SRT Hellcat, the American that lives up to its name

When we talk about the USA, we certainly think about big cars. I think that most people who love cars think directly of the name "mustang". Today we are going to talk about big V8 but by Dodge.

Dodge is one of the biggest American brands, it's the one that gave life to the Viper, the Charger but also to the Challenger!

In this article we are going to talk about a version of the Challenger, the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat:

This is the 3rd generation of the Challenger, which saw the light of day in 2007 and was re-styled in 2015, a very successful look that earned it the name "Hellcat". And as the photos illustrating this article show, this Challenger is a real standout!

A very successful neo-retro design, with a resemblance to the fastbacks of the time, and this gaping mouth! How not to turn your head when it passes in the street in front of the bakery? It must be said that even with a black configuration in the night it would not manage to be discreet, and its engine is not for nothing!

As you can imagine, it's a big V8 like we like them! A 6.2L V8 supercharger developing almost 720 hp and 880 Nm of torque (at 4800 rpm) with a torque of 600Nm from 1500 rpm: enough to uproot a tree! Afterwards, like all American cars, such an engine increases considerably the weight of the car on the scale: almost 1.9t when empty.

The performance is good, with a 0 to 100 km/h in 3.6s and a top speed around 320 km/h! Not bad, right?

But this engine is not just any engine, because it is the very first HEMI Supercharged engine produced by the Chrysler group, with forged pistons, a 2.4L supercharger (which swallows 30000 L/min!), and even diamond to limit the damage caused by friction. That V8 melody is not dampened!

On the transmission side, an 8-speed automatic gearbox has been chosen by the manufacturer.

Braking part, 6-piston Brembo: we must be able to stop the monster.

Several versions of this Challenger have been released: the R/T Hellcat, the SRT Hellcat and the SRT Demon (the most extreme). There are no big differences in the bodywork of the different models. At least not very striking: the hood varies as well as the blade and the rims, not to mention the Hellcat logos.

There are some small details that make it even prettier: notably its headlights that are orange in daytime running lights position (LED circles). For the record, the driver's side headlight is completely hollowed out and allows a direct access to the air box for the outside air.

This car is huge! An imposing 2 doors coupe: 5m long and 1.92m wide!

Its 20" rims also play an important role in the aesthetics.

Models sold in the 100,000 euro range for new models imported in 2015. On the cost side, don't think about fuel economy: it's difficult if not impossible to consume less than 15L/100km. But as we know, American cars like to drink, a good 70L tank to make some runs.

Hugo CORTES