In addition to having a bone chilling 707 horsepower, one of the key features that allows the 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat to stand apart from the Dodge Viper or the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 is the 8-speed TorqueFlite automatic transmission. When you look at the most powerful American cars in the past, including the 640hp Viper, the 662hp GT500 and the 638hp Corvette ZR1 (C6), none of those models are offered with a self shifting transmission but with advancements in automatic transmission technology – the 2015 Hellcat Challenger offers incredible performance with this new 8-speed gearbox.
Our newest question of the week asks you – if you were purchasing a 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, would you pick the 6-speed manual or the 8-speed automatic?
I have driven the Hellcat Challenger with both transmission options and while each has its own advantages, it is hard to say which is definitively better in terms of drivability and performance. Some people believe that performance cars should always have a manual transmission while other appreciate the accurate shifts and the reduced effort that comes with a high performance vehicle with an automatic transmission.
"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.
