Meet GM’s New Nightmare: The 485hp 2015 Dodge Charger R/T Scat Pack

We have been talking a ton about the new 2015 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat and with it being the most powerful production sedan in the world, how can we not? However, the new Charger that I think could make the biggest splash in the performance car segment is the new R/T Scat Pack – which uses the 392 cubic inch Hemi V8 from the 2014 Charger SRT to deliver enough power to make it the best performance sedan in the segment (not counting the similarly powerful Charger SRT 392 and the mighty Charger SRT Hellcat).

Chrysler has been relatively quiet about a 392-powered Charger but with the media launch for the entire 2015 Dodge Charger lineup going on right now, we got our first look at the new R/T Scat Pack. This model will arrive in dealerships early next year, but we have all of the information that we could want right now along with the first pictures of the new Charger Scat Pack in stunning B5 Blue.

First off, the 2015 Dodge Charger R/T Scat Pack is powered by the same 6.4L, 392 cubic inch Hemi that powers the 2015 Charger SRT 392, the 2015 Challenger SRT 392, the 2015 Challenger R/T Scat Pack and the entire previous SRT 8-cylinder lineup. The engine has been tweaked a bit for 2015, now packing 485 horsepower and 475lb-ft of torque, with that power being channeled to the rear wheels by means of a quick shifting 8-speed automatic transmission. This drivetrain will afford the Charger Scat Pack the ability to dash from 0-60 in the mid 4 second range while being able to take the quarter mile in the mid 12 second range.

In addition to the 6.4L Hemi, the Scat Pack adds a big Brembo front brake system, a high performance suspension system, a selectable drive mode system that allows the driver to adjust the steering feel, the transmission shifts, the throttle input, the stability control and the traction control. This allows the 2015 Charger Scat Pack to handle and brake better than the traditional R/T while the bigger Hemi provides the extra grunt to stand out in a crowd.

Finally, the 2015 Dodge Charger R/T Scat Pack features unique badging, a very similar front and rear fascia to that seen on the new Charger SRT Hellcat, the hood of the new SRT 392 and the silver/black wheels that are also worn on the Challenger Scat Pack. Honestly, where the Challenger Scat Pack looks similar to the Challenger R/T, the Scat Pack Charger looks more like the Charger SRT models. On the inside, the Charger Scat Pack has embroidered logos on the seats and other Scat Pack logos around the interior in addition to goodies like an SRT flat bottom steering wheel, an 8.4” touch screen with the Dodge Performance Pages and the high tech TFT gauge cluster.

Best of all, you get all of this with a base price of just $39,995 – making the 2015 Dodge Charger R/T Scat Pack far less expensive than the Chevrolet SS performance sedan that it will crush in almost any performance venue.

This is one of the few 2015 Dodge Charger models that I have not driven yet (due to late availability), but when it does arrive, I expect it to be a big hit with those folks who want to go very fast in their full sized sedan without the high price of the SRT models.

Patrick Rall

"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.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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