp too much. The Scat Pack is a better experience (More noise)......

Something of an out-dated myth, that may have been closer to reality ten years ago, but the LX platform has evolved way beyond it's inception in 2006.

All 8 cyl Challengers (Demon excepted) are under-tyred/wheeled out of the factory. Hellcat should have same size (315 section) rear tire as Demon and SRT392/Scat Pack should have had min 275 section OEM. Wheel tubs are big enough to accommodate a 10.5" wide wheel.

Hellcat and Scat Pack have the same exhaust system. I hear no discernible difference in "loudness" between my 392 SP and friend's Hellcat - different type of engine noise, but I'd argue no more noise.

[Dave Hedgehog]

Ares said:

MJ85 said:

3.9 or 2.9 to 60?

Shirley must be 2.9. The exec saloon brigade manage 3.9 with 200bhp less?

i bet its 3.9 on road tyres, from all accounts the damn thing just spins the wheels like a lunatic no matter what the speed just by looking at the loud pedal

[Ares]

Dave Hedgehog said:

Ares said:

MJ85 said:

3.9 or 2.9 to 60?

Shirley must be 2.9. The exec saloon brigade manage 3.9 with 200bhp less?

i bet its 3.9 on road tyres, from all accounts the damn thing just spins the wheels like a lunatic no matter what the speed just by looking at the loud pedal

True. Plus it's a lardy old girl.

Live life 1/4 mile at a time...my arse...

[Matt Harper]

laters said:

I am looking to import a charger srt at some point in the next year or two.
Was dreaming of a hellcat but looking at the figures a srt makes more sense for me.

Just my 2c worth here. The SRT392 is around $10k more expensive than a 392 Scat Pack.
What you get with the SRT that is missing on the SP is a hood scoop, electronic damping, slightly wider wheels, 6 piston front brakes and some convenience items like rain sensing wipers, auto-dipping lights and adjustable pedals etc.

SP's 4 piston Brembos easily match SRT's with an aggressive pad and all of the SRT track modes, line lock, shift upgrade can be unlocked with a Z Automotive TaZer OBD plug-in, that costs around $250.

392 Scat Pack is the performance bargain of the muscle car sector - 485hp for $40k. I've spent a little over $1500 on up-grades on my 2015 Scat Pack and it's wheel horsepower is now around 450-455 depending on ambients. It's very easy and cost effective to make these cars bad-fast.

[Furyblade_Lee]

Proper car, glad someone still makes cars with way too much power and not enough grip 👍👍

[anonymous-user]

Bumblebee for me!

[Dave Hedgehog]

Since1973 said:

I ran one of these for a year. Wonderful sense of occasion, noise and sheer instant supercharged grunt, but ultimately really quite tricky if you were properly 'on it'....hideous traction and massive weight. Even on super smooth dry tarmac, it liked a good ol' squirm. Great fun, but not as quick as the power figures suggest.

Still glad Dodge had the balls to make it (and the Demon) though..

[Goofnik]

Just note that here in the states, there's now a widebody version of the Hellcat, that comes with 30mm wider section widths out back.

[mylesmcd]

Matt Harper said:

mylesmcd said:

They are a 1990's Mercedes E Class with around 200hp too much. The Scat Pack is a better experience (More noise)......

Something of an out-dated myth, that may have been closer to reality ten years ago, but the LX platform has evolved way beyond it's inception in 2006.

All 8 cyl Challengers (Demon excepted) are under-tyred/wheeled out of the factory. Hellcat should have same size (315 section) rear tire as Demon and SRT392/Scat Pack should have had min 275 section OEM. Wheel tubs are big enough to accommodate a 10.5" wide wheel.

Hellcat and Scat Pack have the same exhaust system. I hear no discernible difference in "loudness" between my 392 SP and friend's Hellcat - different type of engine noise, but I'd argue no more noise.

So, still an over powered Mercedes E Class of the 1990's? lol

I agree on the tires and noise - the first upgrade HAS to be the wider section rears - and, I prefer the non supercharged delivery of power and sound.

Also worth noting the 4 door Charger is actually a very nice car to drive in terms of ride quality etc...

[unsprung]

With the desperate shortage of irony over here (in the US), we do hope that, all the untoward history between us aside, you'll continue to see your way clear to exporting those most British of rhetorical traditions: parody, satire, sarcasm, etc.

In the meantime, and regarding the Dodge Challenger, you might appreciate this ahistorical and irony-free television commercial.