Listen to a modified Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat roar as it lays down 850 rear wheel horsepower on the dyno.
The Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat has a beautiful tone at idle and at wide open throttle in stock form thanks to the dual mode exhaust system, but owners have found that the supercharged Hemi has plenty more to say. Those folks who have added an aftermarket exhaust system and a new air intake setup have learned that both the exhaust roar and the supercharger whine can be far louder, but when other performance items are added – the sound just keeps on getting sweeter.
In fact, one modified Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat sounds so fantastic that FCA used it to create the exhaust sound clips for the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon virtual drag race at the New York City debut. For those wondering, while we don’t have an exact mod list, we know that this Charger is fitted with the stage 3 package from Gearhead Fabrications, allowing this Mopar muscle sedan to send 850 horsepower to the rear wheels, That is more than 1,000hp at the crankshaft and when in action on the dyno, is sounds like a thousand horsepower machine.
For those who attended the private debut of the 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon in New York City – or those who attended the New York International Auto Show in the days following the grand debut event – you likely saw the Demon virtual drive. The company had a pair of Demons set up in front of large TV screens, so while you sat in the car and worked the steering wheel and pedals, the car on the screen reacted.
This virtual Demon drive proved to be a popular feature, but when creating the virtual racing simulator without actually having the real car to get the sound clips of racing, Dodge had to turn to private owners. They needed a car which was slightly louder than the standard Hellcat and which sounds more like the new Demon. Having heard the Demon run in person, I can say that both the exhaust and the air intake are louder than the Hellcat, so this silver Hellcat Charger is the perfect car to replicate the Demon’s sound for the simulator.
The first two videos here show this Hellcat Charger on the dyno while the third shows the production of capturing the sound of this Hellcat car for the Demon simulator.
"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.
