2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Wears 200mph Speedometer – But Will It Use It All?

Buried in the many pictures of the new 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT was the image above, which clearly shows the Hellcat Hemi logo in the thin film transistor (TFT) configurable gauge cluster with a big, bright analog speedometer on the right side.  That speedometer looks awesome with the bright white large numbers jumping out against the red and black backdrop, but to anyone who loves going fast – one particular number really stands out.

200.

The 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat will feature a speedometer that goes up to 200 miles per hour – a gauge range previously reserved for the likes of the mighty Viper.  The 600 horsepower range was also previously reserved for the Viper and while the SRT Hellcat Challenger will pack at least 600 horsepower, it is hard to imagine that brawny Mopar muscle breaking into the 200mph barrier.  However, when you consider the fact that the 2014 Challenger SRT with the 392 cubic inch V8 with 470 horsepower and 470lb-ft of torque had a top speed of 182 miles per hour (manual transmission, 175 with the auto), 200 miles per hour from the Hellcat powered beast seems a little more realistic.

So far, the only power numbers that we have for the 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat are 600+ horsepower and at least 575lb-ft of torque.  Even if those “at least” numbers become the actual numbers, the 2015 Challenger SRT’s Hellcat Hemi will offer an advantage of 130 more horsepower and 105lb-ft of torque over the current 392.  There have been some weight saving measures taken in designing the 2015 Challenger SRT Hellcat, but the added weight of the supercharged system could counter the reductions through the hood and wheels.  In other words, the 2015 Challenger SRT Hellcat shouldn’t be all that much lighter than the current 2014 Challenger SRT 392 so the “only advantage” will be the massive power increase.

We should keep in mind that the 2014 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 with a supercharged 5.8L V8 packing 662 horsepower and 631lb-ft of torque – which is fitted into a smaller, lighter car – is “only” able of hitting a top speed of 202 miles per hour.  The Challenger is bigger, heavier and likely less powerful than the GT500, but with the 470hp Challenger hitting 182…it certainly seems feasible that the 600+ horsepower could get very, very close to topping the 200mph barrier.

Unfortunately, we will have to wait until the fall when the first copies of the 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat are expected to roll off of the assembly line before we see the real world performance numbers – but even if the new Mopar muscle car cant top 200, we are still going to continue to drool all over this new beast.

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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