2018 Challenger Hellcat Widebody: More Than Just a Visual Upgrade

2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody is mean-looking and quicker on any track.

In addition to the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and the new Dodge Challenger SRT Demon, the 2018 model year will also feature the new Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody. As the name suggests, this Hellcat Challenger gets the widebody treatment from the new Demon, which allows the company to equip it with wider tires – thus improving grip on the drag strip and the road course.

The heart of the 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody is, of course, the widebody package from the 2018 Demon. This includes unique fenders and quarter panels which allow for extra wheel movement while the composite flares keep the wider wheels and tires tucked safely inside of the body lines. This flared body treatment widens the Challenger by 3.5 inches when compared to the non-Widebody Hellcat, but more importantly, this wider body allows the company to fit new 20×11 inch “Devil’s Rim” wheels wrapped in 305/35ZR20 Pirelli P-Zero high performance tires.

In addition to the wider body and the bigger tires, the 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody also features a new Electronic Power Steering (EPS) system which works with the SRT Drive Mode system to allow the driver to customize the steering feel. In the same way that the suspension and throttle settings become more aggressive in Sport and Track modes, the new EPS allows for similar changes in stiffness and feedback.

The wider tires of the 2018 Challenger Hellcat Widebody allow it to launch even harder on the drag strip, running a 10.90 quarter mile time with the stock Pirelli tires. That is an improvement of 3 tenths of a second over the original Hellcat Challenger, while being just a tenth of a second slower than the non-Widebody Hellcat Challenger with drag radial tires. The Widebody Hellcat also gets a quicker 0-60 time, down from 3.5 to 3.4 seconds.

Drag racing aside, when coupled with the new power steering setup, these wider tires make the Widebody Hellcat Challenger 2-second quicker on a 1.7-mile road course than a “normal” Hellcat Challenger. This is achieved by the Widebody Hellcat posting a .04g improvement on a skidpid, so in addition to putting the power to the ground more efficiently – the Widebody tires stick to the turns as well. For those who don’t go road racing, this added lateral grip should yield better handling capabilities on twisty roads as well.

Finally, like all 2018 Hellcat cars, the Widebody Challenger gets new Hellcat head logos on the front fenders and on the grille. The 2018 grille badge is similar to the 2017 badge on the rear spoiler, with the SRT logo punctuated by the Hellcat logo. On the fenders, a new 3D Hellcat head badge with a billet finish is similar to the new Demon head logo, with an open back design rather than the current Hellcat head badges with black filler.

The 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody will officially go on sale later this month, with the first deliveries expected to reach dealerships sometime during the 3^rd quarter of 2017. When it arrives, the Widebody Hellcat Challenger will carry a base MSRP of $72,590 (including gas guzzler fee and destination).

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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