Dodge was a marque largely absent from this weekend’s Goodwood Festival of Speed powerfest, but this doesn’t mean the company is softening up by any means. The Chrysler-owned brand has today announced its aptly named Challenger SRT “Hellcat”, and it’s one of the most powerful production sedans ever built.
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It also turns out that conquering muscle cars isn’t enough for Dodge — the Hellcat will likely have some supercars for breakfast too.
“The most powerful muscle car in Chrysler history” doesn’t fully express the depth of this car’s engine metrics. As if the standard HEMI engine didn’t produce enough grunt, Dodge’s SRT division has stuffed a supercharger onto the rebored 6.2-litre V8. As a result, it can now restart planets, thanks to its 707 horsepower and 650 N.m. of torque.
To put this grunt into perspective, it’s more powerful than the German trio of the BMW M5, Mercedes C63 AMG and the Audi RS6. It’s also playing in Lamborghini, Pagani and Ferrari land, while transporting a family of four in comparative comfort.
The tech employed by Dodge is by no means archaic either. There’s an choice between an 8-speed TorqueFlight automatic gearbox or a 6-speed Tremec manual. Dodge also adds much needed traction control systems, adjustable suspension and improved cooling to ensure that car can handle all of the horses.
So, it’s powerful, practical and technical but what about beautiful? The chilli pepper red Hellcat sports a glorious, “inspired by the classic 1971 Challenger” interior and upon first view seems like a wonderful place for a driver to be. Blackened wheel rims complete the high contrast exterior profile while crimson 15.4″ Brembo brakes peak through from beneath the spokes. Drivers who fancy other colours will have a choice of around 11.
There’s currently no word from Dodge about price, but expect it to retail for much less than the car’s German rivals. The Hellcat will also be available from Q3 2014.
