Living the Dream: A Week with a Challenger SRT Hellcat
The Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat is one of those cars that transcends any kind of deep-rooted manufacturer affinity — when you’re inside of one, you can’t help but smile. This supercharged 707-horsepower modern-muscle car roared onto the scene for the 2015 model year, and has been smoking tires and tearing up dragstrips ever since. Even casual car fans know the Hellcat name.
Personally, I’ve experienced this torque-monster on a proper race track and on quick test drives, but I’ve never had the pleasure of living with one… until now that is.
Coinciding with this year’s SEMA Show, Dodge entrusted me with a 2016 Challenger SRT Hellcat for my drive from Los Angeles to Las Vegas — the combination of horsepower and available long, straight roads is every motorhead’s dream come true!
But before I got to the open road, I’d have to escape the ever-present traffic of Los Angeles; by far the toughest part of this familiar journey to Sin City. Thankfully, the Hellcat is still at its core a Challenger, which means I’m surrounded with luxurious grand-touring amenities like Laguna Leather seats (heated/vented), adjustable Bilstein suspension, an 18-speaker Harman Kardon system, and connectivity & entertainment from the award-winning 8.4-inch Uconnect system.
The TorRed exterior paint grabbed a lot of attention, especially with the dual carbon stripes and Hellcat-exclusive front fascia. The larger front vents and SRT hood allow for better cooling and also help the car exude a more aggressive demeanor.
20-inch Brass Monkey SRT forged wheels upped the coolness-factor for an overall look that stands out from the crowd, but doesn’t attract so much attention where every kid with a loud exhaust wants to race you.
Once out of the city, the 6.2-liter HEMI V8 could really stretch its legs, letting out a satisfying whine from the supercharger as I applied more throttle. And if at any time I was curious about how the vehicle was doing, I could use the SRT Performance Pages app to monitor data like intake air temperature, boost pressure, air/fuel ratio, etc. It was also fun to keep track of real-time horsepower, torque, and G-forces via the 7-inch configurable display in the instrument cluster.
As rowdy as the Hellcat can be, there’s actually a softer, gentler side to it as well. The Challenger hummed along smoothly on the highway with the engine dialed to 500 horsepower and the suspension set to Street mode. It’s definitely a viable daily-driver especially when equipped with the available eight-speed automatic transmission. As a purist, I enjoyed the engagement of the TREMEC 6-speed manual transmission, but the heavy clutch required to handle the 650 lb-ft of available torque may not be for everyone.
Regardless of your transmission preference, driving the Challenger Hellcat is always very rewarding. Three performance modes — Street, Sport, and Track — change vehicle dynamics by adjusting steering weight, suspension stiffness, and traction, allowing you make the most out of any fun detours (read: twisty canyon roads) you may come across.
And let’s not forget about the song of the Hellcat. At full throttle, it’s a roar that’s simultaneously exhilarating and frightening — I don’t think I’ve ever heard another production car that sounds so angry!
After 11 days and over 600 miles, the smile that came across my face whenever I fired up the Challenger Hellcat remained just as wide as it was on day one. I’d fallen in love, and not because of the car’s huge horsepower rating or tire-smoking abilities, but because of the way it made me feel: like a boss.
I’ve been spending recent days playing out different personal financial situations in my head, and who knows, with a starting MSRP of $64,195, you just might see a Go Mango Hellcat sitting in my driveway soon.
Visit Dodge.com/Challenger to spec out your own Hellcat and learn more about the 10 different models in the Challenger lineup.
