The 2015 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Arrives as the Most Powerful Sedan on the Planet

Today I attended a small, private event at a diner along Detroit’s Woodward Avenue, where I got to meet the quickest, the fastest, and the most powerful sedan sold in the world – the 2015 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat. It was all but a sure thing that the most powerful Mopar road engine would end up in the brawny sport sedan, but today’s unveiling of the Hellcat Charger confirms that not only does Dodge offer the most powerful American muscle car ever…they also offer the most powerful sport sedan in the world. No other company offers a 4-door car that will keep pace with the Charger Hellcat and aside from the Hellcat powered Challenger – no other production car sold in America has as much power as this badass Mopar muscle sedan.

Mechanically, the 2015 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat is identical to the Challenger SRT Hellcat and that begins with the supercharged 6.2L Hellcat Hemi that produces a bone chilling 707 horsepower and 650lb-ft of torque. The Charger is not available with the Tremec 6-speed manual transmission from the Challenger Hellcat and the modern Viper, but it does come with the heavy duty 8-speed TorqueFlite automatic transmission that shuttles all of that power to the rear wheels. This setup makes the Charger SRT Hellcat the most powerful sedan in the world while also allowing this beast to dash from 0-60 in just 3.7 seconds and the quarter mile takes this 707 horsepower sedan just 11 seconds (flat) – making it the quickest sedan in the world and one of the quickest stock production cars in the world. Mind you, we are talking about a sedan that weighs around 4,550 pounds. Oh, and thanks to the advanced aerodynamic package of the Hellcat Charger, it is able to hit an astonishing top speed of 204 miles per hour.

For those not keeping track at home, the 0-60 time, quarter mile time and top speed are all better than the smaller, lighter Hellcat Challenger. Yes, that IS awesome.

In addition to the high performance drivetrain, the Charger also shares the Challenger’s adaptive suspension setup and Brembo brake package with monstrous 15.4” rotors up front tucked under 6 piston calipers. This suspension setup should make the Hellcat Charger one of the best handling full sized sedans in the world (if not THE best) and with a 0-100-0 time of just 13 seconds – this big sedan offers world class stopping power.

Helping the 2015 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat hit a higher top speed than the Challenger with the same drivetrain is a unique body package that gives this particular Charger a very unique look from the rest of the lineup with a front fascia, hood, side skirts, rear spoiler and rear diffuser that were designed specifically for the Hellcat package. Of course, the Hellcat Charger features the SRT badging on the front and rear, along with a new Hellcat “face” badge on the fenders…one that I expect to see Hellcat Challenger owners swapping to in the line of personalization after purchase.

The Chrysler Group has not announced pricing for the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat just yet, as it isnt expected to arrive until the first quarter of 2015, but I would expect the world’s most powerful sedan to cost a little more than the similarly equipped Challenger that starts in the $63,000 range with the automatic transmission.

The Hellcat Charger will make its public debut this Saturday at the 2014 Woodward Dream Cruise in Detroit so those folks who check out the massive Mopar display at the corner of 13 Mile and Woodward will get to meet the quickest, the fastest and the most powerful sedan in the world – a sedan that is built by Chrysler.

It is a great time to be a Mopar man…or woman.

Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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