2020 Charger Hellcat Widebody Proves that Horsepower Is King

Dodge Charger Hellcat goes into 2020 showing its age, but it also shows that 707 horsepower can smooth out a lot of wrinkles.

Some things never go out of style. A pair of Levis looks as cool now as it did back in the ’60s. After mowing the lawn, there’s still nothing quite as refreshing as an ice-cold glass of lemonade (or a frosty beer). It’s the same with horsepower. The current version of the Dodge Charger dates back to the 2011 model year so it’s long in the tooth, but as YouTuber Doug DeMuro‘s recent review of the 2020 Charger SRT Hellcat Widebody shows, its outrageous amount of power never gets old.

Over the past several years, the Charger has grown more and more powerful. There was once a time when the most potent version of it topped out at 425 horsepower. Those days are long gone. Now the Scat Pack outguns that with a 485-horsepower 6.4-liter Hemi V8.

A few years ago, Dodge introduced the most bestial Charger ever: the 707-horsepower, 650-lb-ft Charger SRT Hellcat. For 2020, Dodge one-upped itself by combining that face-flattening grunt with a widebody package. That adds muscular flared fenders at the front and back that broaden the muscle sedan by 3.5 inches. Dodge fills that extra space with some serious rubber: 305s – in the back and front. As DeMuro says, “Take my word for it. These are insanely, massively, ridiculously wide.” (Don’t worry, Doug. We do.)

Those steamrollers are also helpful. They make the Hellcat Widebody less aerodynamic than the outgoing regular-width Charger Hellcat, but they allow it to grip and corner more ferociously. According to FCA, the broader-shouldered car “runs 2.1 seconds faster than the vehicle it replaces on a 2.1-mile road course, equal to 13 car lengths after one lap.”

Dodge couples that power and traction with go-fast tech such as readouts for acceleration, lap times and power consumption, line lock for bringing the rear tires up to ideal operating temperature and texture, and the ability to use the Hellcat Widebody’s cooling system to chill the engine and blower and prep them for another full-throttle launch. If you insert an SD card and hit the camera icon on the center touchscreen, “you can record laps or drag racing runs that you do so you can watch them later and look at pointers about how you could’ve done a little better.”

There’s no getting around the Charger’s age, though. DeMuro goes right at it. He points out the dated shape of the lift-up door handles. The conspicuous placement of the backup camera doesn’t escape his attention. Inside, the foot-activated emergency brake draws his eye – and not in a good way. The absence of adaptive cruise control buttons on the steering wheel is impossible for DeMuro to ignore, especially considering his test car has a BMW- and Mercedes-ish sticker price of $82,000.

But the Hellcat Widebody’s still-bonkers amount of power has a way of making those shortcomings seem less significant. Demuro says, “I absolutely understand why people pick this over those luxury BMWs and Mercedes – ’cause this car has the power.”

Once DeMuro takes the Hellcat Widebody out on the road, he makes sure to unleash some of that power. Even though the Charger has had Hellcat power for a few years now, it still packs a punch that puts a smile on his face. “I drive my [last-generation] Ford GT and it also feels really fast, but somehow this feels faster.” The Hellcat Widebody sounds better to him, too. That’s great for a family car “whose base model is mainly known for being the default upgrade when the airport Enterprise rent-a-car runs out of Kia Optimas.”

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Derek Shiekhi

Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.

After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.

While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.

Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.

In addition to writing for a variety of Internet Brands sites, including JK Forum, H-D Forums, The Mustang Source, Mustang Forums, LS1Tech, HondaTech, Jaguar Forums, YotaTech, and Ford Truck Enthusiasts. Derek also started There Will Be Cars on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

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