The Charger Hellcat SRT; Dodge Creates A Monster

The Charger Hellcat news is official, and for Dodge, it’s very good news.

The 2015 Charger Hellcat has been confirmed, at least numerically, as the most powerful sedan in the world, according to the Christian Science Monitor. The SRT Hellcat, which made its debut today at the 2014 Woodward Dream Cruise muscle car fest in Detroit, is packing the supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 from the 2015 Dodge Challenger Hellcat, and incredibly the engine’s peak output has been maintained at 707 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque. By comparison, the next most powerful sedan available today is the V-12-powered Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG, and it produces ‘only’ 621 hp.

So it has power, but does that translate to speed? The Charger Hellcat SRT, using Pirelli P Zero tires, hits a quarter mile in 11 seconds flat, tops out at 204 miles an hour, can go from zero to 60 in the “middle threes,” and can hit zero to one hundred in just under 13 seconds.

Now, you will have access to all of this power and speed if you use the second red key. With just the first key, you’ll max out at 500 horsepower. Nice, but not numbers listed above.

The Charger Hellcat SRT comes with an eight-speed automatic transmission, as compared to the Challenger Hellcat that utilizes the Viper’s six -speed transmission. The Charger Hellcat also weighs about 100 pounds more than the Challenger Hellcat, at 4,560 pounds. But, the extra weight gives the Charger Hellcat more traction. Weight distribution for the Charger Hellcat is 54:46 front to rear.

To help with the dynamics, there is a Drive Modes feature. Drive Modes tailor the driving experience by controlling horsepower, transmission shift speeds, paddle shifters, traction and suspension damping. Drive Modes are pre-configured for Sport, Track and Default settings, while the Custom setting lets the driver customize the drive experience to their favorite settings.

With styling borrowed from the regular Charger Hellcat, including trunk lid spoiler and new front bumper which aids downforce and feeds cool air into the engine bay, Dodge may have a hit on their hands. However, MLive is reporting that Dodge may only produce 1,200 of each kind of Charger Hellcat. Dodge CEO and President Tim Kuniskis is vehemently denying that rumor.

“That rumor about the 1,200 cars really upset a lot of people,” he said Wednesday during the unveiling of the Charger Hellcat SRT at Vinsetta Garage in Berkley. “I want to get as many of the cars out on the road, I want to get as many people talking about Dodge and excited about Dodge as possible.” The SRT will go for about $60,000, so the regular Charger Hellcat should be somewhat reasonably priced.

Following the announcement of the 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, rumors started swirling online about the vehicle being a limited run of only 1,200 units.

Kuniskis said Dodge doesn’t know how many of either of the Hellcat models the Auburn Hills-based automaker will produce, but it won’t be limited to 1,200 cars.

“I don’t know what the life cycle’s going to be,” he said. “I was very clear when we launched the Challenger: If you missed the first muscle car area, don’t miss this one. I don’t know how long this could last, so take advantage of it now.”