Challenger models with lower prices or greater performance are overshadowing the original Hellcat.
When the SRT Hellcat package was introduced for the 2015 Dodge Challenger, it easily stole the show. The 707-horsepower Mopar muscle car was a remarkable bargain while also being the most powerful American muscle car ever.
Since then, Dodge has rolled out several new trimlines – some that offer all-wheel-drive, some that offer Hellcat features on lower performance models and one that offers 840 horsepower.
More Options, Less Hellcats
As these new packages have been introduced, Hellcat Challenger sales have gone down. Of course, we cannot attribute the decline in Hellcat sales specifically on the arrival of the other trimlines, but there is no question that the Demon technically cuts into Hellcat sales and in other cases, perspective buyers looking for a hot, new model went with the TA 392 over the Hellcat.
At the same time, sales of the traditionally stronger-selling models, such as the base V6, the R/T and the Scat Pack models increased, the Hellcat accounted for a smaller piece of the puzzle.
Finally, the introduction of the new Widebody Challenger served to bring the Hellcat name back into online discussions, but a model with wider tires, a unique look and improved performance capabilities also serves to overshadow the original 707-horsepower muscle car.
If the rumors of more power prove to be true, the company will be working to once again make the Hellcat the hot topic in the American performance world.
"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.
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