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2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat first-drive
Before I tell you about my driving experience with the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, I’m just going to get this off my chest: this is one powerful, fast and, yes, chest-poundingly badass car. Your knee-jerk reaction might be “holy cow, $60k+ is a lot for a Challenger!” While that might be true, for a car even Dodge’s own CEO describes as a “science project”, in many respects the 700 HP Lamborghini Aventador I drove months ago was equally badass, but how many of us have got half-a-mil to drop on a supercar? From that perspective, the Challenger gives you the performance, a great looking car, creature comfort driver-focused cockpit and a decent fuel economy. But that’s now what you care about. You want to hear how the Hellcat roars.
Design and Interior
The Challenger is a familiar sight, and Dodge hasn’t been too outlandish with its changes for the SRT Hellcat version. Sure, there are plenty of styling options you can add – a matte finish hood, for instance – but the standard tweaks are designed more for enthusiasts to spot.
For instance, the inner front headlamp on the driver’s side has been switched out for an air intake, feeding some much-needed cooling to the engine. Heat extractors sit either side of the hood scoop, and you can tell your friends that the hood itself is now aluminum.
Inside, Dodge has looked to the 1971 Challenger for some of its inspiration, though left space for the tech as you’d expect. The Uconnect infotainment system gets either a 5- or 8.4-inch touchscreen in the center stack, though in the case of the Hellcat more than just navigation, audio, and climate control are expected of it.
Everything feels solidly put together, though once you’re sat in the well-bolstered seats it’s best not to think about any direction but straight ahead. The Hellcat’s blind spots are vast.
Under the hood
Dodge has saved its efforts for what’s going on under the hood, and it hasn’t been idle. The 6.2-liter Hemi supercharged V8 may be based on an existing engine but, by the time it was ready for Hellcat duty, 91-percent of the components had been replaced.
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