Drift King Himself Whips Challenger Hellcat Redeye in Japan
Japanese racing legend Keiichi Tsuchiya AKA Drift King, gets behind the wheel of a Challenger Hellcat Redeye on a Japanese race course.
The Dodge Challenger Hellcat Redeye is a distinctly American car. It fits all the bills in that regard. V8? Check. Supercharger? Check. Rear-wheel drive? Check. The only thing missing in that equation is an absurd amount of horsepower. We’re sure you’re familiar, but let’s remind you if you aren’t. The Hellcat Redeye has 797 horsepower. That being said, American muscle cars are often painted as straight-line heroes incapable of handling any other sort of racing discipline. How does that hold up when Drift King gets involved?
For those unfamiliar, Keiichi Tsuchiya, better known by his well-earned nickname “Drift King,” is a professional racing driver from Japan who posts content on the Drift King Television YouTube channel. Tsuchiya is a dominant professional who became famous not only for his wins but for his use of drifting in racing where you wouldn’t typically find it. Of course, his tail-happy action on track also helped nurture drifting as a motorsport. For that, Mr. Tsuchiya, we thank you. Make no mistake, though; he is a remarkably fast racing driver. So, what’s his take on the big American brute that is the Challenger Hellcat Redeye?
Tsuchiya Remarks That the Challenger, While Heavy and Hard to Slow Down, Does Corner Well
Certainly, the Hellcat Redeye is a handful on track. That’s very plain to see as Tsuchiya accelerates out of corners and repeatedly has to lift off the accelerator as the Hellcat tries to get away from him. That being said, his thoughts on the driving performance of the car may come as a bit of a shock to you.
“It’s very heavy. However, cornering feels good,” says Tsuchiya as he pushes the Hellcat through the corners on track.
There’s something woefully satisfying about hearing the supercharger whine as Tsuchiya, true to his name, let’s the back end step out when coming out of corners and putting his foot down. Of course, take his complimentary statement about handling with a grain of salt, as he also stated that “American muscle is dangerous” in a cheeky fashion the first time the rear end stepped out on him under acceleration. To sum it all up, the Drift King makes a cheeky remark about his driving experience behind the wheel of the Hellcat.
“It was a car that enjoyed danger. Enjoy the danger. I mean, I sweat differently from sweating on a crowded train. This time, I get sweat containing adrenaline,” says Tsuchiya, according to Youtube’s automatic translation.
Though the translation probably isn’t exactly dead on, the point comes through. The Drift King had a good time behind the wheel of the Hellcat despite its finicky behavior and desire to get unruly.
Be sure to check out the entire video below. Even though it’s all in Japanese, the Youtube subtitles do a pretty solid translation. Better still, you don’t need subtitles to translate the supercharger whine!
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