2008 Dodge Challenger
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[First Drive] - Challenger SRT Hellcat - Motortrend
In a few months, many Mustang and Camaro owners will feel woefully inadequate. That's when the 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat will start hitting the streets, and, just in case you've been living under a rock, here's why it's such a big deal: The supercharged Hellcat is the most powerful musclecar ever, pushing the horsepower war into the insane territory of 700-plus hp.
With a 6.2-liter supercharged V-8 making 707 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque, the Hellcat finally gives Mopar fans something to brag about in the upper echelons of the musclecar battle, which has essentially been a two-man show featuring Mustang and Camaro. The Hellcat is more powerful than almost everything on the market today, even SRT's own halo car, the Viper. Sure, there are cars that make more power, but those are limited to a handful of exotics such as the Porsche 918 Spyder and McLaren P1 hyper-hybrids that cost up to 18 times as much. Dodge has priced its new musclecar at $60,990 (including destination and gas guzzler tax), which caused a bit of sticker shock for many, but in a good way. If you're obsessed horsepower and prefer your cars out-of-the-box stock, you'll agree that it is an absolute steal.The Hellcat doubles the Challenger's SRT choices to two offerings. The non-Hellcat Challenger SRT 392 still gets the 6.4-liter Hemi V-8, though power increased a bit for the 2015 model-year refresh, which notably includes a tweaked front fascia, a drastically improved interior, and impressive amounts of content.
That said, the Hellcat still handles like a Challenger. Navigating the Challenger through curvy parts of the road or track is, ahem, challenging, while straightaways are a breeze. The Hellcat just does the latter much, much faster.We had our first go in the Hellcat at the Portland International Raceway (PIR). Before that, we hopped into a non-Hellcat Challenger SRT 392 (more on that later) for a scenic drive from downtown Portland to the track, but were restricted to a mostly leisurely pace thanks to roads packed with summer tourists. Once we arrived at the raceway, there was no opportunity for warm warm-up laps in docile Challengers like such as the V-8 R/T or the Pentastar V-6-powered SXT.
t was straight into the fire, accompanied by a brave chaperone in the Hellcat's passenger seat. After the requisite lap to get familiar with the track, it was time unleash the Hellcat's fury. PIR's main straight, which is a little more than three-quarters of a mile, was a walk in the park for Hellcat. In a few seconds we were at triple-digit speeds and reaching that velocity was accompanied by glorious sounds. The supercharger whine could double as an air raid siren. Louder still is the exhaust, which produces a never-ending sequence of barks and pops.
The Hellcat's drive mode was set to "Track," which switches the adaptive suspension system to its firmest setting and programs the new eight-speed auto to shift quickly and deliberately. As we approached the first turn, my chaperone reminded me to brake. The Hellcat's new Brembo brake set quickly scrubbed off speed. Up front are six-piston calipers and 15.4-inch slotted rotors, while the rear gets four-piston clampers and 13.8-inch rotors. I took the first chicane very slowly, but was a bit overzealous with the right foot on a subsequent turn. Not surprisingly, the Hellcat's tail end started to wag.
Smooth brake and throttle inputs are a must.PIR's back straight provided another opportunity to let loose. Again, my chaperone encouraged me to go all out, and again the braking zone came quick, with the Hellcat still eager to pull. Fun (and expensive) fact: SRT says the Hellcat at wide-open throttle will drink 1.5 gallons of gas per minute. The Hellcat's upgraded fuel system includes half-inch fuel lines. The engine, according to SRT, contains 91 percent new parts compared with the 392, including a forged-steel crankshaft, forged alloy pistons, and aluminum-alloy cylinder heads. The 2.4-liter supercharger provides 11.6 psi of boost and includes two air/coolant heat exchangers to keep things cool. That said, the Hellcat's engine required SRT to up its development and testing game significantly.
The Hellcat loves straight lines. No surprises there. And Dodge provided the opportunity to solidify this fact with one run on the dragstrip. Activating the Hellcat's launch control system is wonderfully simple. Push the "launch" button on the center stack, step on the brake pedal with your left foot, mash the gas with the right, let go of brake, and voilà. Better yet, pulling up the SRT Performance Pages app in the Uconnect infotainment system will automatically time your run. After our run, the app revealed a 0-60 mph time of 4.1 seconds and a quarter-mile time of 12 seconds at 117 mph. Dodge says the best time it achieved was 11.2 seconds on the quarter mile with street tires (Pirelli P Zero), so we'll see if how close we can get to that time once we snag a Hellcat for testing.We rounded off our Hellcat experience with a quick drive in a car equipped with a six-speed manual. Here, the SRT team snagged the Viper's robust gearbox to handle the Hellcat's 650 lb-ft of torque. That said, the clutch is heavy, but the shifter is fine. Aggressive shifts from first to second had the tires holding on for dear life.Thankfully, Dodge has equipped the Hellcat with a few tricks to ensure valets and fearless teens don't get into too much trouble. A valet mode, for example, does a number of things such as limiting the engine to 4000 rpm, locking out first gear, and setting the SRT drive mode to Street. Furthermore, a special key fob limits the engine to 500 hp.
Of course, 500 hp is more than enough to get into trouble. In fact, it's still more than the Challenger SRT 392's output of 485 hp and 475 lb-ft, which is up 15 horses and 5 lb-ft from the 2014 model. The SRT 392 is also offered with the new eight-speed auto that helps improve acceleration. Better yet, it'll also improve fuel economy, returning an estimated 25 mpg on the highway, 2 mpg more than the 2014 model and its five-speed auto gearbox.Hellcat buyers will undoubtedly be happy campers when it comes to performance. They might, however, wish for more when it comes to distinguishable visual treatments that set the car apart from the 392. Hellcat models feature subtle "supercharged" badges on the front fenders, while the grille lacks the dual bar treatment of the 392. Look closely at the driver's side inner headlamp unit and you'll notice that it's actually a functional air intake. Aside from that, the 392 and Hellcat are almost indistinguishable. Still, Dodge has created a furious powerhouse, and there's no doubt that Ford and Chevy will feel the need to pull their claws out.
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[First Drive] - Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat - Top Gear
What’s this?
This is the new 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, complete with that all-new pyrotechnic 707bhp supercharged V8. This is not just the most powerful Challenger ever made, it’s also now the most powerful muscle car you can buy – sweeping aside the 662bhp Shelby GT500 – and offers the most horsepower per dollar ($85 per nag) of any car on sale in the US. Just to contextualize it, in the rank order of most powerful production cars on sale in the world, this Hellcat sits just above the Lamborghini Aventador and just below the Ferrari F12.
What’s new other than that engine?
Plenty. The tightened up exterior design so it now reflects the original 1971 car more faithfully. New interiors also borrow heavily from the Seventies car’s features. There’s an eight-speed automatic – in place of the old six-speeder – better instruments and electronics across the range, including all the latest anti-crash stuff, revised three-mode electric power steering and a host of other nice details like an active exhaust.
So it’s more of a refresh than a redesign?
Kind of, but it’s a very thorough one. Challenger sales have been up every year for the last five years, so it wouldn’t make sense to change it dramatically. But there have been some substantial changes, particularly towards the top end of the model line up. There are now eight trim levels that range from the humble SXT on the 305bhp V6-engined cars all the way to the hellacious Hellcat.
How can I spot the Hellcat?
It’s not badged as anything more than the SRT model now – the engine name isn’t on the car anywhere, which seems like a trick missed. The only visual tells are the air intake where the left drivers lamp should be, the supercharged badge on the wing, and its ability to disappear in a cloud of fire and brimstone in an instant. Also note that there are now two SRT models in the range – beneath the Hellcat is the SRT 392 HEMI Scat Pack Shaker.
The what?
The Scat Pack (stop sniggering at the back) is a collection of go faster goodies that lift the performance by up to 113bhp and 65lb-ft, add an active exhaust, upgraded suspension and better brakes among a long list of detailed upgrades. So you want it if you can get it. The Shaker bit refers to the air cleaner poking out of the bonnet. It allows the engine to breathe more deeply, and make more power, so you want that, too. They are quite a bit cheaper than the Hellcat-equipped cars, and not a whole lot slower.
But doesn’t a 707bhp Challenger make the 640bhp Viper a bit redundant?
Not really. The Challenger is a proper four seater and the Viper is a cramped two-seater coupe that will still demolish the Hellcat, even in a straight line. Completely different products for different purposes.
OK, that’s the company line – what’s the reality?
You’re right. Company insiders hinted that the Viper is being completely rethought. Now that Fiat and Chrysler are one company, all technology is being shared across the company – including Ferrari’s for the first time – which opens the door to a possible hybrid Viper. That car could use the Hellcat engine and add an electric motor giving the Dodge supercar over 900bhp. The company is also researching possible four-wheel drive systems for the car, which wouldn’t appear for a couple of years yet…
Back to this 707bhp brute. We want to know how it handles all that power…
It drives much better than you’d think a car weighing over 2,000kg could and should. Unlike the nervy Shelby GT500, it doesn’t ever feel like it’s going to flick you off the road or track if you don’t concentrate 100 per cent. Its attitude is fully – and hilariously – adjustable on the gas almost as much as with the wheel. But it never feels anything other than neutral and on your side, which allows you to enjoy all the performance on offer. It also stays remarkably composed when braking or cornering heavily, so you can indulge your right foot without getting into too much bother. It might look like the ’71 car, but it handles like a modern muscle car should.
What about on the drag strip?
It’s much the same. With a simple launch control set up, you can smoke the tyres at will and rattle off sub 12-second quarter miles (sub 11-seconds on drag radials) with as much effort as treading on an insect. There’s plenty of suitable smoke and drama outside the car. And plenty of timers and graphics inside the car to let you know how you’re cooking.
And on the road?
On the road, the lack of chassis mushiness remains alongside a new, more plush and hushed cabin. It’s comfortable and fun to drive at regular road speeds, the (hydraulic on the Hellcat only) steering and eight-speed auto box – the first time the hi-torque version of the TorqueFlite box has been used – being the standout features here. The six-speed manual (borrowed from the Viper) is also on offer for traditionalists. It’s big, comfortable, raw enough to be fun, refined enough to live with, makes a great noise and looks the part.
So should I buy one?
There will come a day in the not too distant future when we can’t drive V8s anymore. Particularly V8s like the Hellcat. So don’t miss your chance to drive one of the best – run, don’t walk, to your dealer now.
