6 Things to Think About Before Buying a Hellcat Powered Dodge
You're in the market for a new car and you think to yourself that you deserve the ultimate Challenger or Charger with the Hellcat motor. Here are some things you need to know about care and feeding a hell kitty before taking the plunge.
1. The Tires
First things first, those tires are going up in smoke very fast taking along the dollars in your bank account too. If you've seen the episodes of The Grand Tour, with host Richard Hammond behind the wheel of the Hellcat, then you know how easy it is to smoke the rears and quickly destroy them. If you buy this chariot I'm sure the rubber on the rear of yours won't be long for this world either, if you've got half a pulse. For those curious about investing in Hellcat tire futures, the rate we saw is about $260 a tire. Let that wash over you for a moment and consider how much restraint you'll need to keep from lighting it up.
2. No Go in the Snow
If you check out the owners' forums online you'll see that there are two kinds of people out there: Those who wouldn't dream of putting their Hellcat through the rough, salty, and debris-ridden streets that are out there during the cold months, and those who give zero f%*ks. In the dry, these cars will spin the tires easily at almost any speed, so driving in the snow is an exercise in skill, to say the least. If you'd like to play a neat game out in the elements, count how many times you lose traction and look upon the face of Heaven itself while running errands in bad conditions.
3. Trips for Gas
The mighty Hellcat Challenger burns through 1.5 gallons of fuel...per minute*. Wait just a minute you say, I read that the car gets 20 miles per gallon! While that is true if you drive like an EPA robot, the asterisk next to that figure should note that it comes from being at wide open throttle which is impossible to do for very long. The best thing one can do is to use the black key instead of the red one and exercise responsibility while applying the throttle.
4. It's Not for Everyone
That infamous black vs. red key argument may have you wondering just what everyone is talking about. When you purchase the car, you get two separate keys to call your own. One, the black key, is for family, dear friends, and yourself when you are having a hard time not going totally wild. The black key will only let you access 500 horsepower of the total potential, to keep things nice and respectable when you're out and about. The red key, on the other hand, might as well be that little devil on your shoulder, whispering in your ear and urging you to jam your foot down on the throttle and never let it come up for air. The red key will let you use, or at least attempt to, the full 707 horsepower that is on tap for the vehicle. Either way, the car can get away from you if you're not careful with it. So if you are someone who wants to just showboat, without the driving know-how to reign the car back in, then maybe you should go check out another car.
5. Copious car envy
Do you know anyone who drives a Mustang? Perhaps even a baseline Camaro? When you roll up to show them your new car, be prepared for so many green-eyed stares of envy, and lots of talking to gritted teeth as they begrudgingly say how cool your car is. On the other hand, think of all the kids you will help to spark the love of great cars with when they see and hear a powerful rumbling Hellcat go past them. To see some of the glee you can spread with your Hellcat, check this video out.
6. Which Flavor?
The choice is yours as to which style of Hellcat you wish to own for the foreseeable future. Both cars are surprisingly liveable and are great as a daily driver, as long as you use the black key (or some restraint) for getting around town with the family. The big difference is the two doors or lack thereof depending on what you choose. The two models have all the same plumbing but a particular outlet has reported that the Charger may actually be quicker and faster than the Challenger. Some food for thought on the matter is the Charger is able to hit 204 mph while the Challenger has an official top speed of 199 mph, because it is slightly more aerodynamic, and it puts the power down better at the strip too. The bottom line is that whichever you choose, you will love your car and all of the power it commands.
For maintenance and repair guides, browse our technical How-to articles right here at Dodgeforum.com!