Before I start talking about the car in question today, I want to take the time to tell you readers about this new series we’re starting. ‘Be Informed!’ is all about the facts and what we know about the car, but with less or no opinions in it at all, so it’s concise, detailed and well laid out for people that only want to know the nitty-gritty.
Now, let’s get on with it.
Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat
Performance
This is where Dodge’s pride lies, a 6.2-litre HEMI V8 engine adapted from the Hellcat. In case you don’t know, it churns out 707bhp and develops 650 lb/ft of torque. The engine is mated to a TorqueFlite 8-speed automatic gearbox that can shift as fast as 160 milliseconds and has rev-matching downshift. It’s definitely a fast car, especially good for the fact that it’s also a saloon.
If you’re interested in this kind of stuff, it tops out at 204mph and runs the quarter mile at 11 seconds. 0-60mph is brisk at just 3.7 seconds. All of these come together to create the most powerful production four-door car in the world. To give you an idea, it develops more horsepower than the Lamborghini Aventador and Dodge’s own Viper, ironically.
You can buy the Hellcat engines as crate engines to use in engine swaps and put them in small cars like the Miata.
Handling
Dodge promises that the Charger Hellcat is going to excel in all three departments, a daily driver, a back-road hero, and a valid competitor for the supercars that thrive on the tracks. Mainly thanks to its clever Blistein adjustable driving dynamic settings, which are assured to be a fit for any road conditions and the drivers’ moods.
The three modes are namely: Street, which is the comfort setting, Sport, which is a slightly stiffer in between, and finally, Track, which sharpens up everything: shocks react faster, gears change faster, and turns the car into an all-round aggressive track beast.
All Show Full Go
Don’t worry, Dodge didn’t mess up in the looks department. The exterior design definitely tells everybody else this car is a force to be reckoned with. A bonnet that can only be described as ‘reminiscent of the Dodge Viper’, a front chin spoiler and grilles large enough to suck in pets.
Not only that, they’ve also fitted 20 inch featherweight aluminium forged wheels mixed with Pirelli tyres. The brakes are 15.4-inch two-piece discs with 6-piston Brembo brake calipers at the front and at the rear there are 13.8-inch discs. Astonishing.
If you are big Dodge fan, keep your eyes open for the release of the new Dodge Barracuda coming soon.
Interior
Once you manage to pick up your jaw from the floor after listening to the performance figures, open the door and sit inside. You will notice the red upholstery covers the seats and door cards, there are lots of SRT badges scattered around the interior. It certainly feels a lot nicer than the standard charger.
Price On the Road
Starting at £42,460, it’s definitely not a cheap one. But when you compare it to its European rivals, let’s say the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG, which starts at £61,650, or the BMW M5, starting at £63,590, it’s definitely way better value. Considering that you’ve 150 more horses, this is definitely one rival worth considering.
This is a car that you absolutely cannot build a business case for. But sometimes, you need to stop listening to the focus groups. Sometimes you need to build a car that defines itself.
